Native American students may be significantly undercounted in California schools because of the way school enrollment data classifies students who identify with more than one race.
Under current reporting practices, students who identify as Native American and also as another race — such as Black, white or Asian — are typically placed in a “two or more races” category rather than being counted as Native American. That means many students with Native ancestry may not appear in official Native American student counts.
The result, advocates say, can make Native students less visible in education data and limit the ability of schools, districts and policymakers to understand their needs. For families and communities, the practice can feel like an erasure of Native identity.
The issue has statewide implications, including for Southern California and Inland Empire school districts, where student populations are often racially and culturally diverse. If Native students are not accurately reflected in enrollment data, it can affect how their academic outcomes and support needs are measured.
The concern underscores a broader challenge in education reporting: how to recognize multiracial students without obscuring the identities and communities they belong to.
