Since its first iteration in 1790, the U.S. Census survey has consistently changed how it tracks the race and ethnicity of Americans. The proposed guidelines for the 2030 survey adds the category of “Middle Eastern or North African,” which was previously grouped in with the White category, and changes the “Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish” ethnicity question to a race question. These changes will bring the total number of major racial categories to seven: American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino; Middle Eastern or North African; Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; and White. Respondents can choose multiple of these major racial groups and include detailed origins within each category.
Ahead of the upcoming 2030 U.S. Census survey, a team from Pew Research Center has surveyed a sample of American adults regarding their opinions on if federal surveys should measure race and ethnicity.
Overall, 46 percent of U.S. adults support including race on federal surveys, while 33 percent oppose it and 21 percent are unsure. Asian and White adults are more likely to support measuring race in federal research, while Black and Hispanic adults are more likely to oppose it. For Black adults, 45 percent support measuring race and 37 percent oppose it.
According to the survey, conservative-leaning adults, men, adults under age 50, and adults with at least a bachelor’s degree are more likely to support measuring race in federal research than liberal-leaning adults, women, adults over age 50, and adults without a college education, respectively.
Among adults who do support the federal government collecting race-related data, there are no significant racial differences in the reasons for their support. The most commonly cited opinions for supporting measuring race are for statistical purposes, documenting group differences, informing policy decisions, and highlighting inequality. Democrats were slightly more likely than Republicans to highlight the importance of documenting inequality and informing policy decisions.
Among adults who oppose measuring race in federal research, the top reasons for their viewpoint are that race is not an important measurement, the belief that all humans are equal, privacy concerns, and the risk of discrimination. Black adults are over twice as likely as White adults to cite potential bias and discrimination for their opposition to measuring race, at 18 percent and 7 percent, respectively. While Republicans and Democrats are also primarily aligned in their reasons for opposition, 9 percent of Democrats who oppose measuring race cite concerns that the data will be misused by the federal government, compared to less than 1 percent of Republicans.
