US census data shows how Middle Eastern and Hispanic residents differ in racial identity

As the U.S. Census Bureau gets public feedback about how it should tally people into new race and ethnicity groups, the agency has released new research reflecting how U.S. residents from different backgrounds regard their racial and ethnic identities. Earlier this year, the U.S. government changed how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity to more accurately count residents who identify as Hispanic and of Middle Eastern and North African heritage. Under the revisions, questions about race and ethnicity that previously were asked separately on forms will be combined into a single question.