The Trump administration is moving to remove questions about race and ethnicity from the next U.S. census, a category that has been part of the national count since 1790.
Key facts
- The Trump administration wants to stop asking about race and ethnicity on the next U.S. census, according to NPR.
- Race and ethnicity have been part of the U.S. census since 1790.
- Historically, the topic was used to exclude people of color.
- More recently, the data has been used for inclusion, NPR reports.
The Trump administration wants to stop asking about race and ethnicity on the next U.S. census, according to NPR. The move would end a practice that has been part of the decennial national count since its beginning in 1790.
The census has asked about race and ethnicity for more than two centuries. According to NPR, the way that information has been collected and used has shifted significantly over time.
NPR reports that, historically, the topic was used to exclude people of color. In more recent decades, the same data has been used for purposes of inclusion.
The proposal marks a notable change to a long-running feature of the U.S. census, though the sourcing here focuses on the administration’s stated intention and the historical background of the question rather than a finalized policy.
Because the census shapes how the country understands its population, changes to what it asks and does not ask can carry long-term consequences for how demographic information is recorded and applied.
Why it matters
The census is the foundational count of who lives in the United States, and the race and ethnicity question has been part of it since 1790. Removing it would change how the nation records demographic information that has been used both to exclude and, more recently, to include people of color.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Trump administration proposing for the census?
According to NPR, the Trump administration wants to stop asking about race and ethnicity on the next U.S. census.
How long has the census asked about race?
The topic of race and ethnicity has been part of the U.S. census since 1790, according to NPR.
How has the race question been used over time?
NPR reports that the topic was historically used to exclude people of color, and more recently has been used for inclusion.