Presidential Proclamation 1997
Project RACE started Multiracial Heritage Week in 2014. “Multiracial Heritage Week (MHW) is a celebration for all people. It highlights our similarities, not our differences. It’s an opportunity for the multiracial community to get recognition from government officials at the state and local levels through the issuing of proclamations. It’s also a good reason for celebrations in all 50 states.”
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.
How Should Multiracial Individuals Respond to the Question on Race?
The 2020 Census is still underway — make sure you are counted!
When you complete your census form, you may select one or more boxes for the race or races you identify with and print your origins in the write-in space. An individual’s response to the race question is based on self-identification. The Census Bureau does not tell individuals which boxes to mark or what heritage to write in.