A sociology professor talks about the different ways in which the Census has classified Hispanics:
Professor RUBEN RUMBAUT (University of California at Irvine): Race is one of three questions that has been asked in every census since 1790. So for 220 years, that person’s age, sex and race have been asked in a census. Age and sex have been measured in the same way for 220 years. Race has pretty much never been measured in the same way from one census to the next, suggesting this is not a biological given category but a social and legal and political construction whose meaning changes over time…From census to census, there are slight changes in wording, in instructions, and that end up making a significant difference in the actual responses that people gave.
The sociologist goes on to explain studies he has been a part of that show how immigrant groups differ in identifying themselves as white:
A colleague of mine and I since 1991 have directed the largest study of children of immigrants in the United States over time, looking at 77 different nationalities, including all of the ones from Latin America. And over time we have asked them separate questions about their ethnic identity and also a question about race. We also independently interviewed their parents.
Cuban parents, 93 percent of them, thought that they were white, but only 41 percent of their own children thought they were white; 69 percent of Nicaraguans, Salvadoran and Guatemalan parents thought they were white, but only 19 percent of their own children thought they were white.
These are quite wide differences. The Census is supposed to offer reliable and valid data over time but in this particular category, the Census has had difficulty.
Interestingly, the sociologist suggests there were experiments embedded in the 2010 Census in order to help solve these issues for the next Census:
Already in the year 2010, there were four experiments embedded in the 2010 census looking ahead at how to make changes for the year 2020. One of the things that are being considered, for example, is trying to create a single question that combines both Hispanic ethnicity and race into a single question.
I hadn’t heard anything about these experiments and I guess we’ll have to wait and see how this turns out. Whatever is decided, sociologists and others will have to find ways to put together the various measurements over the decades.
Legally Sociable 
hi, my name is javier. most of hispanics obviously speak spanish and all hispanics even those of african or native origin feel like they are part of the latino world. if you ask a puerto rican or dominican or cuban of color if they are black they probrally would be offended because they are latino or “hispano” and part of the larger family that originated in spain where the dominant culture came to the new worlda. inside the latino world we are all the same regardless of skin color. as far iam concern “white” in united states is a behavior and culture but most inportantly, the dominant culture. unfortunately that dominant culture is discribed by the name of a color or skin color, for example, if the dominant culture was called “anglo saxon” most hispanics would be calling themself anglo saxon. i have met people of many racial backgrounds and mixtures and immediately i know if they are “white” regardless of the color of their skin. again when i say white i mean the culture and behavior, values, ect…of the dominant culture. my sister is pure puerto rico and she uses the term white sometimes to descibe herself, i use the term white to discribe myself, the word american is too broad. anybody can be an american, someone that doesn’t speak english can be an american. i hope you understand what iam trying to say, it can be complicated to describe.
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