‘Black and Some Other Race?’: Examining Shifts in the Black Latino Population in the Census Bureau’s Modified Race Question

This study leverages sample data from the American Community Survey (ACS) to assess how changes to the 2020 race question influence the odds of multi-race classification for Black Latinos. Our results suggest that most Black Latino origin groups exhibit higher odds of multi-race classification in the modified race question compared to the pre-2020 race question. The reclassification of single-race Black Latinos as multiracial is particularly notable for Dominicans and Hondurans. Our findings also reveal that Black Latinos who provided multiple origin responses that are ethno-racially distinct (i.e. Nigerian and Panamanian) are nearly 21 percent less likely to be classified as multiracial in the modified race question. This finding suggests that the coding schemes used in the modified race question may be overclassifying single-race Black Latinos as multiracial. In fact, we find substantial drops in single-race Black Latino origin group counts between samples, which coincides with a relative surge in multi-race classifications. Ultimately, this study underscores the ethical consequences of misclassifying single-race Black Latino responses as multiracial while also emphasizing the broader methodological implications in how official changes to question wording and coding schemes lead to artificial population shifts that are not attributed to natural demographic change.