The Biden administration has ordered changes to federal surveys in order to gather more detailed information about the nation’s ethnic and racial makeup. These changes include allowing respondents to identify as part of a new category, Middle Eastern or North African ancestry. While these changes will provide a more detailed portrait of the nation’s ancestral diversity, they may also rankle conservatives who believe that the nation’s focus on diversity has gone too far. The changes will affect a variety of federal surveys, such as the Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics’ National Health Interview Survey, and will take years to fully implement.
Currently, surveys provide separate options for people of Hispanic and Latino descent to claim that identity, followed by multiple options for respondents to choose one or more races. The new changes consolidate these questions so that respondents may select any or all of seven racial and ethnicity categories, including Hispanic or Latino ancestry. Additionally, respondents will be able to choose as many sub-classifications as they like from suggested nationalities or write in others that are not listed. These changes are aimed at making surveys more accurate and will allow experts to better measure how different populations benefit from federal programs and services in areas like employment, health, and education.
The changes to the surveys build on the 2020 census, where white and African American respondents were given the option to write in additional ancestral information. This led to a significant number of respondents identifying as having more than one race. While some experts view these changes as an important reflection of the nation’s increasing racial and ethnic diversity, others believe that further classification into racial and ethnic groups will only fragment the nation further. Some critics argue that creating more categories for identification will lead to more division and animosity rather than fostering unity among the people and the nation.
The Office of Management and Budget consulted extensively with federal agencies, sociologists, and demographers before implementing the changes to the survey questions. The changes have been in the works for several years and have received input from thousands of public comments. While supporters of the new questions believe they will promote greater fairness in various aspects of society, such as schools, housing, and hiring, critics argue that the new categories will only serve to reinforce unnecessary divisions among people. The changes are likely to face opposition from conservatives, especially if there is a future Republican administration.
Overall, the changes to federal surveys represent an effort by the Biden administration to gather more detailed information about the nation’s diverse population. While the changes aim to provide more accurate data and promote fairness in various sectors, they have also sparked debate among conservatives, who believe that the focus on diversity has gone too far. The new survey questions will allow respondents to identify more specific racial and ethnic backgrounds, but critics argue that further classification will only serve to deepen division and animosity in the nation. Time will tell how these changes will impact future administrations and the nation as a whole.
