Standards for reporting data about race and ethnicity provide consistent and comparable data for an array of statistical and administrative programs.
Authority
Race and ethnicity standards are determined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The current standards were published in 1997.
Standards
The current standards have:
- Five minimum categories for data on race
- Two categories for data on ethnicity.
Respondents to federal data collections are permitted to report more than one race, and are asked to report both race and ethnicity.
Race Categories
- American Indian or Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.
- Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- Black or African American: A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as "Haitian" or "Negro" can be used in addition to "Black or African American".
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
- White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
Ethnicity Categories
- Hispanic or Latino: A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. The term, "Spanish origin", can be used in addition to "Hispanic or Latino".
- Not Hispanic or Latino
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