What do you notice about changes in the ways the census has asked about race and ethnicity over time? What do you think the questions and the language used in the form say about each of those decades in American history? What questions do these snapshots of the U.S. census raise for you?
Part III: How do you think the census should ask about race and ethnicity?
The United States Census Bureau explains the purpose of the decennial census:
Also known as the Population and Housing Census, the Decennial U.S. Census is designed to count every resident in the United States. It is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution and takes place every 10 years. The data collected by the decennial census determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and is also used to distribute hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds to local communities.
The bureau also addresses why it asks questions about race:
We ask a question about a person’s race to create statistics about race and to present other estimates by race groups.
Local, state, tribal, and federal programs use these data, and they are critical factors in the basic research behind numerous policies, particularly for civil rights. Race data are used in planning and funding government programs that provide funds or services for specific groups.
These data are also used to evaluate government programs and policies to ensure that they fairly and equitably serve the needs of all racial groups and to monitor compliance with antidiscrimination laws, regulations, and policies.
What do you think? Should the census collect information about race and ethnicity? If yes, then how? Does asking about race and ethnicity in the census and other government forms help or hurt efforts to address social inequalities and discrimination? Why?
Questions for Writing and Discussion
Have students read the featured article and then answer the following questions:
1. The authors write, “The census is more than a bureaucratic exercise; it embodies the country’s continued efforts to neatly categorize inherently nuanced and layered identities.” Do you think the census is important and more than just a “bureaucratic exercise”? Why, or why not?
2. The authors also write, “The reality of categorizing people with distinct labels has never been simple.” Do you agree? What makes categorizing race and ethnicity so complicated — throughout the history of the United States and even today?
