The US Census Bureau has released new data on the 2020 census, which shows that over 43% of Hispanics either did not respond to the race question or selected the “some other race” option on the form. This has led to calls for the federal government to revise its race and ethnicity categories to better reflect the diversity of the US population.
The percentage of Hispanics who reported a single race fell from 81.6% in the 2010 census to 57.8% in the 2020 census. In contrast, around one-third of Hispanics reported being two or more races in 2020, compared to approximately 5% in 2010.
The 2020 census counted more than 62 million Hispanic individuals, which is almost 19% of the total US population. However, a post-census report found that Hispanics were undercounted by nearly 5%, suggesting that changes need to be made to ensure that everyone’s identity is accurately represented.
The latest figures on Hispanic racial identity reinforce the arguments of proponents of changing the US government’s race and ethnicity categories. The White House’s Office of Management and Budget is set to decide on new classifications next year, and is currently accepting public comments on its proposals until next month.
The proposed changes would combine the race and ethnic origin questions into a single query, as the current method of asking about race and separately about ethnic origin has been confusing for some Hispanic respondents. With the revisions, the government aims to obtain more detailed answers on race and ethnicity by asking about the country of origin.
Additionally, the preliminary proposals seek to create a new category for people of Middle Eastern and North African descent, who are currently classified as white but claim that they have been undercounted. This new category, known as MENA, would provide more accurate representation for this group of individuals.
Advocates for the changes argue that the current system does not accurately represent the diverse racial and ethnic makeup of the US population. By revising the race and ethnicity categories, the government could better capture the nuances of people’s identities and ensure that everyone is properly counted.
The Census Bureau’s data on Hispanic racial identity is just one example of the need for changes to the current system. Other groups, such as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, have also raised concerns about the current categories, and have suggested revisions that would better capture their unique identities.
The changes proposed by the Office of Management and Budget have been met with both support and criticism. Some groups argue that the new categories would be more inclusive and accurate, while others worry that the changes could create confusion and make it more difficult to compare data across different time periods.
Ultimately, the decision on new classifications will be made by the Office of Management and Budget, based on the feedback they receive from the public. The hope is that the new system will be more inclusive and better reflect the diverse identities of the US population.
