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U.S. NEWS Friday 17 June 2022
Feds taking first steps toward revising race, ethnic terms

By MIKE SCHNEIDER often confuses Hispanic re-
Associated Press spondents who are not sure
The federal government how to answer. Tests by the
is taking preliminary steps Census Bureau in the 2010
toward revising racial and census showed that com-
ethnic classifications that bining the questions yield-
have not been changed ed higher response rates.
in a quarter century follow- The need to change the
ing calls for more accurate current standards can be
categories for how people seen in 2020 census results
identify themselves in fed- in which the "some other
eral data gathering.The re- race" category surpassed
visions could open the door African Americans as the
to changes long desired by nation's second-largest ra-
advocates on census and cial group. The "some other
survey forms. Among them race" category was made
are a new category for up overwhelmingly of Lati-
people of Middle Eastern nos, said Arturo Vargas, ex-
and North African descent ecutive director of NALEO
who currently are classi- Educational Fund.
fied as white and efforts to "Right now, the Census Bu-
make categories less con- reau knows the way it col-
fusing for Hispanic partici- Workers at ACCESS, the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, help with lects data is fundamen-
pants. meals for the Arab community in Dearborn, Mich., on May 1, 2020. tally flawed. It's confusing
The chief statistician of Associated Press and distorts the true nature
the U.S. said in a blog post of our nation's diversity,"
Wednesday that her office who was named to the po- administrations. Momen- graphic makeup of the U.S., Vargas said. "For the La-
was initiating a formal re- sition by the Biden adminis- tum for changing the clas- the categories are used to tino population, the current
view of the race and eth- tration earlier this year. sifications grew in the years enforce civil rights, voting construct is flawed when
nicity classifications main- The review will wrap up by leading up to the 2020 cen- rights and employment it comes to Latinos being
tained by the Office of summer 2024 after getting sus, but it was halted after discrimination laws. Un- able to identify themselves
Management and Budget input from government then-President Donald der current classifications, as Latino and by the race
which were first outlined in experts across agencies Trump took office in 2017. race and Hispanic origin category." Advocates also
1977 and have not been and public feedback, ac- "I understand the impor- are separate categories on have been pushing for a
revised since 1997. cording to the chief stat- tance of moving quickly census forms and surveys. category of Middle East-
The purpose of any chang- istician. That date would and with purpose," Orvis Some advocates have ern and North African, also
es to the standards will be be months before a presi- said. "It is also important been pushing for combin- known as MENA, for the
to better reflect the diver- dential election that could that we get this right." ing the race and Hispanic once-a-decade census
sity of the U.S., said Karin lead to a stop to any revi- Besides helping to provide origin questions, saying the and other federal demo-
Orvis, the chief statistician, sions if there's a change in a portrait of the demo- way race is categorized graphic surveys. q

VP Harris launches task force on online harassment, abuse

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice port those who have gone known."
President Kamala Harris through this, and also rec- After matches, Stephens
and administration officials ognize they shouldn't have said, she is worried to pick
on Thursday launched a to be alone fighting on this up her phone because "I
task force dedicated to issue," Harris said. know what will be waiting
fighting online harassment Although the problem is not for me when I unlock it."
and abuse, which they new, it has taken on new The National Security
warned can be a precursor urgency following mass Council is working with the
to real-life violence. shootings in Texas and New White House Gender Policy
"The internet is an essential York that were predated Council on the initiative,
part of life in the 21st cen- by misogynist and racist and Attorney General Mer-
tury," Harris said, but for commentary on social me- rick Garland and Surgeon
many — particularly wom- dia and message boards. General Vivek Murthy par-
en, people of color, and Harris was introduced by ticipated in Thursday's an-
people who are not het- Sloane Stephens, a Black nouncement.
erosexual — "the internet is professional tennis player Garland said the Justice Vice President Kamala Harrisspeaks during a meeting about
abortion rights and Roe v. Wade, Tuesday, June 14, 2022, from
a place of fear." who has faced a torrent of Department had dedicat- her ceremonial office at the Eisenhower Executive Office Build-
The task force will address racist abuse. ed additional resources to ing on the White House complex in Washington.
several issues, including "I'm a daughter, a sister, a issues like online stalking. Associated Press
prevention of online abuse wife. And I am more than "We are committed to
and services for people an athlete, more than a relentlessly investigating they are lonely or looking a product and walk away
who are targeted. It is label," Stephens said. "Yet these crimes, bringing to to make connections, "yet from the responsibility for
scheduled to issue recom- all of that is disregarded justice those who perpe- all too often what they find how it impacts users and
mendations for the federal when people online seek trate them, and providing instead is harassment and communities," he said. "It
government and private to harass me and harm me. support for the survivors," abuse." can no longer be OK for
companies in 180 days. No matter whether I win he said. "It can no longer be ac- social media platforms
"All of us have a responsibil- or lose, someone online is Murthy said people often ceptable for a technol- to be fertile grounds for
ity to stand together to sup- mad, and they will make it turn to the internet when ogy company to put out hatred."q