Chicago, Illinois, is known for its historic Czech population. Credit: Freepik.
Washington, Sept 22 (CTK) – As many as 1.4 million people in the United States claimed Czech roots or identity in the 2020 census, according to data released by the federal Census Bureau.
Among white ethnic groups, Czech identity was the 16th most frequently mentioned, with the highest concentrations in Texas, Illinois and California. Chicago, Illinois, is known for its historic Czech population, and the city has a district called Pilsen, named after the West Bohemian city.
The US Census conducted in 2020 allowed respondents to specify their ethnic identity or community. They could also identify more than one. People who identify as white or black were given that option for the first time, according to NPR.
The bureau recorded roughly 300 ethnic communities and 1,200 tribes or other designations of origin for Native people.
1.4 million respondents claimed the Czech identity, whether separately or in combination with other identities. It was therefore the 16th most frequently mentioned community in the white category, similar to the numbers claiming Hungarian, Portuguese or Danish identity. The most common roots identified among white respondents were English (46.6 million people), German (nearly 45 million people) and Irish (38.6 million people).
The largest non-European ethnic group was Mexicans, with almost 36 million people claiming Mexican ancestry. African-Americans were the next largest group, with 24.6 million respondents.
The Census Bureau said it received more than 350 million responses to questions about race and ethnic group membership, six times more than in the 2010 census. Much of the difference is due to the way the census was conducted, meaning that the 2010 and 2020 data are not entirely comparable.
According to the 2020 census, there were 331 million people living in the US in 2020.
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