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Sometimes when we talk about race and identity, it's so subjective. It's so, oh well this is how people feel and you know it may change over time.

But when you look at something like the census, you literally have to make a choice in that moment.

And what people choose, I think, says a lot about the time that they live in and the way that they see themselves.

From Futuro Miria, it's Latino USA. I'm Maria Inohosa.

In the US, counting for the census has officially begun. It includes everyone living in the US and its five territories, including Puerto Rico.

To be counted, residents fill out a form online by telephone or by mail. And the form itself has straightforward questions like a person's name, age, sex, and race.

And while the answers may seem simple for some, filling out the form, you can get a little murky.

Let's take the race question, for example. Some people don't have a problem checking the box. White, black, Chinese, but for others like many who identify as Latino on the census, the answer isn't so black and white.

See, here is where it gets tricky because aside from the race question, the census also asks about Hispanic or Latino origin.

And if the answer is yes, then sometimes that cultural connection is stronger than how someone identifies racially.

Today, we're taking a look at Puerto Rico. Where all of the islands residents can select Puerto Rican on the census to describe their Hispanic origin.

But when it comes to race, it's a different story.

If you've ever been to the island, the legacy of African people is very much alive throughout all of Puerto Rican society and culture. It's in its language, its food, religion, and music.

But in the 2010 census, over 75% of Puerto Ricans identified as white.

Of course, there are many factors that have led to this, like anti-blackness and colorism in Latin America. Like, for example, the notion of Mejorad Larrasa, which means to better the race, which means to be more white.

But having an inaccurate count of racial demographics can hurt communities. And even then, you can't force a population to change how they identify that choice is very personal.

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