The next great civil rights battle may be whether America's old racial categories can keep up with its future. Why it matters: The U.S. is heading toward a more Latino, Asian, Black immigrant and multiracial future — and the rules for counting race will help decide who gets political power, civil rights protections and public resources. Zoom in: Two massive generational shifts will redefine the nation... - Multiracial dominance: Multiracial Americans are on track to likely dominate the population over the next two centuries. - Trade with Latin America could blur lines of migration and citizenship. State of play: For decades, federal racial categories have been the foundation for enforcing anti-discrimination laws, drawing political…
America is becoming more multiracial , but its data systems are still thinking in black and white. Why it matters: Outdated measurement systems are shaping how elections are analyzed, health risks are tracked and civil rights laws are enforced. - The multiracial ("Two or More Races") population grew from nine million in 2010 to 33.8 million in 2020, per the U.S. Census . - The multiracial population is expected to keep growing faster than most groups, and exactly how fast depends as much on how America measures race as how it lives or understands it. Zoom in: Before the 1960s, race was often assigned by census takers. Today, it's largely self-identified. - The U.S. Census now allows people to "mark one or more" races. - People often…
Data: Gallup/Brookings Institution's Center for Community Uplift; Chart: Axios Visuals Most Americans say race doesn't drive their daily decisions, even as the country feels more divided than ever, a new national survey finds. Why it matters: Politics and social media amplify racial division. But in daily life — at work, in friendships and in families — Americans report far more interracial contact, and far less race-based decision-making, than the national mood suggests. - The shift is largely generational, driven by rising interracial marriage and changing demographics, dramatically reshaping of daily life. - Meanwhile, high-profile racist rhetoric on social media — including from national political figures — reinforces a…
Dorothy Roberts' parents, a white anthropologist and a Black woman from Jamaica, spent years interviewing interracial couples in Chicago. Her memoir draws from their records.