re: #356 iossarian

Incidentally, the main reason why the questions are formulated this way (Hispanic split out from other categories) is because this has been found, via scientific research***, to be the best mapping on to the way respondents think of themselves. If Hispanic is left in with the other categories, many (Hispanic) respondents are confused as to whether they should select “White” or “Hispanic”.

I thought the biggest reason was to differentiate between test scores, graduation rates, etc…?

query.nytimes.com

The new standards for kindergarten through 12th grades and higher education will probably increase the nationwide student population of Hispanics, and could erase some ”black” students who will now be counted as Hispanic or as multiracial (in the ”two or more races category”). And reclassifying large numbers of white Hispanic students as simply Hispanic has the potential to mask the difference between minority and white students’ test scores, grades and graduation rates — the so-called achievement gap, a target of federal reform efforts that has plagued schools for decades.