Race and the U.S. Census: 1790 through 2020

The U.S. government conducted the first census in 1790 under the guidance of Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. At the time, there were three racial categories: “free white male/free white female,” “slave,” or “other free person.” While the U.S. Census has come a long way, it still has a long, complicated history with race. The census was used to count African Americans as three-fifths a person, send Japanese Americans to internment camps during World War II, and identify Arab-American communities after 9/11. Now, in 2020 the fear over the citizenship question has the potential of undercounting millions of Latinx community members. Join us as we explore how the census has been both a tool to strengthen communities, exclude and target communities, and what needs to be done in 2020 to ensure the U.S. Census is both fair and accurate.

Edmund Fong, Associate Professor, Ethnic Studies and Political Science; Chair, Ethnic Studies

Alexander Hyres, Assistant Professor, Education, Culture, & Society

Danielle Olden, Assistant Professor, History

Pam Perlich, Director of Demographic Research, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute

Hailey Leek, Census Coordinator, Salt Lake City (moderator)

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