The U.S.

Census Bureau must adhere to the 1997 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards on race and
ethnicity which guide the Census Bureau in classifying written responses to the race question:
White – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
Black or African American – A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
American Indian or Alaska Native – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South
America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.
Asian – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent
including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and
Vietnam.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii,
Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
The 1997 OMB standards permit the reporting of more than one race. An individual’s response to the race question is
based upon self-identification.
An individual’s response to the race question is based upon self-identification. The Census Bureau does not tell
individuals which boxes to mark or what heritage to write in. For the first time in Census 2000, individuals were
presented with the option to self-identify with more than one race and this continued with the 2010 Census. People
who identify with more than one race may choose to provide multiple races in response to the race question. For
example, if a respondent identifies as "Asian" and "White," they may respond to the question on race by checking the
appropriate boxes that describe their racial identities and/or writing in these identities on the spaces provided.
What is Race?
The data on race were derived from answers to the question on race that was asked of individuals in the United States.
The Census Bureau collects racial data in accordance with guidelines provided by the U.S. Office of Management and
Budget (OMB), and these data are based on self-identification.
The racial categories included in the census questionnaire generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this
country and not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically. In addition, it is recognized that
the categories of the race item include racial and national origin or sociocultural groups. People may choose to report
more than one race to indicate their racial mixture, such as “American Indian” and “White.” People who identify their
origin as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may be of any race.
OMB requires five minimum categories: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
Reasons for Collecting Information on Race
Information on race is required for many Federal programs and is critical in making policy decisions, particularly for civil
rights. States use these data to meet legislative redistricting principles. Race data also are used to promote equal
employment opportunities and to assess racial disparities in health and environmental risks.

hat is the Different Classification of Races?

SUKESH DEY

Different ethnologists have classified human races differently. Of these the two most important are as follows:
1. According to Hoebel, human races can be classified into the following:
(a) Caucasoid. Nordic, Mediterranian, Alpine.
(b) Mongoloid. Mongolian, Malenisian and American Indiar
(c) Negroid. Negro, Malenisian, Pygmy Black, Bushman.
2. According to Kroeber, human races can be classified as follows:
(a) Caucasoid. Nordic, Alpine, Mediterranian, Hindu.
(b) Mongoloid. Mongolian, Malenisian, American Indian,
(c) Negroid. Negro Malenisian, Pygmy Black, Bushman.
The above classification shows that human races can be classified into Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Negroid, and
Australoid. It should be remembered here that no classification of human races has been considered as universally
valid. In the words of Lord Raglan, "The division of mankind into races, it must be made perfectly clear, is purely
arbitrary,"
A brief description of the characteristics of the above important races is as follows:
1. Caucasoid
This is known as white race, but in fact it is of light colour. It has hair ranging from brown to black, eyes light blue,
hair upon chest, arms and legs. Some other characteristics are : medium to high structure, thin lips, etc. The two
important races in this class are as follows:
(a) Nordic
The important characteristics of this race are high fore head, leptorrhine nose, thin lips, blue eyes, yellow hairs,
white or red colour of the skin, 5'-8" average height. The Nordic people are not only superior physically but also
intellectually. They are mostly found in Scandinavian, Baltic and British Island.
(b) Alpine
This race is found in Central Asia. Its important racial characteristics are broad and small fore-head, small eyebrows,
medium nasal index, medium cephalic index, maximum thin lips, deep grey eyes, light white skin and height 5'-5\
(c) Mediterranean
These are found in Spain, Portugal, Italy and France. Their racial characteristics are- long head, Cranial index less
than 75", small eye-brows, medium lips, leptorrinie nose, light grey eyes, curly hairs, grey skin and height f-4".
2. Mongoloid
This race is mostly found in Asia particularly in Central Asia. Its physical characteristics are gray-eyes, yellow
complexion, black hair on the body, flat rose broad face and medium height. This group includes the following races
(a) Asian MongoL Tiese are Found in China, Japan and East-India.
(b) Micronesian-Pob/iesian
These are found in the eastern islands of Malenesia. Their racial characteristics are high head thick-lips, yellow or
brown skin, little hair on the bead and the average height at 5'
3. Negroid
The Ntgroids aire found in Africa. Some scholars call it the first human race. Their importamt characteristics are
black skin, woolly hair, broad nose, thick lips, high head a»and average height 5' 6". These include the following
races:
(a) Negro.
These are found in Africa.
(b) Far Eastern Pygmy
These are found in the south Pacific islands. Their characteristics are as those of Negroes.
(c) Bushman and Hottentot
These are found in Kala-Hari desert of Africa. Their average height is less than 5'.
4. Australoid
These are found in Australia. Their racial characteristics are: High head, low forehead, big and broad nose, medium
lips, grey eyes, wavy hair and average height about 5' 6".
In the end, it must be remembered that there are no pure races found at present. The above classification again, is
only provisional. Thinkers do not agree on this subject.