The 2020 Census just released reveals a significant increase in the number of people who identify as multi-racial.
USA Today reports 33.8 million checked more than one race on the U.S. Census. That’s more than 3 times the 9 million who identified as multiracial in 2010.
“These changes reveal that the US population is much more multiracial, and more racially and ethnically diverse, than what we measured in the past,” said Nicholas Jones of the U.S. Census to USA Today.
According to the New York Times, the population grew by 23 million with almost all of that coming from the Hispanic, Asian, Black and more than one race categories.
The White population declined by 6%, the first time that has happened in the nation’s history. This is attributed to a drop in the birth rate and an aging population.
Still 58% of the nation is White, 18.7% Hispanic, 12.4% Black and 6% Asian.
Hispanics accounted for half of the nation’s population growth, up by 23%. The Asian population increased 36% and accounted for a fifth of the nation’s overall population growth.
“This is a pivotal moment for the country in terms of its diversity,” said William Frey, chief demographer at the Brookings Institution. “Part of our population is aging and slow growing. To counter that, we have people of color who are younger and growing more rapidly. They are helping to propel us further into a century where diversity is going to be the signature of our demography.”
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