The
1990 census questions on race and Hispanic origin were changed in 2000. The
Federal government considers the race and Hispanic origin to be two different
and distinct. For Census 2000, the questions on race and Hispanic origin were
asked of every person living in the United States. The question on Hispanic
origin asked respondents if they were Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino. The
question on race asked respondents to report the race or races they considered
themselves to be. The question on Hispanic origin for Census 2000 was similar
to the 1990 census question, except for its placement on a survey. Hispanic
origin was asked directly before the question on race, the order was reversed
the question on race preceded questions on age and marital status, which were
followed by the question on Hispanic origin. The
question on race for Census 2000 was different from the one for the 1990 census
in several ways. Most significantly, respondents were given the option of
selecting one or more race categories to indicate their racial identities. Because
of these changes, the Census 2000 data on race are not directly comparable with
data from the 1990 census or earlier censuses. Caution must be used when
interpreting changes in the racial composition of the U.S. population over
time. An example of this is.• Black or African American;
• American Indian or Alaska Native;
• Asian; and
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
For respondents unable
to identify with any of these five race categories, including a sixth category
"Some other race" on the Census 2000 questionnaire. The category some
other race is used in Census 2000 and a few other Federal data collection
activities. As discussed, most respondents who reported some other race are
Hispanic. Since 2000, people have been able to mark one or more race, but only
one Hispanic ethnicity. Perhaps for those who are, half-Mexican American
and half-Puerto Rican like me, race question has confused
some respondents. Some Latinos don't regard themselves as white, black or
any of the other choices. Some might identify as mestizo, a mix of european and
indigenous, but that does not appear on the census form. They're European
white as well as Native American or
Indian and there's Asian and African heritage mixed there as well. Asking about
race poses other issues. The way Latinos identify their race definitely is
not what others would identify them as others would have said. People in the
same family might self identify differently and may look different. If we collapse race and ethnicity as interchangeable
concepts, we may miss the opportunity to examine whether there are unique
experiences among co-ethnics that may occupy very different racial statuses. Today
America would like to be called a nation but one group and if it could be one
color I really think that would be approved as well. Dealing with so many race
in America can be really difficult mostly because being Mexican/Puerto
Rican like I am you are like a second class citizen along with the Blacks and
others.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/nation/article/Hispanic-may-be-a-race-on-2020-census-4250866.php#ixzz2PMlN16kS
Sources:
http://www.sfgate.com/nation/article/Hispanic-may-be-a-race-on-2020-census-4250866.php#ixzz2PMjaRNwt
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