Raza Demographics in the U.S.

Contents

• • “La Raza”: Definition & Use
  • Statistical Overview of U.S. Raza, National Numbers

    • • Total U.S. Population

      • National Origin

      • Age, Citizenship, & Individual Identity

      • Language

      • Education

      • Economics

      • State-Level Information

  • Mexican Heritage, Corresponding Data
  • Puerto Rican Heritage, Corresponding Data
  • Salvadoran Heritage, Corresponding Data
  • Cuban Heritage, Corresponding Data
  • Indigenous Heritage, Corresponding Data
  • Dominican Heritage, Corresponding Data
  • Guatemalan Heritage, Corresponding Data
  • Colombian Heritage, Corresponding Data
  • Honduran Heritage, Corresponding Data
  • Jamaican Heritage, Corresponding Data
  • Haitian Heritage, Corresponding Data
  • Other Groups, Corresponding Data
  • References
  • High-Resolution Graphics/Pie Charts: “Raza Demographics in the U.S.”

Last updated 08/23/2022.

This is a work in progress. I will update and add new information as often as possible. Please send source material and other recommendations to <elsimon@qvole.org>. To cite any part of this project:

Simón Salazar, H. L. (2022). Raza Demographics in the U.S. Harry L. Simón Salazar, Ph.D. https://harrysimonsalazar.net/raza-demographics-in-the-u-s/.

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“La Raza”: Definition & Use

Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. When I use “Hispanic and Latino,” I primarily draw statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau (USCB). In some instances, I use USCB data in combination with other institutional sources to provide a more complete picture of a given topic. References to “Hispanic or Latino” populations are subject to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 1997 definition of “Hispanic or Latino.”^[1]According to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a “Hispanic or Latino” is a “person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, South or Central American, or other Spanish … Continue reading

On the other hand, when I use “la raza” or simply “raza,” I am referring to all those people who self-identified as “Hispanic or Latino” with the 2020 Census while including the following groups of people:

• An estimated 4 million people from Latin America who are undocumented while living in the U.S., and were not included in the 2020 census.^[2]There is an ongoing debate about the actual number of undocumented people living in the U.S. The PRC uses estimates from 2017 to suggest that the number is 10.5 million (Lopez et al., 2021), while … Continue reading
• 3.3 million people in Puerto Rico who are typically excluded from the totals for the U.S. “Hispanic or Latino” population^[3]The USCB does, in fact, include Puerto Rico in its decennial census, but only as a “territory.” Puerto Ricans who live in Puerto Rico are therefore excluded from U.S. national statistics.
• An estimated 3,097,794 people who make up the 4.99% of all “Hispanic or Latino” people formally acknowledged by the USCB as having been excluded from the 2020 Census.^[4]This substantial undercount is the most severe of the 2020 census. The 4.99% undercount represents the exclusion of approximately 3,097,794 people, that is at least 1 of every 20 U.S. … Continue reading
• 2.3 million people who self-identified as “American Indian & Alaskan Native alone, not Hispanic or Latino” within the 2020 Census.^[5]There are significant cultural, historical, geographic, and racial connections between Indigenous people of North America and “Hispanic or Latino” people within the United States. Yet, … Continue reading
• An estimated 1,171,915 people of Jamaican heritage who are excluded from the OMB definition of “Hispanic or Latino” because the primary language of Jamaica is English, not Spanish.^[6]When a person lists their race or ethnicity as “Jamaican” on the U.S. Census, they are typically counted as “Black or African American” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021d).
• An estimated 1,084,455 people of Haitian heritage who are excluded from the OMB definition of “Hispanic or Latino” because the primary language of Haiti is French, not Spanish.^[7]When a person lists their race or ethnicity as “Haitian” on the U.S. Census, they are typically counted as “Black or African American.” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021d).
• An estimated 684,000 people of Brazilian heritage who are excluded from the OMB definition of “Hispanic or Latino” because the primary language of Brazil is Portuguese, not Spanish.^[8]When a person lists their race or ethnicity as “Brazilian” on the U.S. Census, they are typically counted as “Some Other Race.” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021d; Waters & … Continue reading
• An estimated 420,154 people from the “Antilles” who are excluded from the OMB definition of “Hispanic or Latino” because the primary language of their country is not Spanish.^[9]When a person as from one of these countries on the U.S. Census, they are typically counted as “Black or African American.” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 & 2021d). The … Continue reading
• An estimated 388,293 people from Belize and of “West Indian” heritage who are excluded from the OMB definition of “Hispanic or Latino” because the primary language of their country is not Spanish.^[10]When a person as from one of these countries on the U.S. Census, they are typically counted as “Some Other Race.” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 & 2021d). The “West Indies” … Continue reading
• An estimated 231,649 people of Guyanese heritage who are excluded from the OMB definition of “Hispanic or Latino” because the primary language of Guyana is English, not Spanish.^[11]When a person lists their race or ethnicity as “Guyanese” on the U.S. Census, they are typically counted as “Some Other Race.” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 & 2021d).
• Finally, I exclude an estimated 845,000 people who identify themselves as “Spanish.”^[12]The U.S. Census includes people who identify themselves as “Spanish” alone as belonging in the category of “Hispanic or Latino.” People from Spain are European – they … Continue reading

