The U.S. government is making changes to how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity for the first time in 27 years. This is an effort to more accurately count residents who identify as Hispanic and of Middle Eastern and North African heritage. The revisions aim to reflect the increasingly diverse society in the United States and allow people to see themselves in the data produced by the federal government. The changes include combining questions about race and ethnicity into a single question, adding a Middle Eastern and North African category, and removing outdated terms like “Negro” and “Far East.”
The new revisions will give respondents the option to pick multiple categories at the same time, such as “Black,” “American Indian,” and “Hispanic.” This change addresses the confusion that many Hispanic people face when asked to answer the race question separately. The addition of a Middle Eastern and North African category will allow people from countries like Lebanon, Iran, and Egypt to identify themselves in this new group. The adjustments seek to provide better representation for individuals like Florida State Rep. Anna Eskamani, whose family would previously check the “white” box due to lack of suitable options.
The revisions also aim to collect more detailed race and ethnicity data beyond the minimum standards, allowing for specific identifications like “Haitian” or “Jamaican” for individuals who select “Black.” This disaggregation of data can help identify disparities in income or health among different subgroups within larger racial categories. The changes to the standards were developed over two years by a group of federal statisticians and bureaucrats and will have long-term implications for legislative redistricting, civil rights laws, and health statistics.
While the changes to the race and ethnicity categories have been generally well-received, there are some concerns from certain groups. Afro Latinos, for example, worry that combining the race and ethnicity question will reduce their representation in the data. Others, like Mozelle Ortiz, fear that the changes could erase their identity, particularly when it comes to mixed heritage backgrounds. Additionally, some individuals feel that certain groups, such as Armenians or Arabs from Sudan and Somalia, were not adequately included in the new definitions for the Middle Eastern and North African category.
The revisions to the race and ethnicity categories come after years of evolving social attitudes and immigration patterns in the United States. The changes will be implemented in data collection, forms, surveys, and census questionnaires released by the federal government, as well as in state governments and the private sector. Ultimately, the goal is to provide a more accurate and inclusive representation of the diverse population in the country. The impact of these changes will be far-reaching and will influence various aspects of society, from legislative decisions to public health research.
