One wonders if the change in the demographic composition of voters by race and ethnicity merely reflects the increasing diversity of the American population. Given the narrow race definition that "one drop of black blood" puts a person in the black category (and similar interpretations for other "races"), it follows that a simple increase in interracial offspring would produce these results. And thus this data may have nothing to do with politics or voter turnout.

Interesting graph. Also interesting was the Stroop effect cognitive dissonance I got because the graph uses common skin color shades that don't correspond with typical skin colors for the corresponding race.

... mixed-race groups not shown.

Interesting comment, since what constituted "mixed-race"? People who identify as mixed-race? People who are mixed-race by "blood" (somehow determined by the census)?

If that's the case, then into what category does our president fall? Is he black (the media say he is)? Is he mixed-race (white mother, black father)? Does he identify as "black" or "mixed-race" or "white"?

Is this statement one that reflects the relatively small number of mixed-race people, or is it the fact that we all still fall into old stereotypes of what "race" is? (And what - exactly - is "Hispanic" anyway?)

"Given the narrow race definition that “one drop of black blood” puts a person in the black category "

Unless they have a drop of Hispanic blood, which apparently puts them in the Hispanic band. Or are we using "Hispanic" as a cultural/parental origin rather than racial reference here?

How many "hispanic asians" are there, that they need to mention the asian group doesn't include them?

I dunno. I'm 100% peninsular Spanish, but I'm really pale and with blue-gray eyes and straight brown hair thanks to the Galician and Basque branches of my family, and I have a surname that comes from Occitaine (many parts of the north of Spain were repopulated after the Reconquista with people from the south of France like Gascoigne and Occitaine). I really wouldn't know what to put in the immigration card if I went to visit the States.

I've also never understood why a Mayan immigrant from, say, Chiapas is Hispanic but not Native American just because they come from south of the border.

Also: Dubi, there are a number of descendants of immigrants from China and Japan in Latin America. Just think of the Chilean ex-president Alberto Fujimori. Thanks to Cold War politics there are also some Cubans of partially Chinese ancestry, too.

@Dubi

Don't forget that the Spanish colonized parts of Asia, including the Phillipines. I used to work with a Phillipina woman who had a hispanic last name. Left me scratching my head, until I learnt what was up.

Well, yeah, you should remember your own wars, too.