Census: Almost 10 Million Americans Changed Race

A new census report says nearly 10 million Americans decided to identify as a different race or ethnicity in the early 2000s.

The report, released on Wednesday, shows that 1 in 16 people who responded to the census in 2000 chose a different race or ethnicity on their forms in 2010.

Using anonymous data, researchers found people switched between races, moved from multiracial to a single race or back or decided to add or drop Hispanic ethnicity from their census forms.

The census identifies races as white; black or African-American; American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and other for those claiming more than one race. There is also a Hispanic ethnic category.