SOCS185: Case Study Worksheet
Changing Demographics in the U.S.
Participant Name(s):
Questions:
1. Choose one person to focus on in your case study (this person can be you,
someone you know, or a public figure).
In this example, let's consider the current Vice President of the United States – Kamala
Harris. This is because Kamala Harris is a distinguished politician of mixed race and ethnic
origin; therefore, analyzing the variations in classification between the 1790 and 2020 U.S.
Censuses would be ideal to be tested on her.
2. Explain how this person might have been categorized by the 1790 Census.
Had Kamala Harris been included in the 1790 Census, her classification would have
been heavily restricted since the process involved only a few racially pre-discriminating
categories. The 1790 Census included only four categories: Free white males, free white
females, all the other free population, and enslaved people, which had their proportions
apportioned by enumeration (Brown, 2024). This would be particularly problematic due to the
fact that Kamala Harris is of African and South Asian descent and would have, therefore, been
challenging to classify in the 1790 Census.
1
, African Ancestry: Because of her African origin from the paternal lineage, Kamala
Harris would have been racially classified according to the preconceptions during that era. If
her African ancestry were known or easily discernable, she would have been put in the "all other
free persons" classification if she had not become enslaved (Brown, 2024). Nevertheless, due to
prejudice and legal stipulations that essentially deprived people of African origin of freedom,
she could well have been in danger of being regarded as a slave even if she was not.
South Asian Ancestry: Unfortunately, the 1790 Census did not include people of South
Asian origin. There was no vast differentiation between people from areas other than Europe
and Africa. Harris, a person of South Asian descent, would have most certainly been ignored or
typed as something else. This might similarly mean that she could have been classified under 'all
other free persons' given her non-European look.
3. Explain how this person would have been categorized by the 2020 Census.
Regarding the 2020 Censuses, Kamala Harris would have faced a much more complex
and inclusive categorization system enabling her to indulge her ethnic plurality or multi-ethnic
identity.
Racial Identification: The 2020 Census now grants people the opportunity to choose
more than one race to capture their identity as diverse races exist today. Harris would prefer
choosing both "Black or African American" for the Jamaican side of her father and 'Asian' for
the Indian side of her mother. The desire to write in specific origins would allow her to explain
her South Asian (Indian) and or African (Jamaican) heritage.
2
Changing Demographics in the U.S.
Participant Name(s):
Questions:
1. Choose one person to focus on in your case study (this person can be you,
someone you know, or a public figure).
In this example, let's consider the current Vice President of the United States – Kamala
Harris. This is because Kamala Harris is a distinguished politician of mixed race and ethnic
origin; therefore, analyzing the variations in classification between the 1790 and 2020 U.S.
Censuses would be ideal to be tested on her.
2. Explain how this person might have been categorized by the 1790 Census.
Had Kamala Harris been included in the 1790 Census, her classification would have
been heavily restricted since the process involved only a few racially pre-discriminating
categories. The 1790 Census included only four categories: Free white males, free white
females, all the other free population, and enslaved people, which had their proportions
apportioned by enumeration (Brown, 2024). This would be particularly problematic due to the
fact that Kamala Harris is of African and South Asian descent and would have, therefore, been
challenging to classify in the 1790 Census.
1
, African Ancestry: Because of her African origin from the paternal lineage, Kamala
Harris would have been racially classified according to the preconceptions during that era. If
her African ancestry were known or easily discernable, she would have been put in the "all other
free persons" classification if she had not become enslaved (Brown, 2024). Nevertheless, due to
prejudice and legal stipulations that essentially deprived people of African origin of freedom,
she could well have been in danger of being regarded as a slave even if she was not.
South Asian Ancestry: Unfortunately, the 1790 Census did not include people of South
Asian origin. There was no vast differentiation between people from areas other than Europe
and Africa. Harris, a person of South Asian descent, would have most certainly been ignored or
typed as something else. This might similarly mean that she could have been classified under 'all
other free persons' given her non-European look.
3. Explain how this person would have been categorized by the 2020 Census.
Regarding the 2020 Censuses, Kamala Harris would have faced a much more complex
and inclusive categorization system enabling her to indulge her ethnic plurality or multi-ethnic
identity.
Racial Identification: The 2020 Census now grants people the opportunity to choose
more than one race to capture their identity as diverse races exist today. Harris would prefer
choosing both "Black or African American" for the Jamaican side of her father and 'Asian' for
the Indian side of her mother. The desire to write in specific origins would allow her to explain
her South Asian (Indian) and or African (Jamaican) heritage.
2
