Census 2010 Every census adapts to the decade in which it is conducted.
One of the most important changes to Census 2010 was the revision of the questions that were asked regarding race and Hispanic origin. The federal government considers race and Hispanic origin to be two separate concepts and the questions on race and Hispanic origin were asked of all people living in the United States. The changes were developed to reflect the country’s growing diversity. The respon- dents were given the option of selecting one or more race categories to indicate their racial identities. A factor that presents confusion is that people were free to define themselves as belonging to many groups. However, the overwhelming majority of the population reported one race.
In 1997, the Office of Management and Budget established federal guide- lines to collect and present data on race and Hispanic origin. Census 2010 ad- hered to the guidelines, and added “some other race.” Data on race has been collected since the first census in 1790. The present categories are as follows:
1. White—refers to a person having origins in any of the original peo- ples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indicated their race(s) as “White” or reported entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Arab, Moroccan, or Caucasian.
2. Black or African American—refers to a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicated their race(s) as “Black, African American, or Negro” or reported en- tries such as African American, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian.
3. American Indian or Alaska Native—refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. This category includes people who indicated their race(s) as “American Indian or Alaska Native” or reported their enrolled or principal tribe, such as Navajo, Black- feet, Inupiat, Yup’ik, Central American Indian groups, or South American Indian groups.
4. Asian—refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, includ- ing, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. It includes
46 ■ Chapter 3
people who indicated their race(s) as “Asian” or reported entries such as “Asian Indian,” “Chinese,” “Filipino,” “Korean,” “Japa- nese,” “Vietnamese,” and “Other Asian,” or provided other detailed Asian responses.
5. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander—refers to a person hav- ing origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. It includes people who indicated their race(s) as “Pacific Islander” or reported entries such as “Native Ha- waiian,” “Guamanian or Chamorro,” “Samoan,” and “Other Pacific Islander,” or provided other detailed Pacific Islander responses.
6. Some Other Race—includes all other responses not included in the White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander race categories described above. Respondents reporting entries such as multiracial, mixed, interracial, or a Hispanic or Latino group (for example, Mexi- can, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or Spanish) in response to the race ques- tion are included in this category.
7. Hispanic or Latino—refers to a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race (Humes et al., 2011, p. 2).
These terms of classification will be used throughout this chapter and the text. The census does not break down the population by gender except to ask if the respondent is male or female. It questions neither gender preference nor if a person is abled or disabled. This text will follow census categories and not di- rectly include the homosexual and diasabled populations in its discussions.