Race & Ethnicity

data essayNov 3, 2025

Census takers in 1800 were provided a standard questionnaire, but how they collected and organized information was up to them, as shown in this tally of Ohio residents. (U.S. Census Bureau)

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.

reportMay 20, 2025

short readOct 22, 2025

short readMar 17, 2025

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reportJul 13, 2010

Former Census Director: Rewrite Race Question

Many Americans were puzzled or irritated by the questions about race and Hispanic ethnicity on the 2010 Census form.
reportJun 16, 2010

Minorities and the Recession-Era College Enrollment Boom

The recession-era boom in the size of freshman classes at four-year colleges, community colleges and trade schools has been driven largely by a sharp increase in minority student enrollment.
reportJun 4, 2010

Intermarriage: Trends and Attitudes

Rates of intermarriage have risen in the United States, but trends differ markedly for different race and ethnic groups, according to a new Pew Research Center report that makes extensive use of U.S. Census Bureau data.
reportJun 4, 2010

One-in-Seven New U.S. Marriages is Interracial or Interethnic

This dramatic increase has been driven in part by the weakening of longstanding cultural taboos against intermarriage and in part by a large, multi-decade wave of immigrants from Latin America and Asia.
reportMay 18, 2010

Explaining racial differences in attitudes towards government use of social media

How do we explain the disparity between African-Americans’ and Hispanics’ views of the importance of government social media versus whites?
reportMay 13, 2010

Census Data Point to Low Hispanic GED Attainment

Among Americans who have not obtained a regular high school diploma, Hispanics are less likely than members of other major U.S. race and ethnic groups to acquire a General Educational Development (GED) credential.
reportMay 13, 2010

Hispanics, High School Dropouts and the GED

Just one-in-ten Hispanic high school drop-outs has a General Educational Development (GED) credential, widely regarded as the best “second chance” pathway to college, vocational training and military service for adults who do not graduate high school.
reportMay 12, 2010

Electoral Participation in the 2008 Presidential Election

The Census Bureau today released a report summarizing levels of voting and voter registration in the November 2008 presidential election. Based on the November 2008 Current Population Survey Voting and Registration supplement, the Census Bureau reports that over 131 million people cast a vote in 2008, up from 126 million in 2004. The 2008 electorate […]
short readsMay 11, 2010

Hispanics: Targets of Discrimination

Nearly a quarter of Americans say Hispanics face a lot of discrimination in society today, making them the racial/ethnic group the public sees as most often subjected to discrimination.
reportMay 3, 2010

Latino Population by County

Updated maps of the U.S. Hispanic population by county are available on the Pew Hispanic Center website. They show population numbers, shares and growth for 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2008, using population estimates and Decennial Census data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The county data for 1990, 2000 and 2008 also can be downloaded.

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Race & Ethnicity

Counting Race: How the Census Measures Identity and What Americans Think About It

How Much Discrimination Do Americans Say Groups Face in the U.S.?

Key facts about U.S. Latinos

How Americans feel about making English the official language of the U.S.

Race & Ethnicity

Hispanics, High School Dropouts and the GED

Hispanics: Targets of Discrimination

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