More broadly, I conceptualize raza as a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-national, gender-neutral term to identify all people within the United States who are of Latin American and/or Indigenous heritage. Most importantly, la raza is a historically situated, socio-political, and cultural identity that is comprehensible to broad, working-class sectors within the United States and throughout Latin America. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, please read my brief etymological assessment of why I prefer “raza” rather than “Hispanic” or “Latinx.” Access it by following the link below.

(Forthcoming) “In Defense Of ‘La Raza:’ The People’s Collective Identity.”

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A Statistical Overview of U.S. Raza

Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, refer to the section titled “La Raza”: Definition & Use.

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Mexican Heritage, Corresponding Data

What follows is information pieced together and updated on an ongoing basis. There are sections that provide data, and other sections that serve as place-holders for data I hope to include as soon as possible. Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, refer to the section titled “La Raza”: Definition & Use.

Narrative description of People of Mexican Heritage in the U.S.

A Statistical Overview of People of Mexican Heritage in the U.S.

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Puerto Rican Heritage, Corresponding Data

What follows is information pieced together and updated on an ongoing basis. There are sections that provide data, and other sections that serve as place-holders for data I hope to include as soon as possible. Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, refer to the section titled “La Raza”: Definition & Use.

Narrative description of People of Puerto Rican Heritage in the U.S.

A Statistical Overview of People of Puerto Rican Heritage in the U.S.

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Salvadoran Heritage, Corresponding Data

What follows is information pieced together and updated on an ongoing basis. There are sections that provide data, and other sections that serve as place-holders for data I hope to include as soon as possible. Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, refer to the section titled “La Raza”: Definition & Use.

Narrative description of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

A Statistical Overview of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

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Cuban Heritage, Corresponding Data

What follows is information pieced together and updated on an ongoing basis. There are sections that provide data, and other sections that serve as place-holders for data I hope to include as soon as possible. Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, refer to the section titled “La Raza”: Definition & Use.

Narrative description of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

A Statistical Overview of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

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Indigenous Heritage, Corresponding Data

What follows is information pieced together and updated on an ongoing basis. There are sections that provide data, and other sections that serve as place-holders for data I hope to include as soon as possible. Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, refer to the section titled “La Raza”: Definition & Use.

Narrative description of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

A Statistical Overview of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

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Dominican Heritage, Corresponding Data

What follows is information pieced together and updated on an ongoing basis. There are sections that provide data, and other sections that serve as place-holders for data I hope to include as soon as possible. Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, refer to the section titled “La Raza”: Definition & Use.

