Prior to 1997, where were racial categories declared for the U.S. Census?
The Interagency Committee agreed, stating that "race" and "ethnicity" were not sufficiently defined and "that many respondents conceptualize 'race' and 'ethnicity' as one in the same  [sic] underscor[ing] the need to consolidate these terms into one category, using a term that is more meaningful to the American people."