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Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino.z The
<br />question on race asked respondents
<br />to report the race or races they con-
<br />sidered themselves to be. Both ques-
<br />tions are based on self-identification.
<br />The question on Hispanic origin for
<br />Census 2000 was similar to the
<br />1990 census question, except for
<br />its placement on the questionnaire.
<br />For Census 2000, the question on
<br />Hispanic origin was asked directly
<br />before the question on race. For
<br />the 1990 census, the order was re-
<br />versed -the question on race pre-
<br />ceded questions on age and marital
<br />status, which were followed by the
<br />question on Hispanic origin.
<br />The question on race for Census
<br />2000 was different from the one
<br />for the 1990 census in several
<br />ways. Most significantly, respon-
<br />dents were given the option of se-
<br />lecting one or more race categories
<br />to indicate their racial identities.3
<br />Because of these changes, the Cen-
<br />sus 2000 data on race are not di-
<br />rectly comparable with data from
<br />the 1990 census or earlier cen-
<br />suses. Caution must be used when
<br />interpreting changes in the racial
<br />composition of the U.S. population
<br />over time.°
<br />z Hispanics may be of any race. The terms
<br />"Hispanic" and "Latino" are used interchange-
<br />ably in this report.
<br />Other changes included terminology and
<br />formatting changes, such as spelling out
<br />'American" instead of 'Amer.' for the American
<br />Indian and Alaska Native category and adding
<br />'Native" to the Hawaiian response category. In
<br />the layout of the Census 2000 questionnaire,
<br />the Asian response categories were alphabet-
<br />ized and grouped together, as were the Pacific
<br />Islander categories after the Native Hawaiian
<br />category. The three separate American Indian
<br />and Alaska Native identifiers in the 1990 cen-
<br />sus (i.e., Indian (Amer.), Fskimo, and Aleut)
<br />were combined into a single identifier in Cen-
<br />sus 2000. Also, American Indians and Alaska
<br />Natives could report more than one tribe.
<br />For a discussion of how the population by
<br />race and Hispanic origin changed between
<br />1990 and 2000, see the forthcoming Census
<br />2000 brief Changing Racia/ and Hispanic Diver-
<br />sity, U.S. Census Bureau.
<br />Censas 2000 used established
<br />federal guidelines to collect
<br />and present data on race and
<br />Hispanic origin.
<br />Census 2000 adheres to the federal
<br />standards for collecting and pre-
<br />senting data on race and Hispanic
<br />origin as established by the Office
<br />of Management and Budget (OMB)
<br />in October 1997.
<br />The OMB defines Hispanic or Latino
<br />as "a person of Cuban, Mexican,
<br />Puerto Rican, South or Central
<br />American, or other Spanish culture
<br />or origin regardless of race." In
<br />data collection and presentation,
<br />federal agencies are required to use
<br />a minimum of two ethnicities: "His-
<br />panic or Latino" and "Not Hispanic
<br />or Latino."
<br />Starting with Census 2000, the
<br />OMB requires federal agencies to
<br />use a minimum of five race catego-
<br />ries:
<br />-- - - _ ____. _ ___ -- 1
<br />How are the race categories used in Census 2000 defined?
<br />"White" refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples
<br />of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who
<br />indicated their race or races as "White" or wrote in entries such as
<br />Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Near Easterner, Arab, or Polish.
<br />"Black or African American" refers to people having origins in any of the
<br />Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicated their race
<br />or races as "Black, African Am., or Negro," or wrote in entries such as
<br />African American, Afro American, Nigerian, or Haitian.
<br />"American Indian and Alaska Native" refers to people having origins in
<br />any of the original peoples of North and South America (including
<br />Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community at-
<br />tachment. It includes people who indicated their race or races by
<br />marking this category or writing in their principal or enrolled tribe,
<br />such as Rosebud Sioux, Chippewa, or Navajo.
<br />"Asian" refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples of
<br />the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent. It includes
<br />people who indicated their race or races as "Asian Indian," "Chinese,"
<br />"Filipino," "Korean," 'Japanese," "Vietnamese," or "Other Asian," or wrote
<br />in entries such as Burmese, Hmong, Pakistani, or Thai.
<br />"Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander" refers to people having
<br />origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or
<br />other Pacific Islands. It includes people who indicated their race or
<br />races as "Native Hawaiian," "Guamanian or Chamorro," "Samoan," or
<br />"Other Pacific Islander," or wrote in entries such as Tahitian, Mariana
<br />Islander, or Chuukese.
<br />"Some other race" was included in Census 2000 for respondents
<br />who were unable to identify with the five Office of Management and
<br />Budget race categories. Respondents who provided write-in entries
<br />such as Moroccan, South African, Belizean, or a Hispanic origin (for
<br />example, Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban) are included in the Some
<br />other race category.
<br />U.S. Census Bureau
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