Race/Ethnicity

In 1977 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Race and Ethnicity Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting in order to promote comparability of data among Federal data systems. The 1977 standards called for the Federal Government’s data systems to classify individuals into the following four racial groups: 
American Indian or Alaska Native, 
Asian or Pacific Islander, 
Black, and 
White. 
Depending on the data source, the classification by race was based on self-classification or on observation by an interviewer or other person filling out the questionnaire. 

In 1997 new standards were announced for classification of individuals by race within the Federal Government’s data systems. The 1997 standards have five racial groups: 
American Indian or Alaska Native, 
Asian, 
Black or African American, 
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 
White. 
These five categories are the minimum set for data on race for Federal statistics. The 1997 standards also offer an opportunity for respondents to select more than one of the five groups, leading to many possible multiple race categories. As with the single race groups, data for the multiple race groups are to be reported when estimates meet agency requirements for reliability and confidentiality. The 1997 standards allow for observer or proxy identification of race but clearly state a preference for self-classification. The Federal government considers race and Hispanic origin to be two separate and distinct concepts. Thus Hispanics may be of any race. Federal data systems are required to comply with the 1997 Standards by 2003.

SOURCE: Health, United States

Related Links
Hispanic Origin
Office of Minority Health

This page last reviewed June 17, 2004