The University of Michigan’s Plan to Increase Diversity

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“Underrepresented” in higher education refers to racial and ethnic populations that are disproportionately lower in number relative to their number in the general population. AA is a racial group, while Hispanic is an ethnic group. Italians (which would be an “ethnic” group) is not underrepresented, as is the case with most white ethnic groups. Asians are also not “underrepresented” in higher education.

In the census, history and politics play a role in determining which categories to measure.

OMB defines the concept of race as outlined for the U.S. Census as not “scientific or anthropological” and takes into account “social and cultural characteristics as well as ancestry”, using “appropriate scientific methodologies” that are not “primarily biological or genetic in reference.” The race categories include both racial and national-origin groups.

Race and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with Hispanic or Latino origin asked as a separate question. Thus, in addition to their race or races, all respondents are categorized by membership in one of two ethnic categories, which are “Hispanic or Latino” and “Not Hispanic or Latino”. However, the practice of separating “race” and “ethnicity” as different categories has been criticized both by the American Anthropological Association and members of U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.