RACE CATEGORIES FOR CENSUS 2000INTRODUCTIONThe latest estimates of population growth from the Census Bureau confirm those issued from the Year 2000 Census that projected a very large increase in the Hispanic population. This data predicted that Hispanics will become the largest minority in the United States and that their age will make the over-all United States population more youthful than it would otherwise be. U. S. POPULATION BECOMING YOUNGER AND MORE HISPANICAs noted in the following items in this Resource Center, Diversity and Population Change and Hispanics Largest United States Minority, the age disparity between the over-all population and newer immigrants, both in the United States and other parts of the world, is raising new issues through-out the society, from workplace dynamics to social security reform. Added to this age disparity is the fact that in the United States the younger portion of the population is composed increasingly of Hispanic immigrants. These dimensions of population change create the dual issues of providing for the needs of the young while at the same time addressing the many aspects that surround assimilation. As William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution was quoted as saying in the New York Times, June 13, 2005, “?The older, white-dominated society is thinning out into the past. It is being replaced by the broad diversity of a younger generation.'" Some key facts highlight this trend:
The question on race for Census 2000 was different from the one for the 1990 census in several ways. Most significantly, respondents were given the option of selecting one or more race category to indicate their racial identities. Previously the only choices were: white, Black, Hispanic, Asian, or American Indian or Alaska Native. These five categories were expanded to include: Pacific Islander or Hawaiian Native, Multiracial, or Other. Even more importantly, people were allowed to check as many categories as they thought appropriate resulting in a matrix of 63 racial categories compared to 5 in 1990. In the 2000 Census, 6.8 million people identified themselves as multiracial. Because of these changes, the Census 2000 data on race are not directly comparable with data from the 1990 census or earlier censuses. Caution must be used when interpreting changes in the racial composition of the U.S. population over time. DEFINITION OF THE RACE CATEGORIES USED IN CENSUS 2000"White "refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indicated their race or races as "White "or wrote in entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Near Easterner, Arab, or Polish. "Black or African American "refers to people having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicated their race or races as "Black, African-Am, or Negro," or wrote in entries such as African American, Afro American, Nigerian, or Haitian. "American Indian and Alaska Native "refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment. It includes people who indicated their race or races by marking this category or writing in their principal or enrolled tribe, such as Rosebud Sioux, Chippewa, or Navajo. "Asian "refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent. It includes people who indicated their race or races as "Asian Indian," "Chinese," "Filipino," "Korean," "Japanese," "Vietnamese," or "Other Asian," or wrote in entries such as Burmese, Hmong, Pakistani, or Thai. "Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander "refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. It includes people who indicated their race or races as "Native Hawaiian," "Guamanian" or "Chamorro," "Samoan," or "Other Pacific Islander," or wrote in entries such as Tahitian, Mariana Islander, or Chuukese. "Some other race "was included in Census 2000 for respondents who were unable to identify with the five Office of Management and Budget race categories. Respondents who provided write-in entries such as Moroccan, South African, Belizean, or a Hispanic origin (for example, Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban) are included in the Some other race category. The term Hispanic is an ethnic category for persons who identify themselves as being of Spanish origin. Unlike other Census Bureau designations, Hispanic denotes neither race nor color, and a Hispanic may be White, Black, or American Indian, as well as (1) Mexican Americans/Chicanos, (2) Puerto Ricans/Boricuas, (3) Hispanos (U.S. Hispanics who identify themselves as "Spanish"), (4) Cuban Americans, and (5) Latinos (Hispanics from countries other than those already mentioned). Terms other than Hispanic may be preferred. For example, many Mexican Americans prefer Chicano, Puerto Ricans may prefer Boricuas, while others may prefer the more general term, Latino. NEW POPULATION ESTIMATESGiven the new population estimates, we have revised as many of the charts in the Demographic and Hispanic sections for which we have new data. For example, we have changed the, Projected Growth in Population by Race and Hispanic Origin: 1990-2000 Percent of Total Population (U.S. Census Bureau. Updated March, 2004). See below.
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