Counting Race: How the Census Measures Identity and What Americans Think About It
How the U.S. government measures race has changed substantially since censuses began in 1790. Today, Americans differ on whether the government should ask about race.
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Puerto Rican Population by County
Total U.S. Puerto Rican population mapped by county, including a filter for island-born and mainland-born Puerto Ricans. Data is available from 2000 and 2010.
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Hispanic women no longer account for the majority of immigrant births in the U.S.
Much of the downturn in the share of immigrant births to Hispanics has been driven by a decline in births among Mexican-origin women.
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College faculty have become more racially and ethnically diverse, but remain far less so than students
Around a quarter of college faculty in the U.S. were nonwhite in fall 2017, compared with 45% of students.
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A view of the nation’s future through kindergarten demographics
In 18 states and the District of Columbia, Latino children accounted for at least 20% of public school kindergarten students in 2017.
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The most common age among whites in U.S. is 58 – more than double that of racial and ethnic minorities
The most common age was 11 for Hispanics, 27 for blacks and 29 for Asians as of last July. Multiracial Americans were by far the youngest racial or ethnic group.
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Puerto Rico’s population declined sharply after hurricanes Maria and Irma
The population of Puerto Rico stood at 3.2 million in 2018, its lowest point since 1979 and down sharply from 2017.
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Most U.S. adults feel what happens to their own racial or ethnic group affects them personally
Black Americans are the most likely to say that what happens to people from their racial group affects them personally.
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Hispanics with darker skin are more likely to experience discrimination than those with lighter skin
About six-in-ten Hispanics have experienced discrimination because of their race or ethnicity, though their experiences vary by skin color.
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How often people talk about race with family and friends depends on racial and ethnic group, education, politics
Most black and Asian adults say race or race relations come up in their conversations with family and friends at least sometimes.
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Most Americans say the legacy of slavery still affects black people in the U.S. today
Black adults are particularly likely to say slavery continues to have an impact: More than eight-in-ten say this is the case.
