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WASHINGTON -- The Census Bureau is recommending that Hispanics be treated as a distinct race, a move that acknowledges the group's growing significance, but could reduce their numbers in future surveys.

The census currently considers "Hispanics" an ethnicity, allowing people to identify both as Hispanic and as a member of a separate racial group. The proposed change would drop the ethnicity question, and simply ask about race, allowing people to check a box next to choices that include black, white, or Hispanic.

The proposal concerns some Hispanic political leaders who fear that it would lead to a lower overall Hispanic count as some people of mixed origin choose to identify as white or black.

"This is a hot-button issue," said Angelo Falcon, president of the National Institute for Latino policy in New York City and a community adviser to the census. "The burden will be on the Census Bureau to come up with evidence that wording changes will not undermine the Latino numbers."

But others doubt it will undermine the numbers because Latinos who are of European, African or indigenous American descent will more likely choose Latino as their race if it's an option.

"There'll be a lot fewer Hispanics checking the white box," said Tomas Jimenez, a sociology professor at Stanford University. He said the proposed change might better reflect how Latinos define themselves. If anything, making Hispanic a race "will probably mean a decrease

The proposal was among several Census Bureau recommendations released Wednesday, stemming from new government research on the best ways to count the nation's demographic groups. The other changes would drop use of "Negro" from census surveys and add write-in categories Arabs and Middle Easterners to specifically identify themselves.

The changes are based on research conducted during the 2010 census that showed many people who filled out the traditional form did not feel they fit within the five government-defined racial categories: white, black, Asian, Pacific Island and Native Indian/Alaska Native.

More than 14 million Californians identified themselves as Latino/Hispanic in the 2010 census, and a growing number, in the race category, are describing themselves as "some other race."

Nationally, about 18 million -- roughly 37 percent -- Latinos used the "some other race" category.

Originally posted here:
Census Bureau wants to drop word "Negro," asking Hispanics what race they are