In what ways do Hispanic origin data help communities?

Ensure Equal Opportunity: We ask about the Hispanic or Latino origin of community members to help governments and communities enforce antidiscrimination laws, regulations, and policies. For example, data on the Hispanic population are used to:

• Establish and evaluate the guidelines for federal affirmative action plans under the Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program.
• Monitor compliance with the Voting Rights Act.
• Monitor and enforce equal employment opportunities under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• Identify segments of the population who may not be getting needed medical services under the Public Health Service Act.

Understand Changes: Researchers, advocacy groups, and policymakers are interested in knowing if the distribution of the Hispanic and non-Hispanic population changes by age, sex, relationship, and housing tenure.