In the demography of the United States , some people self-identify their ancestral origin or descent as "American", rather than the more common officially recognized racial and ethnic groups that make up the bulk of the American people . The majority of these respondents are visibly white and do not identify with their ancestral European ethnic origins. The latter response is attributed to a multitude of generational distance from ancestral lineages, and these tend be Anglo-Americans of English , Scotch-Irish , Welsh , Scottish or other British ancestries, as demographers have observed that those ancestries tend to be recently undercounted in U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey ancestry self-reporting estimates.
41-476: Klickitat County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington . As of the 2020 census , the population was 22,735. The county seat and largest city is Goldendale . The county is named after the Klickitat tribe . Klickitat County was created out of Walla Walla County on December 20, 1859. Samuel Hill was an early promoter of the area, promoting better roads and building local landmarks such as
82-675: A county executive . Councils in the other three charter counties appoint a manager to administer the government. Voters may also elect a clerk, treasurer, sheriff, assessor, coroner , auditor (or recorder), and prosecuting attorney. Elections are nonpartisan in non-charter counties, but charter counties may choose to make some positions partisan, though all elections are by top-two primary . Four counties changed their name between 1849 and 1925. During Washington's territorial period, Washington split off from an Oregon county, three counties were disestablished, and three split into separate territories. Several counties were proposed prior to or during
123-455: A household in the county was $ 37,398 and the median income for a family was $ 46,012. Males had a median income of $ 43,588 versus $ 31,114 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 21,553. About 13.7% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 census , there were 19,161 people, 7,473 households, and 5,305 families living in
164-408: A new race, a new type, in this country." Roosevelt's "race" beliefs were not unique in the 19th and early 20th century. Professor Eric Kaufmann has suggested that American nativism has been explained primarily in psychological and economic terms to the neglect of a crucial cultural and ethnic dimension. Kauffman contends American nativism cannot be understood without reference to the theorem of
205-619: A war memorial replica of Stonehenge ( Maryhill Stonehenge ) and a mansion that would become the Maryhill Museum of Art . The Sam Hill Memorial Bridge across the Columbia River is named after him. According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,904 square miles (4,930 km), of which 1,871 square miles (4,850 km) is land and 33 square miles (85 km) (1.7%)
246-517: Is 1,830 square miles (4,700 km ), with 200,330 people. Seventeen counties have Native American–derived names, including nine names of tribes whose land settlers would occupy. Another seventeen were named for political figures, only five of whom had lived in the region. The last five are named for geographic places. The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, used by the United States government to uniquely identify counties,
287-470: Is addressed by the United States Census Bureau as follows: Some people identify their ancestry as American. This could be because their ancestors have been in United States for so long or they have such mixed backgrounds that they do not identify with any particular group. Some foreign born or children of the foreign born may report American to show that they are part of American society. There are many reasons people may report their ancestors as American, and
328-558: Is considered to be seriously undercounted, as the 6.9% of U.S. Census respondents who self-report and identify simply as "American" are primarily of these ancestries. Reynolds Farley writes that "we may now be in an era of optional ethnicity, in which no simple census question will distinguish those who identify strongly with a specific European group from those who report symbolic or imagined ethnicity." Stanley Lieberson and Mary C. Waters write "As whites become increasingly distant in generations and time from their immigrant ancestors,
369-616: Is only by incorporated cities and towns , as well as by 29 Indian reservations , while unincorporated areas are governed only by the county. There are 242 census county divisions for statistical purposes only. The default form of county government is the non-charter commission, with three to five elected commissioners serving as both the legislature and executive. Seven counties have adopted charters providing for home rule distinct from state law: King, Clallam, Whatcom, Snohomish, Pierce, San Juan, and Clark. Of these, King, Whatcom, Snohomish, and Pierce, four major counties on Puget Sound , elect
410-550: Is provided with each entry. The FIPS code links in the table point to U.S. Census data pages for each county. Washington's FIPS state code is 53. Counties provide a broad scope of services, including court operation, parks and recreation, libraries, arts, social services, elections, waste collection, roads and transportation, zoning and permitting, as well as taxation. The extent of these vary, and some are administered by municipalities. Counties are not subdivided into minor civil divisions like townships; sub-county local government
451-428: Is receding from the consciousness of many white Americans. Because national origins do not count for very much in contemporary America, many whites are content with a simplified Americanized racial identity. The loss of specific ancestral attachments among many white Americans also results from high patterns of intermarriage and ethnic blending among whites of different European stocks." The response of American ancestry
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#1732791017702492-435: Is similar to that of areas with high levels of not reporting any national ancestry. In the 2014 American Community Survey , German Americans (14.4%), Irish Americans (10.4%), English Americans (7.6%), and Italian Americans (5.4%) were the four largest self-reported European ancestry groups in the United States, forming 37.8% of the total population. However, English, Scotch-Irish , and English American demography
