Reflecting the Changing Face of America

If a child has a white mother and a black father, then the child is racially . . . what? Presently, on the census form, individuals may declare racial origins by choosing one from among the categories white, black, Native American, Asian/Pacific Islander, and "other." The matter of racial classification involves more than how just the Census Bureau counts racial origin; every government agency that counts race does so in the same way. The directions for counting races are found in Office of Management and Budget Directive 15, and these directions are up for reconsideration. By late October the OMB will recommend whether or not to revise the directive. Congress could also intervene; and all this is happening during what the president has declared to be "the year of discussion on race."