'Less White, More Multiethnic': US Census Demographic Data to Fuel Redraw of Nation’s Political Maps
© AP Photo / Shafkat Anowar
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The new population data from the 2020 Census will trigger a battle over political map “redistricting”, typically carried out with the goal of ensuring each district has roughly the same number of people. Republicans and Democrats are hoping the new lines divide and combine voters to boost their party’s candidates’ chances in future elections.
While still the most prevalent racial or ethnic group, the share of America’s 'White alone' population has shrunk below 60 percent for the first time since the US census began, according to findings released on Thursday by the bureau.
Overall, the White share of the adult US population shrank by six percentage points. In a drop from 2010, when they made up 63.7 percent of the population, non-Hispanic Whites now account for around 58 percent of the US population, according to the data from the US census bureau.
People shop at a street fair near Times Square in New York City, U.S., July 11, 2021
© REUTERS / JEENAH MOON
Meanwhile, the findings showed that the last decade registered a significant growth among non-whites, or 'people of colour'. They represented 43 percent of the total US population in 2020, which is up from 34 percent in 2010. The Hispanic or Latino population surged by 23 percent. The Asian alone population registered a spike of over 35 percent. The Black population also increased by more than 5.6 percent.
"Our analysis of the 2020 Census results show that the US population is much more multiracial, and more racially and ethnically diverse than what we measured in the past," said Nicholas Jones, the director and senior advisor of race and ethnic research and outreach in the US Census Bureau's population division.
Today, we released the first local level results from the #2020Census including race, ethnicity, and voting age population statistics.
— U.S. Census Bureau (@uscensusbureau) August 12, 2021
Read more about the data in our #AmericaCounts stories here: https://t.co/K96vfFYZIo pic.twitter.com/MLZVThsHvj
While non-Hispanic White Americans continue make up the largest group in every state, with the exception of California, Hawaii and New Mexico, as well as in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, data shows there are now seven states and territories where the non-Hispanic White share of the population is below 50 percent. These are California, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Maryland, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
Weighing in on the findings, demographers cautioned that the white population was not so much shrinking as shifting to multiracial identities. The number of people who identified as belonging to two or more races more than tripled from 9 million people in 2010 to 33.8 million in 2020.
We use the Diversity Index to measure the probability that two people chosen at random will be from different race and ethnicity groups.
— U.S. Census Bureau (@uscensusbureau) August 12, 2021
Explore the Diversity Index by state in our new #dataviz based on the latest #2020Census data: https://t.co/X0eMLnzntn pic.twitter.com/u5xS6xDe0l
As for the overall adult population in the United States, it has grown from 237 million to 261 million during the last decade, with almost all of the growth registered in its cities. America’s population growth of 7.4 percent over the last decade is the second slowest in its history.
Findings show the population of the United States aged overall since 2010. While the under-18 population decreased during the last decade, it was revealed to be more diverse. Americans were shown to be continuing to migrate to the south and west, revealed data, at the expense of the midwest and north-east.
The fastest growing of America’s largest cities was Phoenix, overtaking Philadelphia to become the fifth largest city in America. New York City remains the largest US city.
‘More Accurate’
The data was accumulated by compiling forms filled out in 2020 by Americans, with census takers and government statisticians filling in the blanks when forms were not turned in or questions were left unanswered.
The overall racial and ethnic diversity of the country has increased since 2010, according to U.S. Census Bureau analyses released today. Read more from #AmericaCounts: https://t.co/e8HzQpgKdO pic.twitter.com/XPMRZMZ9ry
— U.S. Census Bureau (@uscensusbureau) August 12, 2021
The survey for 2020 had been retooled to pose more detailed questions about how Americans identify their race and ethnicity, to "enable a more thorough and accurate depiction of how people self-identify."
Comparisons on race and ethnicity between 2010 and 2020 should be "made with caution," said the Census Bureau, adding that it was "confident that the changes we are seeing from 2010 to 2020 in the diversity measures ... likely reflect actual demographic changes in the population over the past 10 years, as well as improvements to the question designs, data processing and coding".
‘Creative Redistricting’
The census figures have been eagerly awaited by US states. Republicans are reportedly enthusiastic about their chances of taking over the US House of Representatives in the midterm elections of 2022, as district lines will be different due to the once-every-decade post-census redistricting.
US Census gives details of population count for Congressional redistricting https://t.co/3AY92AL9Cn
— 1080 KRLD (@KRLD) August 13, 2021
The fresh data will be used to redraw 429 US House districts in 44 states and 7,383 state legislative districts across the nation, to ensure that each district has roughly the same number of people. Republicans need to grab just five seats to take control of the US House in the 2022 elections.
“The question is going to be how creative this new data will force Republicans to get in maintaining or expanding their advantages, given an increasingly diverse, increasingly urban population,” Joshua Blank, research director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas, was cited by AP as saying.