Narrative description of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

A Statistical Overview of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

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Guatemalan Heritage, Corresponding Data

What follows is information pieced together and updated on an ongoing basis. There are sections that provide data, and other sections that serve as place-holders for data I hope to include as soon as possible. Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, refer to the section titled “La Raza”: Definition & Use.

Narrative description of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

A Statistical Overview of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

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Colombian Heritage, Corresponding Data

What follows is information pieced together and updated on an ongoing basis. There are sections that provide data, and other sections that serve as place-holders for data I hope to include as soon as possible. Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, refer to the section titled “La Raza”: Definition & Use.

Narrative description of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

A Statistical Overview of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

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Jamaican Heritage, Corresponding Data

What follows is information pieced together and updated on an ongoing basis. There are sections that provide data, and other sections that serve as place-holders for data I hope to include as soon as possible. Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, refer to the section titled “La Raza”: Definition & Use.

Narrative description of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

A Statistical Overview of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

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Haitian Heritage, Corresponding Data

What follows is information pieced together and updated on an ongoing basis. There are sections that provide data, and other sections that serve as place-holders for data I hope to include as soon as possible. Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, refer to the section titled “La Raza”: Definition & Use.

Narrative description of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

A Statistical Overview of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

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Honduran Heritage, Corresponding Data

What follows is information pieced together and updated on an ongoing basis. There are sections that provide data, and other sections that serve as place-holders for data I hope to include as soon as possible. Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, refer to the section titled “La Raza”: Definition & Use.

Narrative description of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

A Statistical Overview of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

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Other Groups, Corresponding Data

What follows is information pieced together and updated on an ongoing basis. There are sections that provide data, and other sections that serve as place-holders for data I hope to include as soon as possible. Within this post, I use “Hispanic and Latino” or “Raza” to collectively identify two groups of people. For more details about the differences between these collective identities and how I use them, refer to the section titled “La Raza”: Definition & Use.

Narrative description of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

A Statistical Overview of People of xxx Heritage in the U.S.

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Definitions of Race & Ethnicity, 2020 Census^[69]From “Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census” “Ethnicity: Ethnicity is defined by the Office of Management and Budget as either ‘Hispanic or Latino’ … Continue reading

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References:

Aladangady, A. (2021, October 22). Wealth Inequality and the Racial Wealth Gap. Board Of Governors Of The Federal Reserve System. https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/wealth-inequality-and-the-racial-wealth-gap-20211022.htm

Fry, R., Kennedy, B., & Funk, C. (2021, April 1). STEM Jobs See Uneven Progress in Increasing Gender, Racial and Ethnic Diversity. Pew Research Center Science & Society. https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2021/04/01/stem-jobs-see-uneven-progress-in-increasing-gender-racial-and-ethnic-diversity/

Funk, C., & Lopez, M. H. (2022, June 16). A brief statistical portrait of U.S. Hispanics. Pew Research Center Science & Society. https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2022/06/14/a-brief-statistical-portrait-of-u-s-hispanics/

Hamilton, D., Hayes-Bautista, D., Fienup, M., & Hsu, P. (2021). 2021 LDC U.S. Latino GDP Report: Quantifying the New American Economy. Latino Donor Collaborative. https://www.latinodonorcollaborative.org/original-research/2021-ldc-u-s-latino-gdp-report

Kamarck, E., & Stenglein, C. (2020, October 27). How many undocumented immigrants are in the United States and who are they? Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/votervital/how-many-undocumented-immigrants-are-in-the-united-states-and-who-are-they/

Krogstad, J. M., & Noe-Bustamante, L. (2021, September 9). Key facts about U.S. Latinos for National Hispanic Heritage Month. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/09/key-facts-about-u-s-latinos-for-national-hispanic-heritage-month/

