Census category first used in 1980 when census takers began to inquire about the ancestry of the US population. In previous years, questionnaires had asked merely for the respondent’s birthplace. When ethnicity was asked for, however, the multicultural nature of the country and the intermarriage that had occurred between different ethnic groups over the years made it difficult for some to report their ancestry. Someone who was equally Scottish, German, Italian and Irish was inclined just to answer “American,” explaining why this became the fastest growing “ethnic” group in the United States. The category “American” also fitted in with the prevailing white backlash against non-white Americans, since it clearly “whitened” the person designating him/herself in this way.

Someone who had one-quarter of the same heritage noted above replaced by African or Chinese descent could be designated African American or Asian American respectively, although they might contest this classification.