Full Breakdown
California Moves to Correct Massive Undercount of Native American Students
5/22/2026, 4:14:35 AM
Undercounting of Native American Students in State Schools
California’s ethnicity system counts children who mark both Hispanic and Native American as Hispanic, and those who list Native American with another race (Black, White, Asian) as “two or more races,” excluding them from Native-American services.
Historical Context
The 19th-century boarding-school system forced many California Indigenous children to abandon language and culture. Census reforms in 1970 allowed multiracial Native Americans to be counted as Native, raising the national count tenfold, yet school forms remain unchanged.
Key Figures
Assemblymember James Ramos (Serrano/Cahuilla) authored AB 1581 to let students write tribal affiliation and retain Native status. Celestina Castillo, a Tohono O’odham descendant, highlighted the loophole’s impact on her children. Shannon Rivers of the California Native Vote Project, an Akimel O’odham member, advocates for accurate counts.
Undercount
State reports list 24,822 Native American students; advocates estimate up to 156,000, a 90 % undercount. The Assembly notes over 760,000 Californians identify as Native American, most in urban areas like Los Angeles.
Assembly Bill 1581
AB 1581 would revise school ethnicity forms to allow a tribal write-in and keep Native identification alongside any other race. Supporters say the change will unlock cultural services, tutoring and targeted funding.
Official Statements
Ramos said the bill will reveal the true picture of Native Americans in California and let students stand up in class. Castillo called the current system an erasure of Native identity. Rivers stressed accurate counts are needed to dispel stereotypes and showcase modern Native contributions.
Criticism of Data Practices
Advocates say the classification treats Native identity inconsistently, marginalizing Indigenous students and limiting support.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Why does it not count if someone is Native American? That’s not OK. It feels like erasure.” — Celestina Castillo, Director, College Learning Center
- “We’ll start to see the true picture of Native Americans in California,” — James Ramos, Assemblymember, Serrano/Cahuilla tribe
- “In the eyes of many Americans, there’s still this image of Native American people from the past, from the 1800s,” — Shannon Rivers, California Native Vote Project
- “Were we white or Latino? I didn’t know. We had to accept whatever the school told us we were,” — James Ramos
Conflicts
State data list 24,822 Native American students, while advocates cite a possible 156,000, a discrepancy of up to 90 %. No formal opposition to the bill has been recorded.
What’s Next
AB 1581 is slated for committee review in the upcoming session. If passed, schools will update ethnicity forms for 2026-27, potentially unlocking extra state and federal funding for Indigenous student services.
