The U.S. government has decided to make some changes to the way it asks people about their race and ethnicity on forms like the census. They’re adding new options for people to choose, including “Middle Eastern or North African” and “Hispanic or Latino.” This decision comes after many years of research and talks among government officials. They want to make sure that everyone’s background is represented fairly and accurately.
When people fill out these forms in the future, they’ll see at least seven different categories to pick from, and they can choose as many as they need to describe themselves. For each category, the form will also list the six biggest groups within it, based on the results of the 2020 census. So, for example, under “Black or African American,” people will see options like “African American, Jamaican, Haitian, Nigerian, Ethiopian, and Somali.”
Some groups think that having more detailed options will help the government better understand the different challenges faced by various communities in the United States. This information could help improve things like health care, education, and job opportunities for people of all backgrounds.
However, not everyone is completely happy with the changes. Some organizations feel that the government could have done a better job of researching and testing these new categories before adding them.
Overall, the goal of adding these new categories is to make sure that all the different racial and ethnic groups in the United States are fairly represented and that their unique experiences and needs are understood and addressed.
See “Next U.S. census will have new boxes for ‘Middle Eastern or North African,’ ‘Latino‘” by Hansi Lo Wang on the NPR website (March 28, 2024)
