‘Street Race' question could enhance federal data on Latino racial experiences, UCLA report suggests

Authors argue that asking Latinos about racial perceptions based on appearance would yield more accurate data on the lived experiences of Black Hispanics.

Asking Latinos about their “street race,” or how they're perceived racially by strangers based on their physical appearance, could help improve how the government collects data about race and ethnicity, according to a new report from the Latino Policy and Politics Institute at UCLA.

The ways in which federal government agencies, such as the U.S. Census Bureau, inquire about race and ethnicity — especially if one chooses just "Hispanic" or "Latino" — may not accurately reflect people's experiences. This is particularly true for Black Latinos, according to the authors.

“There is a problem when we pretend that race and ethnicity are the same thing,” Nancy Lopez, a sociology professor at the University of New Mexico and a co-author of the report, told NBC News. “We may be missing an opportunity to make visible differences with anti-blackness," even within the Latino community, she said.

The report comes after the government announced changes that will include the choice of "Latino" or "Hispanic" as a combined race/ethnic group on census and other forms.

While Latinos of every color can face overt and subtle racism and discrimination, these experiences will vary depending on how they’re perceived by others.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/street-race-question-enhance-latino-data-ucla-rcna165809

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