In a historical shift, the U.S. government has announced significant changes to its approach to categorizing citizens by race and ethnicity, marking the first overhaul in 27 years. The Office of Management and Budget aims for the revision to provide a more accurate representation of the nation’s diverse population, particularly when it comes to individuals identifying as Hispanic and those of Middle Eastern and North African heritage.
One of the major shifts is the combining of race and ethnicity inquiries into a single question. This adjustment allows respondents to select multiple categories simultaneously, such as Black, American Indian and Hispanic. The decision was informed by research indicating that many Hispanic individuals find it challenging to respond to the race question separately, as they often view their ethnicity and race similarly.
Another change is a distinct category for individuals of Middle Eastern and North African descent. Previously, individuals from these regions were prompted to identify as white, despite their cultural backgrounds or identities. Many feel the inclusion of this category acknowledges the identities of millions of residents with roots in places such as Lebanon, Iran, Egypt and Syria, and will also provide more data for demographic analysis. Individuals including Florida state representative Anna Eskamani, whose family struggled to find a fitting category, express relief and validation in being recognized accurately.
These changes do not just happen overnight. Great bureaucratic deliberations and considerations are made before any major changes to data collection are made.
“I want to emphasize that changes in the questionnaire are introduced after careful consideration and public input,” said Florida International University professor and lead of FIU’s Census Information Center Dr. Maria Ilcheva. The Census Bureau considers the feedback of researchers, nonprofits, specific communities, and society broadly and carefully studies the impact on both the data collection process and data quality before implementing such changes.
However, the revisions have not come without their criticisms. Afro-Latino communities have expressed apprehension toward the idea that the combined race and ethnicity question may diminish their representation in data. Similarly, the omission of certain groups, such as Armenians and Arabs from Sudan and Somalia, from the Middle Eastern and North African categories sparks concerns about inclusivity.
Another concern is how these changes will impact the work of researchers such as Ilcheva.
“With every change in the data collection instrument, there is always a concern that we may be unable to make comparisons over time,” Ilcheva said. “With the current change, the question arises if we can obtain quality data by race, especially from Hispanic respondents who, when presented with a single question combining the race and ethnicity categories, might choose to mark only their ethnic group, Hispanic.”
However, the new modes of categorization may provide new or more detailed data on inequalities and gaps corresponding with ethnicity and race in communities.
“In many of our studies, we supply evidence of racial and ethnic differences to inform public policy and guide decision-making regarding challenges and opportunities for positive change. For example, we know homeownership is lowest among Black and Hispanic residents, Hispanic adults are less likely than other Americans to have health insurance, Latinos are 50% more likely than non-Hispanics to develop Alzheimer’s and related dementia, Black people are more than twice as likely as White people to die from diabetes, Black and Hispanic firms are underrepresented in government contracting, etc,” Ilcheva said. “My point is that inequities exist, and if we don’t have the evidence to show them, we cannot address them.”
The implications of these changes stretch beyond the U.S. census conducted every 10 years. The new guidelines are expected to be implemented by state governments, businesses, universities and schools following the federal precedent. Federal agencies have 18 months to submit a plan on how they will put the changes in place.
