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Ancestor Appreciation Day: September 27, 2023

Press Release Number: CB23-SFS.139

From Census.gov > Topics > Population > Ancestry > About:

Ancestry refers to a person’s ethnic origin or descent, roots or heritage or the place of birth of the person or the person’s parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States. Some ethnic identities, such as German or Jamaican, can be traced to geographic areas outside the United States, while other ethnicities, such as Pennsylvania Dutch or Cajun, evolved in the United States.

 

From the American Community Survey, Why We Ask Questions About... Ancestry:

We ask a question about a person’s ancestry or ethnic origin to create statistics about ancestry groups in America.

Local, state, tribal and federal agencies use data about ancestry to plan and evaluate government programs and policies to ensure that they fairly and equitably serve the needs of all groups. These statistics also help enforce laws, regulations and policies against discrimination in society.

Key Stats

Source: 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates

Note: The table above is modified to show reported ancestries that total 2 million or more. The top 10 are highlighted (not including Other groups and Unclassified or not reported). The top five are German, English, Irish, American, and Italian — each with more than 10 million. Click on the image for the full, original table.

More Stats

From Census.gov  /  Topics  /  Population

From Census.gov  /  History:

From Census.gov  /  Newsroom:

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Page Last Revised - September 9, 2024
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