Article Reflection No. 73 (10/21/2023)
- Mary
- Oct 21, 2023
- 1 min read
Article:
Reflection:
In the article “An American Puzzle: Fitting Race in a Box”, journalists Jennifer Medina and K.K. Rebecca Lai provides a generalized overview of America’s racial or ethnic history in censuses over the last centuries. Describing the vague categorizations from the 18th century (such as “slaves” and “free white[s]”), the writers display the census as an evolved entity. As the country’s definition or perception of ethnicity and race have changed, the most recent action regarding the census show how the country is trying to represent its diversified demographics, both journalists suggest. For example, the Office of Management under the Biden administration is currently trying to recognize those with Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) origins—which may be incorporated into the next census in 2030.
To me, the objective of a census is to collect data for an overall picture of the country and its people. Given how census data can be used to prioritize certain needs over others, the level of representation is especially important, particularly for historically marginalized ethnicities and races.