It is important to remember that every census since the first one in 1790 has included a question about race, although the categories have changed over time.
When the bi-partisan 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed, American policy makers identified certain groups as “disadvantaged minorities” experiencing discrimination. Census data on race and ethnicity became one of the tools used to identify patterns of discrimination and support enforcement of civil rights. For example, statistical data from the census can shed light on employment or housing discrimination.
While on a personal level, some find census categorizations objectionable, as citizens we still seek the benefits and protections of laws and policies that use this data – and as citizens we share the goal of eliminating discriminatory