Return to Home PageWhen Census 2000 was conducted on April 1, 2000, race and Hispanic origin (ethnicity) were collected according to the Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity (October 30, 1997) and OMB Bulletin No. 00-02, Guidance on Aggregation and Allocation of Data on Race for Use in Civil Rights Monitoring and Enforcement (March 9, 2000). Census 2000 considered race and ethnic data as being separate and distinct. One question in that Census asked respondents if they were Spanish/Hispanic/Latino or not. Another question asked respondents to report the race or races they considered themselves to be. The Census 2000 Special EEO File retains the greatest detail of race and ethnic data possible under the requirements for maintaining respondent confidentiality.
The format for the collection and presentation of race and Hispanic origin (ethnicity) data in the Census 2000 Special EEO File may not match the format for previous and future data collection and reporting activities with respect to civil rights enforcement and monitoring. Thus, the EEOC is providing the following guidance to maintain essential information on both race and ethnicity (Hispanic origin) from Census 2000 for the Special EEO File for civil rights purposes.
As the Census Bureau collected race and ethnic (Hispanic origin) data in Census 2000 in a way that may not match the format used by several federal agencies involved in monitoring and enforcing civil rights in employment, a methodology to combine the race and ethnic (Hispanic origin) data from the 2000 Special EEO File into the minimum categories in the combined format for race/ethnic categories has been developed by EEOC. A bridging methodology from the EEO File to the prior racial/ethnic categories has also been developed.
The minimum combined format for the racial/ethnic categories are: White; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino; American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Since the revisions to the standards for race and ethnicity was published, an additional category of "Balance" has been widely used rather than previous "Other" category. The prior racial/ethnic categories were: White not of Hispanic origin; Black not of Hispanic origin; Hispanic; Asian or Pacific Islander; American Indian or Alaskan Native; and Other.
For the racial/ethnic categories in the combined format other than in Hawaii, the following rules should be used to maximize comparability among employment files.
The White category is defined by the White not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., from the above-presented Race and Ethnicity for Other than Hawaii specifications, this is (1A) White, Not Hispanic or Latino.
The Black or African American category is created by combining the Black or African American not Hispanic or Latino category with the Black or African American and White not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., combine (2) Black or African American not Hispanic or Latino with (6) Black or African American and White not Hispanic or Latino, from the above-cited specifications.
The Hispanic or Latino category is created by combining all Hispanics, as was done in previous versions of the EEO File, i.e., from the above-mentioned specifications, add (1B)White, Hispanic or Latino to (11) Other Hispanic or Latino.
The American Indian or Alaska Native category is created by combining the American Indian or Alaska Native not Hispanic or Latino category with the American Indian or Alaska Native and White not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., from above-cited specifications, add (5) American Indian or Alaska Native not Hispanic or Latino to (8) American Indian or Alaska Native and White not Hispanic or Latino.
The Asian category is created by combining the Asian not Hispanic or Latino category with the Asian and White not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., from the Race and Ethnicity for Other than Hawaii specifications, add (3) Asian not Hispanic or Latino to (7) Asian and White not Hispanic or Latino.
The Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander category is defined by the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., from the Race and Ethnicity for Other than Hawaii specifications, this is (4) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander not Hispanic or Latino.
The Balance category is created from the remaining categories, i.e., from the specifications for Race and Ethnicity for Other than Hawaii, combine (9) American Indian or Alaska Native and Black or African American not Hispanic or Latino with (10) Balance of individuals reporting more than one race not Hispanic or Latino plus individuals reporting some other race not Hispanic or Latino.
The racial/ethnic categories in the combined format for Hawaii follow the same principles as above but incorporate the three additional categories for Asians and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders from the specifications for Race and Ethnicity for Hawaii. The White; Black or African American; Hispanic; American Indian or Alaska Native; and Balance categories are the same in concept as for other than Hawaii. However, as the categories for Hawaii are numbered differently than for other than Hawaii, due to the additional categories, the definitions are repeated here with the Hawaiian category numbers.
For Hawaii, the White category is defined by the White not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., from the above-presented Race and Ethnicity for Hawaii specifications, this is (1A) White, Not Hispanic or Latino.
For Hawaii, the Black or African American category is created by combining the Black or African American not Hispanic or Latino category with the Black or African American and White not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., combine (2) Black or African American not Hispanic or Latino with (6) Black or African American and White not Hispanic or Latino, from the above-cited specifications.
For Hawaii, the Hispanic or Latino category is created by combining all Hispanics, i.e., from the Race and Ethnicity for Hawaii specifications, add (1B) White, Hispanic or Latino to (14) Other Hispanic or Latino.
For Hawaii, the American Indian or Alaska Native category is created by combining the American Indian or Alaska Native not Hispanic or Latino category with the American Indian or Alaska Native and White not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., from above-cited specifications, add (5) American Indian or Alaska Native not Hispanic or Latino to (8) American Indian or Alaska Native and White not Hispanic or Latino.
