Marking “Some Other Race” on the U.S. Census

"Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek" by MarineCorps NewYork licensed under CC BY 2.0
Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek” by MarineCorps NewYork licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: The Atlantic

More Americans are self-reporting as “Some Other Race” on the U.S. census, making the category ever-growing as less people identify with the few delineated race categories.

In 2010, “Some Other Race” was the third largest marked category, after white and black. U.S. Census officials maintain that the growing number of ethno-racial couples and families impact how people identify. They also note that because ‘Hispanic’ is a separate category on the census, designed as a separate question, perhaps many Latinos are marking “Some Other Race.”

While the wording of the “race question” on the U.S. Census is ever-changing and the respective listed ‘race categories’, the question nevertheless has remained a staple for the last 226 years. The data has been used to inform race issues, design government programs, and to have all “identities validated.”

Read full story at: The Atlantic

Children & Families, Justice & Poverty, News
Children & Families, Justice & Poverty, News