Major Racial and Ethnic Groups in the U.S.

A sect of the U.S. government called the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) set the race and ethnicity categories in 1997 that have been used for data collection projects like the U.S. Census. 

    The most up to date race categories according to the OMB: 

        1. White- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.

        2. Black or African American- A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

        3. American Indian or Alaska Native- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and who maintains Alaskan Native cultural identification through tribal affiliations or community recognition.

        4. Asian- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent. 

        5. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander- A person originating from the Pacific Islands. 

        Ethnicity: 

           1. Hispanic- A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. Due to Hispanics being from various racial groups, they are considered an ethnicity rather than a race. Race focuses more on shared physical characteristics, while ethnicity focuses more on shared culture. 

NOTE:

• Some lists often group Asian and Pacific Islanders together. 
• There have been recent proposals for those who are Middle Eastern and North African to be distinguished or separated from the broad "White" category that they are currently in. 
• The term "Latino/a" is used interchangeably with Hispanic, but it specifically refers those of Latin American descent. 

It is important for health professionals to have a basic understanding of these racial and ethnic categories because they may be contributing factors to health problems, such as diet or cultural attitudes towards certain aspects of health. One must also be aware of the different cultural groups in order to be respectful and understanding to patients from all walks of life and all parts of the globe. 

Sources: 

Jensen, E. (2021, August 4). Measuring Racial and Ethnic Diversity for the 2020 Census. Census.gov. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/blogs/random-samplings/2021/08/measuring-racial-ethnic-diversity-2020-census.html

Orvis, K. (2023, January 26). Initial Proposals for Revising the Federal Race and Ethnicity Standards. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/briefing-room/2023/01/26/initial-proposals-for-revising-the-federal-race-and-ethnicity-standards/

Rose, P. R. (2013). Cultural competency for the Health Professional. Jones & Bartlett Learning.