AUGUST 2009 Mixed-Race Americans The terms "mixed-race" and "multiracial" refer to people whose ethnicities are determined by a combination of one or more races. With increased acceptance of interracial couples and slowing immigration rates, mixed-race Americans have become the fastest growing demographic group in the United States. Additionally, having individuals like President Barack Obama and professional golfer Tiger Woods in the American spotlight has heightened the conversation about multiracialism. For the first time in 2000, mixed-race Americans were able to identify as one or more races in the U.S. Census Bureau's Census 2000. According to Census 2000: About 6.8 million Americans identified themselves as being two or more races, which is 2.4 percent of the total U.S. population. There are approximately 3.1 million interracial couples, which is about six percent of all married couples. Forty percent of the 6.8 million Americans who checked off more than one box for race live in the West. That compares with 27 percent in the South, 18 percent in the Northeast and 15 percent in the Midwest. More mixed-race people are under 18 than in the overall population. Among those of two or more races, 42 percent were under 18; among those of one race (275 million) only 25 percent were minors. These numbers indicate that the mixed race population is generally young. California has the most mixed-race people of any state on the mainland: 1.6 million, about three times the number of its closest competitors, New York and Texas. Hawaii dominates, with 21 percent of the population of two or more races, followed by Alaska at 5.4 percent and then California at 4. 7 percent. Oklahoma comes in fourth with 4.5 percent reporting two or more races. Both Oklahoma's and Alaska's numbers are driven by large numbers of people of white and American Indian background. When it comes to cities, the four biggest -- New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston -- have the most mixed-race people. San Diego, the seventh biggest, ranks fifth. San Jose, 11th largest city in the United States, places seventh when it comes to people of two races or more. Proportionally, no city beats Honolulu's 14.9 percent of mixed-race Americans. But a number of California cities break into the top 10, on a percentage basis. Glendale is second in the nation, with Hayward, Stockton, Vallejo, Sacramento and Daly City all reporting mixed-race populations of 6 percent or more. San Francisco, at 4.3 percent, lags behind the statewide average, while both Oakland (4.9 percent) and San Jose (5 percent) just barely exceed it. These numbers indicate that the West is the most multiracial region in the United States. NOTE: The numbers recorded in Census 2000 may be skewed because the census does notcount "Hispanic" as a race but rather as a separate category, in addition to race. Many who checked off "two or more races" also checked "white" and "some other race," and then "Hispanic," raising concern that they may be no different than white Hispanics in the single-race category. Disclaimer: Although we try to use the most credible sources, we are not responsible for any incorrect findings. Read more: July Statistics - Asian Indian Americans June Statistics - Caribbean Americans May Statistics - Asian/Pacific Americans in the U.S. "Census changes reflect diversity" By Elizabeth MacGillivray "Cultural insights: Everyone judges from experience" By Craig Storti Want more statistics on a variety of topics? Find more in the Cultural Diversity at Work Archive or the Diversity Statistics page

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