The United States is considering updating racial and ethnic categories recognized in the country for the first time since 1997. The government’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) plans to decide on the new categories next year. It is holding three meetings open to the public this week to discuss the issue.
Supporters of the proposed changes say the new categories will help the government get more exact information about the country’s population.
The changes would create a new category for people of Middle Eastern and North African ancestry, also known by the acronym MENA. They are now classified as white but say they have been undercounted. Another change would combine questions about race and ethnicity into one.
With the changes, the government would try to get more detailed answers by asking about country of origin.
Besides helping to give a picture of the U.S. population, the categories are used to enforce civil rights, voting rights and employment discrimination laws.
The U.S. Census Bureau studies the population. It carries out a count every 10 years and collects other information about the country’s people. The study includes questions about race and ethnicity and must follow OMB definitions of such.
Currently, it includes five categories of race. They include White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
The most recent Census study was in 2020. The Census Bureau website states that the categories “generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country.” And the agency notes that “People may choose to report more than one race to indicate their racial mixture.”
Public comments
The OMB has collected more than 4,300 comments about the possible…
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