U.S. Census

Is race purely about the races in your family tree? Our new survey of multiracial adults suggests there’s more to racial identity that goes beyond one’s ancestry.

Our new survey of multiracial Americans finds that, for two-thirds of Hispanics, their Hispanic background is a part of their racial background – not something separate.

Biracial adults who are white and American Indian are among the least likely of mixed-race adults to consider themselves multiracial (only 25% do). They are among the most likely to say their multiracial background has been neither an advantage nor a disadvantage.

The race, ethnicity and origin categories used in the U.S. decennial census have shifted over time often in a reflection of current politics, science and public attitudes. Our interactive tracks the category names from 1790 to 2010.

For much of its history, America has discussed race in the singular form. But the language of race is changing. Ten multiracial Americans share their views of race, identity, relationships and the future.

We released our first report on American multiracial adults, a group that comprises an estimated 6.9% of the adult population, or nearly 17 million adults. The report looks at who they are demographically, their attitudes and experiences, and the spectrum of their racial identity.

Multiracial Americans are at the cutting edge of social and demographic change in the U.S.

Under pressure from academics and advocates, the U.S. Census Bureau has abandoned plans to delete a series of questions about marriage and divorce from its largest household survey.

Meanwhile, foreign-born shares among whites and blacks are expected to rise, according to new Census Bureau projections.

The bureau should be paying more attention to the needs and opinions of the people and organizations that use its data, according to a recent report.