Fight over race questions intensifies ahead of 2030 Census deadline

A heated debate has erupted over the prospect of the 2030 Census no longer collecting data on race and ethnicity, as more than 100,000 public comments have been submitted, according to advocates monitoring the federal proceedings. This change could undermine the comprehensive racial data essential for civil rights enforcement and redistricting as the United States becomes increasingly racially diverse.

In September, the Census Bureau proposed eliminating race and ethnicity questions from the once-a-decade census form, arguing that a shorter form might boost participation. The bureau suggests using pre-existing government records and other sources to gather demographic information, while preserving race and ethnicity inquiries on the American Community Survey (ACS) and other surveys.

However, civil rights groups argue that this approach would grant the federal government greater control over determining individuals' racial and ethnic identities, potentially resulting in inaccurate data.

The comment deadline was extended from October 13 to November 2. An analysis of 52,424 comments received by October 16 revealed that 86% opposed the overall proposal, with 88% specifically targeting the removal of race and ethnicity questions. A recent alert noted that the docket had surpassed 108,000 submissions, indicating that those deeply invested in the matter generally oppose the change.

Stacey Carless, executive director of the NC Counts Coalition, emphasized the importance of vocalizing concerns regarding the potential loss of vital information to communities and their work. The Census has collected race data since 1790, but the way Americans identify themselves has evolved significantly. The percentage of Americans identifying with two or more races increased from 9 million (2.9%) in 2010 to 33.8 million (10.2%) in 2020.

The bureau attributes this growth to better question design, coding, and processing, as well as demographic changes.

However, the Census Bureau has not clarified how it would generate detailed racial population statistics without directly asking individuals about their racial and ethnic backgrounds. While the agency currently amalgamates information from government and other records to ascertain people's racial and ethnic identities through administrative data, its proposal does not specify whether this method would supplant personal responses in the 2030 Census.