Defining the Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting

Abstract

Race describes cultural, historical, and oppressive relationships in society. The use of race in biomedical and scientific studies has been a powerful tool that can reinforce and alter society’s current assumptions about race. Some of the historical uses of race include evidence for race-based medicine, biological inferiority, and genocide. These uses have all used race as a crude proxy for genetic makeup, rather than a biological expression of the social environment that infiltrates the health and well-being of every American. By defining race and its social and cultural impacts on identity and the human experience within research, the field of biomedicine will improve clarity and integrity in addressing historical, scientific, and clinical inequalities. Currently, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) does not contain a definition of race and uses homogeneous ethnical categories when reporting population statistics. We propose that the definition of race be added in the collection of race data as a requirement of the OMB for nationally conducted research.