Contestations Over Classifications: Latinos, the Census and Race in the United States

Contestations over classifications: Latinos, the census and race in the United States. The divergence between popular and state classifications of peoples has become increasingly important with the growing migration of peoples around the world. This paper examines this issue by focusing on one group...

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Main Author: Clara E. Rodríguez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Société des américanistes 2009-12-01
Series:Journal de la Société des Américanistes
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/11062
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author Clara E. Rodríguez
author_facet Clara E. Rodríguez
author_sort Clara E. Rodríguez
collection DOAJ
description Contestations over classifications: Latinos, the census and race in the United States. The divergence between popular and state classifications of peoples has become increasingly important with the growing migration of peoples around the world. This paper examines this issue by focusing on one group (Latinos in the US) at one historical juncture (the late 20th-early 21st centuries). After examining the evolution of US census « race » categories in the context of shifting political, economic, and scientific trends, it reviews Hispanic/Latinos’ responses to questions of « race » on the US census and the theories that have surfaced to explain why so many Latinos choose the « Some Other Race » category on the census. It also chronicles the US government’s efforts to discourage such responses and force Latinos into more traditional US race categories. The global uniqueness of the US’s « race » concept is also underscored.
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spelling doaj-art-a9a6a8a7f7dd4b15b68ba827453d41ba2025-02-05T15:54:53ZengSociété des américanistesJournal de la Société des Américanistes0037-91741957-78422009-12-0195217520510.4000/jsa.11062Contestations Over Classifications: Latinos, the Census and Race in the United StatesClara E. RodríguezContestations over classifications: Latinos, the census and race in the United States. The divergence between popular and state classifications of peoples has become increasingly important with the growing migration of peoples around the world. This paper examines this issue by focusing on one group (Latinos in the US) at one historical juncture (the late 20th-early 21st centuries). After examining the evolution of US census « race » categories in the context of shifting political, economic, and scientific trends, it reviews Hispanic/Latinos’ responses to questions of « race » on the US census and the theories that have surfaced to explain why so many Latinos choose the « Some Other Race » category on the census. It also chronicles the US government’s efforts to discourage such responses and force Latinos into more traditional US race categories. The global uniqueness of the US’s « race » concept is also underscored.https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/11062raceethnicitycensusclassificationssocial construction of race
spellingShingle Clara E. Rodríguez
Contestations Over Classifications: Latinos, the Census and Race in the United States
Journal de la Société des Américanistes
race
ethnicity
census
classifications
social construction of race
title Contestations Over Classifications: Latinos, the Census and Race in the United States
title_full Contestations Over Classifications: Latinos, the Census and Race in the United States
title_fullStr Contestations Over Classifications: Latinos, the Census and Race in the United States
title_full_unstemmed Contestations Over Classifications: Latinos, the Census and Race in the United States
title_short Contestations Over Classifications: Latinos, the Census and Race in the United States
title_sort contestations over classifications latinos the census and race in the united states
topic race
ethnicity
census
classifications
social construction of race
url https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/11062
work_keys_str_mv AT claraerodriguez contestationsoverclassificationslatinosthecensusandraceintheunitedstates