For Hawaii, the Asian category is created by combining the categories from the Race and Ethnicity for Hawaii specifications for (3) Asian not Hispanic or Latino and (7) Asian and White not Hispanic or Latino.
For Hawaii, the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander category is created by combining (4) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander not Hispanic or Latino and (10) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander and White not Hispanic or Latino, from the specifications for Race and Ethnicity for Hawaii.
For Hawaii, the Balance category is created by combining (9) American Indian or Alaska Native and Black or African American not Hispanic or Latino; (11) Asian and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander not Hispanic or Latino; (12) Asian and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander and White not Hispanic or Latino; and (13) Balance of individuals reporting more than one race not Hispanic or Latino plus individuals reporting some other race not Hispanic or Latino, from the specifications for Race and Ethnicity for Hawaii.
For the bridging to the previous racial/ethnic categories other than in Hawaii, the following rules should be used to maximize comparability among employment files.
The White not of Hispanic origin category is defined by the White not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., from the above-presented Race and Ethnicity for Other than Hawaii specifications, this is (1A) White, Not Hispanic or Latino.
The Black not of Hispanic origin category is created by combining the Black or African American not Hispanic or Latino category with the Black or African American and White not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., combine (2) Black or African American not Hispanic or Latino with (6) Black or African American and White not Hispanic or Latino, from the above-cited specifications.
The Hispanic category is created by combining all Hispanics, as was done in previous versions of the EEO File, i.e., from the above-mentioned specifications, add (1B)White, Hispanic or Latino to (11) Other Hispanic or Latino.
The Asian or Pacific Islander category is created by combining the Asian not Hispanic or Latino with the Asian and White not Hispanic or Latino categories and with the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., from the Race and Ethnicity for Other than Hawaii specifications, add (3) Asian not Hispanic or Latino; (7) Asian and White not Hispanic or Latino; and (4) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander not Hispanic or Latino.
The American Indian or Alaska Native category is created by combining the American Indian or Alaska Native not Hispanic or Latino category with the American Indian or Alaska Native and White not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., from above-cited specifications, add (5) American Indian or Alaska Native not Hispanic or Latino to (8) American Indian or Alaska Native and White not Hispanic or Latino.
The Other or Balance category is created from the remaining categories, i.e., from the specifications for Race and Ethnicity for Other than Hawaii, combine (9) American Indian or Alaska Native and Black or African American not Hispanic or Latino with (10) Balance of individuals reporting more than one race not Hispanic or Latino plus individuals reporting some other race not Hispanic or Latino.
With respect to the previous racial/ethnic categories in Hawaii (when they were used), follow the same principles as above but incorporate the three additional categories for Asians and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders from the specifications for Race and Ethnicity for Hawaii. As the categories for Hawaii are numbered differently than for other than Hawaii, due to the additional categories for Hawaii, the definitions are repeated here with the Hawaiian category numbers.
For Hawaii, the White not of Hispanic origin category is defined by the White not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., from the Race and Ethnicity for Hawaii specifications, this is (1A) White, Not Hispanic or Latino.
For Hawaii, the Black not of Hispanic origin category is created by combining the Black or African American not Hispanic or Latino category with the Black or African American and White not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., combine (2) Black or African American not Hispanic or Latino with (6) Black or African American and White not Hispanic or Latino, from the Race and Ethnicity for Hawaii specifications.
For Hawaii, the Hispanic category is created by combining all Hispanics, i.e., from the Race and Ethnicity for Hawaii specifications, add (1B) White, Hispanic or Latino to (14) Other Hispanic or Latino.
For Hawaii, the Asian or Pacific Islander category is created, from the Race and Ethnicity for Hawaii specifications, by combining the categories for (3) Asian not Hispanic or Latino; (7) Asian and White not Hispanic or Latino; (4) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander not Hispanic or Latino; (10) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander and White not Hispanic or Latino; (11) Asian and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander not Hispanic or Latino; and (12) Asian and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander and White not Hispanic or Latino.
For Hawaii, the American Indian or Alaskan Native category is created by combining the American Indian or Alaska Native not Hispanic or Latino category with the American Indian or Alaska Native and White not Hispanic or Latino category, i.e., from the Race and Ethnicity for Hawaii specifications, add (5) American Indian or Alaska Native not Hispanic or Latino to (8) American Indian or Alaska Native and White not Hispanic or Latino.
For Hawaii, the Other or Balance category is created by combining (9) American Indian or Alaska Native and Black or African American not Hispanic or Latino and (13) Balance of individuals reporting more than one race not Hispanic or Latino plus individuals reporting some other race not Hispanic or Latino, from the specifications for Race and Ethnicity for Hawaii.
This page was last modified on October 25, 2002.