What is the difference between race and Hispanic origin?
The federal government considers race and Hispanic origin to be two separate and distinct concepts. For Census 2000, the questions on race and Hispanic origin were asked of every individual living in the United States. The question on Hispanic origin asked respondents if they were Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino. The question on race asked respondents to report the race or races they considered themselves to be. Both questions are based on self-identification. People who identify their origin as Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino may be of any race. See Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin 2000 (PDF – 145 KB) for more information. For more information about race and Hispanic origin, click People in the left menu of FactFinder, and then click Race and Ethnicity.
