How do I compare race data now that the categories have changed?
In 1997, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revised the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity to include Pacific Islanders as a separate category as well as allow respondents to mark more than one race. Since the new standards were used in Census 2000, the race categories are no longer comparable with data from previous years. The Washington State Office of Financial Management has provided tips on interpreting and comparing the data in its brief, Understanding Census 2000:Race Category Changes and Comparisons (pdf).
