Potential revisions to US census data on "race" and "ethnicity": Findings from the 2010 Census and planned research for the 2020 Census

This presentation will feature issues and evidence regarding potential revisions to methods used to collect US census data on "race" and "ethnicity," as informed by findings from the 2010 Census and planned research for the 2020 Census. For example, in the 2010 census, over 40 percent of all Latinos did not report a “race” group as designated by the categories mandated by the US Office of Management and Budget (i.e., “White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander”). US census data on “race” and “ethnicity” matter vitally to every sector of government and civil society and these data need to be valid, reliable, and informative. Work of the US census on categories of “race” and “ethnicity” are germane to public health because these data serve as the denominators for rates of morbidity, mortality, and other health outcomes and are fundamental to measuring progress in efforts to address racial/ethnic health inequities. Discussion of public health implications of the work presented, during the question & answer period, is welcomed.