Racial and Ethnic Population Subgroups in Relation to Health

We recognize that “race” or “ethnicity” are social categories, meaning how society may identify individuals based on their cultural ancestry. As Dr. Camara Jones notes, “the variable ‘race’ is not a biological construct that reflects innate differences, but a social construct that precisely captures the impacts of racism.”
We are bound by data collection and categorization of race and ethnicity according to the U.S. Census
Bureau definitions, in adherence with the 1997 Office of Management and Budget standards as follows:
• Hispanic includes those who identify as Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, other Hispanic, or Hispanic of unknown origin and can be of any racial background.
• White includes people who identify as White and do not identify as Hispanic.
• Black includes people who identify as Black or African American and do not identify as Hispanic.
• American Indian and Alaska Native includes people who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native and do not identify as Hispanic.
• Asian includes people who identify as Asian or Pacific Islander and do not identify as Hispanic.
Our analyses by race and ethnicity use several different sources that are inconsistent in how data for those who identify as Hispanic are included or excluded from racial groups. Our analyses also do not consistently capture those reporting more than one race or multiracial, those who do not report their
race, or who identify as NHOPI. This categorization masks variation within racial and ethnic groups and can hide historical context that underlies health differences.