A Combined Race and Ethnicity Question on the Census

Arturo Vargas

With Census 2020 fading away in the rearview mirror, we begin approaching 2030 and are in the period of the decade when changes can be made to improve the count of the U.S. Latino population. Regretfully, the 2020 Census missed the largest number of Latinos since the addition of a Hispanic Origin question in 1980; and of those who were counted, the Census Bureau collected the least accurate and most incomplete data ever. Now is the time to change course. As leaders of our census coalition, we need your voices and support at this moment to make that happen.

NALEO Educational Fund (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials) has consistently maintained the view that a successful census is only possible with a full and accurate count of Latinos, the nation’s second-largest population group. Unfortunately, this has never happened, with 2020 standing out as an abysmal count of the community. The Census Bureau undercounted Latinos by 5% and once again used a flawed approach to asking about ethnicity and race, resulting in incomplete and inaccurate data on Latinos.

Today, the Census Bureau and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are considering key changes that could dramatically improve this ahead of the 2030 Census. By updating the federal standards on the collection of race and ethnicity, the Census Bureau would be able to ask a combined race and ethnicity question and allow Latinos of mixed Hispanic national origins to report their full identity. This change would also add a new Middle Eastern North African (MENA) category to the question so that people with heritage from that part of the world can identify as they see themselves and not be reported as racially white, as the current standards require. These changes are based on extensive research and are designed to keep pace with how the American public self-identifies. As the public’s sense of identity changes over time, it is paramount that all residents can find themselves in any question on race or ethnicity in the census.

We know that no census question on race or ethnicity can be perfect. As we continue to listen to each other on this issue, we recognize the fears some have, particularly residents who identify as both Latino and Black, around feelings of erasure in a potential combined question. It is also critical that we acknowledge how these fears are often rooted in painful experiences of colorism, racism, and other biases — even from within our own community.

We believe that Latinos should select how they identify on the census.

NALEO Educational Fund also recognizes that the Latino experience in South Texas differs from that in South Florida or the Northeast. We are dedicated to representing the full diversity of the Latino community and have met with many other Latino groups, including several Afro-Latino groups, to discuss potential changes to the census questionnaire and how we can ensure every Latino is accurately counted.

“Latino” is not a race; it is an ethnicity. Latinos are of many races and are multiracial and multiethnic. We believe that Latinos should select how they identify on the census, whether as solely Latino, Latino and Black, Latino and White, Latino and MENA, Mexican and Salvadoran, Puerto Rican and Dominican, or any other combination of identity; a combined race and ethnicity question makes that possible. This change presents an opportunity for government data to finally account for the rich diversity of our community.

This is why we support a combined question around race and ethnicity on the census and urge you to join us by signing on to this letter by 4:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 27, 2023. The letter urges the Office of Management and Budget to begin the process that would allow the U.S. Census Bureau to make this change ahead of the 2030 Census.

Despite our support for a combined question on race and ethnicity, we will continue promoting an open conversation around the OMB’s proposal and its implications. As a part of these efforts, together with the National Urban League, we requested a 90-day extension to the comment period. That extension was recently granted, albeit for a shorter window than we requested. We plan to use this extended period and the time following the comment period deadline (April 27) to continue engaging in constructive, honest dialogue with individuals and groups interested in helping us achieve the goal of seeing a full and complete count of Latinos.

Thank you for your commitment to the advancement of the Latino community. Together, we will continue fighting for a fair and accurate count that captures the full diversity of the nation’s second-largest population group. For more information, please see our FAQ sheet or watch our webinar on the issue.

Arturo Vargas, CEO, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund.