Who Are Minorities? - Changing Racial/ethnic Origin Classifications

For the 1980 and 1990 censuses the Census Bureau divided the U.S. population into the four racial categories identified by the Office of Management and Budget—White, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander—and added the category "Some Other Race." The U.S. government uses these race/ethnic origin data to make decisions, among other things, about funding and making laws. For example, federal programs use the race information to promote support programs for the elderly and equal employment opportunities, while states use the data to ensure compliance with political redistricting requirements.

As ethnic identity becomes more complex because of immigration and interracial marriages and births, a growing number of people object to categories based on race. It is no longer unusual to find people whose backgrounds include two or more races.

In 1994 the Census Bureau conducted hearings to consider adding new choices to the categories that had been used in the 1990 census. The bureau found that Arab Americans were unhappy with their official designation as "white, non-European." This group included people from the Middle East, Turkey, and North Africa. Many indigenous Hawaiians wanted to be recategorized from Pacific Islander to Native American, reflecting historical accuracy and giving them access to greater minority benefits.

Some Hispanics wanted the Census Bureau to identify them as a race and not as an ethnic origin, and to replace the word "Hispanic" with "Latino." They asserted that "Hispanic" recalled the colonization of Latin America by Spain and Portugal and was as offensive as the term "Negro" is for African-Americans. When Hispanics were surveyed, however, the results showed they preferred to be identified by their families' country of origin, such as Puerto Rican, Colombian, Cuban, or sometimes just American.

A number of African-Americans wanted the Census Bureau to retire the term "Black." Nevertheless, there was some difference of opinion. For example, people from the Caribbean preferred to be labeled by their families' country of origin, such as Jamaican or Haitian American. Africans who were not American also found the term inaccurate. Although "African-American" has become more prominent in spoken English in recent years, lack of agreement and the length of the term have been significant factors in preventing its adoption by the government.

Census 2000

Conforming revised standards issued by the Office of Management and Budget, the 2000 census recategorized TABLE 1.1 Population by sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2004the races into White, Black/African-American/Negro, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and Asian. The Census Bureau also added a sixth category: Some Other Race. In addition, the bureau included two ethnicity categories: Hispanic/Latino and Not Hispanic/Not Latino. To provide an accurate count of multiracial Americans, the 2000 census allowed Americans to select more than one race. Write-in spaces allowed Native Americans to record their tribal affiliation, and individuals of Hispanic origin could write in a national affiliation other than the major groups of Mexican, Cuban, and Puerto Rican. A more in-depth discussion of the major groups follows.

TABLE 1.1
Population by sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2004
Sex, race and Hispanic or Latino origin	Population estimates
	July 1, 2004
Both sexes	293,655,404
One race	289,216,650
White	236,057,761
Black	37,502,320
American Indian and Alaska Native	2,824,751
Asian	12,326,216
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	505,602
Two or more races	4,438,754
Race alone or in combination*
White	239,880,132
Black	39,232,489
American Indian and Alaska Native	4,409,446
Asian	13,956,612
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	976,395
Not Hispanic or Latino	252,333,334
One race	248,477,856
White	197,840,821
Black	35,963,702
American Indian and Alaska Native	2,206,748
Asian	12,068,424
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	398,161
Two or more races	3,855,478
Race alone or in combination*
White	201,148,336
Black	37,426,144
American Indian and Alaska Native	3,573,949
Asian	13,529,769
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	802,794
Hispanic or Latino	41,322,070
One race	40,738,794
White	38,216,940
Black	1,538,618
American Indian and Alaska Native	618,003
Asian	257,792
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	107,441
Two or more races	583,276
Race alone or in combination*
White	38,731,796
Black	1,806,345
American Indian and Alaska Native	835,497
Asian	426,843
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	173,601
Male	144,537,408
One race	142,352,126
White	116,832,473
Black	17,872,773
American Indian and Alaska Native	1,414,941
Asian	5,974,556
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	257,383

TABLE 1.1 Population by sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2004 [CONTINUED]

TABLE 1.1
Population by sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2004 [CONTINUED]
Sex, race and Hispanic or Latino origin	Population estimates
	July 1, 2004
Two or more races	2,185,282
Race alone or in combination*
White	118,720,468
Black	18,712,785
American Indian and Alaska Native	2,182,136
Asian	6,788,976
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	491,342
Not Hispanic or Latino	123,190,335
One race	121,294,578
White	97,039,035
Black	17,118,563
American Indian and Alaska Native	1,089,209
Asian	5,846,742
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	201,029
Two or more races	1,895,757
Race alone or in combination*
White	98,670,585
Black	17,826,423
American Indian and Alaska Native	1,748,458
Asian	6,577,953
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	402,292
Hispanic or Latino	21,347,073
One race	21,057,548
White	19,793,438
Black	754,210
American Indian and Alaska Native	325,732
Asian	127,814
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	56,354
Two or more races	289,525
Race alone or in combination*
White	20,049,883
Black	886,362
American Indian and Alaska Native	433,678
Asian	211,023
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	89,050
Female	149,117,996
One race	146,864,524
White	119,225,288
Black	19,629,547
American Indian and Alaska Native	1,409,810
Asian	6,351,660
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	248,219
Two or more races	2,253,472
Race alone or in combination*
White	121,159,664
Black	20,519,704
American Indian and Alaska Native	2,227,310
Asian	7,167,636
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	485,053
Not Hispanic or Latino	129,142,999
One race	127,183,278
White	100,801,786
Black	18,845,139
American Indian and Alaska Native	1,117,539
Asian	6,221,682
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	197,132