Lopez, M. H., Passel, J. S., & Cohn, D. (2021, April 13). Key facts about the changing U.S. unauthorized immigrant population. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/13/key-facts-about-the-changing-u-s-unauthorized-immigrant-population/

Lorenzi, J, & Batalova, J. (2022, July 13). Caribbean Immigrants in the United States. Migrationpolicy.Org. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/caribbean-immigrants-united-states

Matera, M., Sandin, L., & Alvarez, M. (2020). An Assessment of the State of the Guyanese Diaspora. In The Guyanese Diaspora (pp. 3–16). Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep26538.4

Median annual earnings by sex, race and Hispanic ethnicity. (2020). U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/data/earnings/median-annual-sex-race-hispanic-ethnicity

Melancon, M. J. (2022, February 14). Consumer buying power is more diverse than ever. UGA Today. https://news.uga.edu/selig-multicultural-economy-report-2021/

Passel, J. S., & Cohn, D. (2019, June 12). Mexicans decline to less than half the U.S. unauthorized immigrant population for the first time. Pew Research Center. https://pewrsr.ch/31s3twf

Profile of the Unauthorized Population – US. (2019). Migration Policy Institute. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/unauthorized-immigrant-population/state/US

Sanchez, G. R. (2022, March 26). What are the consequences of the Latino undercount in the 2020 U.S. Census? Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2022/03/24/what-are-the-consequences-of-the-latino-undercount-in-the-2020-u-s-census/

Shrider, E., Kollar, M., Chen, F., & Semega, J. (2021, September). Income and Poverty in the United States: 2020 (No. P60-273). U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2021/demo/p60-273.html

UCLA Williams Institute. (2022, July 21). 1.2 million LGBTQ adults in the US identify as nonbinary. https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/lgbtq-nonbinary-press-release/

U.S. Census Bureau. (2019). Explore Census Data: B04006 PEOPLE REPORTING ANCESTRY. American Community Survey. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=b04006&t=Ancestry&d=ACS%201-Year%20Estimates%20Detailed%20Tables&tid=ACSDT1Y2019.B04006&hidePreview=false

U.S. Census Bureau. (2020). Explore Census Data. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/

US Census Bureau. (2021a). The Hispanic Population in the United States: 2019. Census.Gov. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2019/demo/hispanic-origin/2019-cps.html

U.S. Census Bureau. (2021b). Inequalities Persist Despite Decline in Poverty For All Major Race and Hispanic Origin Groups. Census.Gov. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/09/poverty-rates-for-blacks-and-hispanics-reached-historic-lows-in-2019.html

U.S. Census Bureau. (2021c). Puerto Rico Population Declined 11.8% From 2010 to 2020. Census.Gov. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/puerto-rico-population-change-between-census-decade.html

U.S. Census Bureau. (2021d). 2020 Census National Redistricting Data Summary File (SFNRD/20-02). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/technical-documentation/complete-tech-docs/summary-file/2020Census_PL94_171Redistricting_NationalTechDoc.pdf

US Census Bureau. (2022a, February 24). Educational Attainment in the United States: 2021. Census.Gov. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2021/demo/educational-attainment/cps-detailed-tables.html

U.S. Census Bureau. (2022b, July 18). Nation Continues to Age as It Becomes More Diverse. Census.Gov. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/population-estimates-characteristics.html

U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). (1997). Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity (No. 58782). United States Government Publishing Office (GPO). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1997-10-30/pdf/97-28653.pdf

Waters, J., & Batalova, J. (2022, August 4). Brazilian Immigrants in the United States. Migration Policy Institute. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/brazilian-immigrants-united-states

Wilson, B. D. M., Mallory, C., Bouton, L., & S.K., C. (2021, December 10). Latinx LGBT Adults in the US. UCLA Williams Institute. https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/latinx-lgbt-adults-in-the-us/

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High-Resolution Graphic/Pie Chart:

“Raza Demographics in the U.S.

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