What was the racial breakdown of the U.S. population at the beginning of the 20th century?

Of 76 million Americans, 87 percent were white, 11.4 percent were black, and nearly 2 percent were “other.”

According to the 1990 census, of 248.7 million Americans, 80.3 percent are white, 12.1 percent are black, and nearly 8 percent are “other.”

Asians and Pacific Islanders now represent 2.9 percent of the population, compared to less than 1 percent in 1900.