The discussion surrounding the 2030 Census and its race and ethnicity questions has intensified, with over 100,000 public comments submitted. The Census Bureau proposed to remove these questions to potentially increase response rates, but civil rights advocates argue this could lead to inaccuracies in data collection. An analysis of comments indicated that a large majority oppose the proposal, prompting an extension of the comment deadline to November 2. The Census Bureau has yet to clarify how it would accurately report racial demographics without direct input from respondents.
Key facts
- Over 100,000 public comments have been submitted regarding the 2030 Census race questions.
- The Census Bureau proposed removing race and ethnicity questions to improve response rates.
- An analysis showed 86% of comments opposed the proposal.
- The comment deadline was extended from October 13 to November 2.
- The number of Americans identifying as multiracial increased from 9 million in 2010 to 33.8 million in 2020.
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