White like Congress
Critical Analysis
According to the data from the chart above, what is the largest non-White ethic/racial group in the U.S. Congress?
Congress consists of 535 members. Based on the data from the chart above and the table below*, what is the total percent of Congress that is White.
Describe the biggest trend in race/ethnicity of Congress since 2001.
When the 79th Congress took office in 1945, nonwhites represented just 1% of the House and Senate. Today, 23% of Congress is nonwhite. Why do you think Congress is becoming more diverse than it once was?
While racial diversity on Capitol Hill has been growing, Congress still lags behind the nation as a whole, which is 38% nonwhite – twice the share of Congress. Why do you think the Congress does not look like the US in terms of race/ethnicity?
There are more Hispanics than Blacks in America today, yet there are more Black members of Congress (59) than there are Hispanic members of Congress (46). Why do you think that is?*
Which racial/ethnic group (including Whites) is the most over represented and the most underrepresented in Congress?*
Racial diversity differs significantly by chamber: The House is 22% nonwhite, while minorities make up 10% of the Senate. Explain this difference in less than 708 words:
Which emoji would best express your feelings about of this chart?
The current Congress is the most racially and ethnically diverse ever. Nonwhites – including blacks, Hispanics, Asians/Pacific Islanders and Native Americans – now account for 23% of Congress (and an even larger % of its freshman class). Predict how diverse Congress will be in 20 years
Learning Extension
Check out these explosive charts from the Pew Research Center on the changing demographics of the 117th Congress! Parental Discretion Advised!
Action Extension
Research the racial makeup of your U.S. House district and of your state. Research the racial makeup of your U.S. Senators and your U.S. House representative. Share your results in class or in the comments section below.
