Census Classifications and the Political Construction of Race

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Abstract When governments attempt statistical representations of their populations, the process is “political to the core.” Political and ideological choices are made, resulting in categories that generally reflect a consensus on who is to be counted, how, and how often. In this chapter, we provide a historical overview of racial and ethnic categories in the U.S. Census, focusing on the classification of five population groups—White people, Black people, American Indians, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and Latinos—and the political factors shaping the ongoing constructions of these groups. Given the political considerations of census categories and question formats, we illustrate that any changes in the classification of populations will remain a political process. We conclude by addressing recent developments in the U.S. Census and raising important questions about future enumeration practices of different population groups, including Latinos and people of Middle Eastern and North African origins.