The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Population: 2010 Issued May 2012 2010 Census Briefs C2010BR-12 INTRODUCTION By Lindsay Hixson, Figure 1. According to the 2010 Census, Bradford B. Hepler, Reproduction of the Question on and 1.2 million people in the United Race From the 2010 Census Myoung Ouk Kim States identified as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, either alone or in combination with one or more other races. The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population was the race group most likely to report multiple races in 2010, as more than half (56 percent) reported multiple races. The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population was one of the fastest- growing race groups between 2000 and 2010. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census questionnaire. This report provides a portrait of the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population in the United which was one of the first 2010 Census States and discusses that population’s data products to provide information on selected detailed groups, such as Tongans, distribution at the national level and at 3 lower levels of geography.1 It is part of a Marshallese, and Fijians. series that analyzes population and hous- UNDERSTANDING RACE DATA ing data collected from the 2010 Census. FROM THE 2010 CENSUS The data for this report are based on the 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public The 2010 Census used federal standards to collect and present Law 94-171) Summary File, which was the data on race. first 2010 Census data product released with data on race and Hispanic origin, For the 2010 Census, the question on including information on the Native race was asked of individuals living Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander popu- in the United States (see Figure 1). An lation, and was provided to each state for individual’s response to the race question use in drawing boundaries for legislative was based upon self-identification. The districts.2 Data for this report also come U.S. Census Bureau collects information from the 2010 Census Summary File 1, on race following the guidance of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) 1 This report discusses data for the 50 states and 1997 Revisions to the Standards for the the District of Columbia, but not Puerto Rico. 2 Information on the 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File is available 3 Information on the 2010 Census Summary File 1 online at <http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data is available online at <http://2010.census.gov/news /redistricting-data.php>. /press-kits/summary-file-1.html>. U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. CENSUS BUREAU Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity.4 These fed- DEFINITION OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR OTHER eral standards mandate that race PACIFIC ISLANDER USED IN THE 2010 CENSUS and Hispanic origin (ethnicity) are separate and distinct concepts and According to OMB, “Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander” that when collecting these data via refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of self-identification, two different Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. questions must be used.5 The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population Starting in 1997, OMB required includes people who marked the “Native Hawaiian” checkbox, the federal agencies to use a minimum “Guamanian or Chamorro” checkbox, the “Samoan” checkbox, or of five race categories: White, Black the “Other Pacific Islander” checkbox. It also includes people who or African American, American reported entries such as Pacific Islander; Polynesian entries, such Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and as Tahitian, Tongan, and Tokelauan; Micronesian entries, such as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Marshallese, Palauan, and Chuukese; and Melanesian entries, such Islander. For respondents unable as Fijian, Guinean, and Solomon Islander. to identify with any of these five See the Appendix for a reference map of the detailed Native race categories, OMB approved the Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander groups. The map illustrates Census Bureau’s inclusion of a sixth how the detailed Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander category—Some Other Race—on groups in the report are classified within the Polynesian, the Census 2000 and 2010 Census Micronesian, and Melanesian groupings, reflecting the Census questionnaires. The 1997 OMB Bureau’s implementation of standards prescribed by OMB. standards also allowed for respon- dents to identify with more than one race. The definition of the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific the term “Hawaiian” appeared on area for reports of detailed Asian Islander racial category used in the the census questionnaire for every groups or detailed Native Hawaiian 2010 Census is presented in the state except Alaska. The “Hawaiian” and Other Pacific Islander groups text box on this page. category remained the only Native that did not have specific response Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander categories in the race question.6 Data on race have been collected detailed group listed separately since the first U.S. decennial census In Census 2000, for the first time, until the 1980 Census, when the in 1790. In 1960, the year after individuals were presented with the terms “Guamanian” and “Samoan” Hawaii became the fiftieth state, option to self-identify with more were included with “Hawaiian” on two separate response categories than one race, and this continued all census questionnaires. In the (“Hawaiian” and “Part Hawaiian”) with the 2010 Census, as pre- 1990 Census, a response category were included on the 1960 Census scribed by OMB. There are 57 pos- for “Other Asian or Pacific Islander” questionnaire, for the state of sible multiple-race combinations was also included, with a write-in Hawaii only. In the 1970 Census, involving the five OMB race catego- area for specific groups. ries and Some Other Race.7 4 The 1997 Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on In Census 2000, the Native Race and Ethnicity, issued by OMB, is Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 6 For information about comparability of available at <www.whitehouse.gov/omb 2010 Census data on race and Hispanic origin /fedreg_1997standards>. population was classified sepa- with data collected in previous censuses, 5 The OMB requires federal agencies to rately from the Asian population, see the 2010 Census Redistricting Data use a minimum of two ethnicities: Hispanic (Public Law 94-171) Summary File—Technical or Latino and Not Hispanic or Latino. Hispanic as prescribed by OMB. Three Documentation at <www.census.gov/prod origin can be viewed as the heritage, detailed groups (“Native Hawaiian,” /cen2010/doc/pl94-171.pdf>. 7 The 2010 Census provides informa- nationality group, lineage, or country of “Samoan,” and “Guamanian or birth of the person or the person’s parents or tion on the population reporting more than ancestors before their arrival in the United Chamorro”) were listed as checkbox one race, as well as detailed race combi- nations (e.g., Native Hawaiian and Other States. People who identify their origin as responses. A separate “Other Pacific Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may be of any Pacific Islander and White; Native Hawaiian race. “Hispanic or Latino” refers to a person Islander” response category was and Other Pacific Islander and Asian). In of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or also added with a shared write-in this report, the multiple-race categories are Central American, or other Spanish culture or denoted with the conjunction and in bold origin regardless of race. and italicized print to indicate the separate race groups that constitute the particular combination. 2 U.S. Census Bureau The 2010 Census question on race RACE ALONE, RACE IN is also referred to as the multiple- included 15 separate response COMBINATION, AND race Native Hawaiian and Other categories and three areas where RACE ALONE-OR-IN- Pacific Islander population. respondents could write in detailed COMBINATION CONCEPTS Third, the maximum number information about their race (see This report presents data for the of people who reported Native Figure 1).8 The response catego- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander ries and write-in answers can be Islander (NHPI) population and is reflected in the Native Hawaiian combined to create the five mini- focuses on results for three major and Other Pacific Islander alone- mum OMB race categories plus conceptual groups.11 or-in-combination population. One Some Other Race. In addition to way to define the NHPI population White, Black or African American, First, people who responded to the is to combine those respondents American Indian and Alaska Native, question on race by indicating only who reported NHPI alone with and Some Other Race, 7 of the one race are referred to as the race those who reported NHPI in com- 15 response categories are Asian alone population, or the group who bination with one or more other groups, and 4 are Native Hawaiian reported only one race. For exam- races. The addition of these two and Other Pacific Islander groups.9 ple, respondents who reported a groups creates the Native Hawaiian The 4 Native Hawaiian and Other single detailed NHPI group, such and Other Pacific Islander alone- Pacific Islander categories on the as “Samoan” or “Chuukese,” would or-in-combination population. questionnaire are Native Hawaiian, be included in the Native Hawaiian Another way to think of the NHPI Guamanian or Chamorro, Samoan, and Other Pacific Islander alone alone-or-in-combination population and Other Pacific Islander. population. Respondents who is the total number of people who reported more than one detailed For a complete explanation of the reported NHPI, whether or not they NHPI group, such as “Samoan” and race categories used in the 2010 reported any other race(s).