The New Congress is the Most Racially and Ethnically Diverse in U.S. History

The Pew Research Center has released new data on the ethnic and racial diversity of the current United States Congress. Out of the voting members of the 119th U.S. Congress, 139 identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian American, Native American, or multiracial, equating to a congressional body that is 26 percent non-White. This is the most diverse Congress in U.S. history and the eighth in a row to increase its share of non-White members. Among the House of Representatives’ members, 303 are White, 61 are Black, 46 are Hispanic, 18 are Asian American, 3 are Native American, and 5 are multiracial. Among the U.S. Senate, 83 senators are White, 5 are Black, 7 are Hispanic, 3 are Asian American, and 1 is Native American. In terms of political party affiliations, 84 percent of the 119th Congress’ non-White congressional members are Democrats. This is a wider partisan gap than the 118th Congress, when 80 percent of non-White members were Democrats. Among America’s Black federal lawmakers, the 119th Congress has a total of 66 Black voting members, an increase from the 60 Black Americans who served in the 118th Congress. In the House of Representatives, the 14 percent share of Black representatives is...