The government's primary purpose for collecting racial data has been to use it in monitoring and enforcing anti-discrimination laws, but the Census data has also been used as a guidepost for many other government activities associated with school desegregation plans and regulatory programs for housing, employment, health and the environment. Looking into his crystal ball, Dr. Prewitt said he expected that future censuses would offer more racial options, as groups such as Arabs and Basques are already clamoring for inclusion and the political recognition it brings. And, mathematically, with every new racial addition, the potential number of categories doubles. If the number of categories grows, Dr. Prewitt said the growth will likely be accompanied by long existential debates. Race, after all, is merely a social construct.
Race has little or no value for describing human biological diversity.
Dr. Prewitt isn't sure. Immigration and the nation's reinvention are of special concern to Carnegie Corporation and its Strengthening U.S. Democracy program. The foundation supports efforts to reduce barriers to civic participation, especially those affecting immigrants and youth. In the next issue of the Carnegie Reporter, which will be available online, look for an article about the youth vote in last year's election. Given how our culture discourages political participation, the article says, it was surprising that one in three young people actually made it to the polls in 2000.