The measurement of race and ethnicity in the U.S. has evolved over the centuries, alongside changes in Americans’ views about race and the way race has come to be incorporated into the nation’s laws and policies.
Pew Research Center has a two question sequence, asking first about Hispanic ancestry and then about race. The race question gives six options, including an open-ended one for “some other race or origin.”
Why do we use these categories? Why ask about Hispanic or Latino heritage? Then, Asking about Race
Our questions are based on the Census
The U.S. Census Bureau’s race question has changed a lot since the first census in 1790, in which the census taker placed a person into one of only three categories: 1) free White male or female, 2) all other free persons, or 3) slave.
Today’s version of the question – or, actually, two questions – is very different. Pew Research Center and many other survey organizations typically follow the U.S. Census Bureau’s lead when it comes to asking about race and ethnicity. This is due to several factors:
- The Census Bureau aligned its question to how race and ethnicity are defined.
