The changing categories the U.S. census has used to measure race
Racial categories, which have been on every U.S. census, have changed from decade to decade, reflecting the politics and science of the times.
Racial & Ethnic Identity
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Racial & Ethnic Identity
Publications
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Who is Hispanic?
The Census Bureau estimates there were 65.2 million Hispanics in the U.S. as of July 2023, a new high. They made up more than 19% of the nation’s population.
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Who Are You? The Art and Science of Measuring Identity
As a shop that studies human behavior through surveys and other social scientific techniques, we have a good line of sight into the contradictory nature of human preferences. Here’s a look at how we categorize our survey participants in ways that enhance our understanding of how people think and behave.
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Language and Traditions Are Considered Central to National Identity
Across more than 20 countries surveyed, a median of 91% say being able to speak their country’s most common language is important for being considered a true national. And 81% say sharing their country’s customs and traditions is important for true belonging.
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Latinos’ Views of and Experiences With the Spanish Language
Most U.S. Latinos speak Spanish: 75% say they are able to carry on a conversation in Spanish pretty well or very well. But not all Latinos are Spanish speakers, and about half (54%) of non-Spanish-speaking Latinos have been shamed by other Latinos for not speaking Spanish.
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Among Asian Americans, U.S.-born children of immigrants are most likely to have hidden part of their heritage
32% of U.S.-born Asian adults have hidden a part of their heritage, compared with 15% of immigrants.
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Diverse Cultures and Shared Experiences Shape Asian American Identities
Among Asian Adults living in the U.S., 52% say they most often describe themselves using ethnic labels that reflect their heritage and family roots, either alone or together with “American.” About six-in-ten (59%) say that what happens to Asians in the U.S. affects their own lives.
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Documentary: Being Asian in America
In this companion documentary, Asian American participants described navigating their own identity. These participants were not part of our focus group study but were similarly sampled to tell their own stories.
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Extended Interviews: Being Asian in America
The stories shared by participants in our video documentary reflect opinions, experiences and perspectives similar to those we heard in the focus groups. Watch extended interviews that were not included in our documentary but present thematically relevant stories.
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In Their Own Words: The Diverse Perspectives of Being Asian in America
Use this quote sorter to read how focus group participants answered the question, “What does it mean to be you in America?”
