Not racist:
“Racial categories were constructed and incorporated during the period of European mercantile expansion, and ethnic groupings during the period of capitalist expansion.”
“In America race most commonly means color, and 'ethnics' are the descendants of relatively recent immigrants from non-English-speaking countries.”
“The U.S. Department of Education has adopted new race and ethnicity categories.
The previous federal categories allowed an individual to select one of the following race categories:
1-American Indian or Alaska Native
2-Asian or Pacific Islander
3-Black (non-Hispanic)
4-Hispanic
5-White (non-Hispanic)
The new federal categories first ask whether an individual is:
1-Hispanic or Latino or not
as a separate ethnicity question.
The individual can then select one or more of the following race categories:
1-American Indian or Alaska Native
2-Asian
3-Black or African American
4-Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
5- White.
For the first time, individuals have the option to choose more than one race for federal reporting.
The two-question format is mandated by the government. The October 19, 2007 Federal Register, the official record for these requirements, cites historical concerns about undercounting Americans of Spanish origin or descent in past censuses. Research by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the two-question format provides the most accurate responses.”