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(The table presented here is a reprint of table 60 from Final Report PC(1)-B1, General Population Characteristics, United States Summary, which contains additional summary information on the general characteristics of the population as well as more detailed technical explanations)
Racial groups differ substantially in their geographic distribution within the United States. Historically, the major part of the Negro population has lived in the South but in recent decades there has been a considerable outmigration from the South to all parts of the country. In 1970, with the exception of Vermont, there was no State with a Negro population of less than 1,000, and there were four States outside the South–New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and California–with a Negro population of a million or more; nevertheless, slightly more than one-half of the Negro population was still living in the South.
The American Indian population in the United States was nearly 800,000 in 1970. Almost one-half of this population lived in the West, but there were concentrations of 20,000 or more in five States outside the West–New York, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Carolina, and Oklahoma.
A majority of each of the oriental groups–Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino–were found in the West, notably in California and Hawaii. Totals of 10,000 or more in New York and Illinois for each of the three groups reflect appreciable settlements in the New York and Chicago metropolitan areas.
Census statistics date back to 1790 and reflect the growth and change of the United States. Past census reports contain some terms that today’s readers may consider obsolete and inappropriate. As part of our goal to be open and transparent with the public, we are improving access to all Census Bureau original publications and statistics, which serve as a guide to the nation's history.
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