The Census will classify Latinos and Hispanics as a race instead of an ethnicity for the first time. Race options will also be included for people of Middle Eastern or North African descent.
Until now, Hispanics had a double question to answer about their identity. We explain what consequences the change has for the Latino community. The addition of the Middle East or North Africa, or MENA, option would allow 7 to 8 million people to no longer have to identify themselves as white or other in the Census.