533-423: Is water. As of the 2020 census , there were 22,735 people and 9,332 households in the county. The population density of the county was 12.1 people per square mile, which went up from 10.9 in 2010. The racial make up of the county was 92.8% White , 0.7% African American , 2.6% Native American , 1.0% Asian , 0.2% Pacific Islander , and 2.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 12% of
574-524: The 1980 census , 26% of United States residents cited that they were of English ancestry , making them the largest group at the time. In the 2000 United States Census, 6.9% of the American population chose to self-identify itself as having "American ancestry." The four states in which a plurality of the population reported American ancestry were Arkansas (15.7%), Kentucky (20.7%), Tennessee (17.3%), and West Virginia (18.7%). Sizable percentages of
615-561: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907 . According to U.S. Census Bureau ; "Ancestry refers to a person's ethnic origin or descent, 'roots,' or heritage, or the place of birth of the person or the person's parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States." According to 2000 U.S. census data, an increasing number of United States citizens identify simply as "American" on
656-505: The Columbia River north to 54°40′ north latitude . After the region was organized within the Oregon Territory with the current northern border of 49° north, Vancouver County was renamed Clark , and six more counties were created out of Lewis County before the organization of Washington Territory in 1853; 28 were formed during Washington's territorial period, two of which only existed briefly. The final five were established in
697-470: The term "American" to identify an ancestral or cultural identity dates to the late 1500s, with the term signifying "the indigenous peoples discovered in the Western Hemisphere by Europeans." In the following century, the term "American" was extended as a reference to colonists of European descent. The Oxford English Dictionary identifies this secondary meaning as "historical" and states that
738-478: The "majority of the voters" in that area. A number of county partition proposals in the 1990s interpreted this as a majority of people who voted, until a 1998 ruling by the Washington Supreme Court clarified that they would need a majority of registered voters . No changes to counties have been made since the formation of Pend Oreille County in 1911, except when the small area of Cliffdell
779-560: The 14th district, represented by Gina Mosbrucker and Chris Corry in the Washington House of Representatives and Curtis King in the Washington State Senate . In presidential elections, Klickitat County has trended Republican in recent years. In 1988 Michael Dukakis narrowly won the county with 49.15% of the vote. Richard Nixon (1960, 1972), Ronald Reagan , Bill Clinton , and George W. Bush all won
820-399: The 1890s. During the antebellum period (pre-Civil War), between 1830 and 1860, Americanism acquired a restrictive political meaning due to nativist moral panics . Nativism would eventually influence Congress; in 1924, legislation limiting immigration from Southern and Eastern European countries was ratified, also quantifying previous formal and informal anti-Asian previsions, such as
861-544: The 22 years after Washington was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. Article XI of the Washington State Constitution addresses the organization of counties. New counties must have a population of at least 2,000 and no county can be reduced to a population below 4,000 due to partitioning to create a new county. To alter the area of a county, the state constitution requires a petition of
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#1732791017702902-582: The Netherlands, and even modern-day Russia and Finland. They saw Catholic immigrants as a threat to traditional American republican values, as they were loyal to the papacy . This form of American nationalism is often identified with xenophobia and anti-Catholic sentiment . Nativist outbursts occurred in the Northeast from the 1830s to the 1850s, primarily in response to a surge of Catholic immigration. The Order of United American Mechanics
943-493: The South, only Missouri and Indiana did so. American was one of the top five ancestries reported in all Southern states except for Delaware, in four Midwestern states bordering the South (Indiana, Kansas , Missouri , and Ohio ) as well as Iowa , and in six Northwestern states ( Colorado , Idaho , Oregon , Utah , Washington , Wyoming ), but only one Northeastern state, Maine . The pattern of areas with high levels of American
984-401: The age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 23.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99. The age distribution was 27.10% under
1025-467: The age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 27.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 34,267, and the median income for a family was $ 40,414. Males had a median income of $ 36,067 versus $ 21,922 for females. The per capita income for
1066-497: The age that an "American" national ethnic group had taken shape prior to the large-scale immigration of the mid-19th century . "Nativism" gained its name from the "Native American" parties of the 1840s and 1850s. In this context, "Native" does not mean indigenous or American Indian, but rather those descended from the inhabitants of the original Thirteen Colonies ( Colonial American ancestry). These " Old Stock Americans ," were predominantly Protestants from England , Sweden,
1107-777: The county twice. In 2008 Democrat Barack Obama won Klickitat County over Republican John McCain by only 21 votes or percentage wise 48.85% to 48.64%. In 2012 Republican candidate Mitt Romney won the county by a greater margin than in the previous election, with 51.74% of the vote compared to President Obama's 44.75%, and Donald Trump doubled Romney's margin in 2016. 45°52′N 120°47′W / 45.87°N 120.79°W / 45.87; -120.79 List of counties in Washington The U.S. state of Washington has 39 counties . The Provisional Government of Oregon established Vancouver and Lewis Counties in 1845 in unorganized Oregon Country , extending from
1148-467: The county was $ 16,502. About 12.60% of families and 17.00% of the population were below the poverty line , including 22.50% of those under age 18 and 15.10% of those age 65 or over. Klickitat is located in Washington's 4th congressional district , which has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+11 and has been represented by Republican Dan Newhouse since 2015. In state government the county is part of
1189-690: The county. The population density was 10 people per square mile (3.9 people/km). There were 8,633 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (1.9/km). The racial makeup of the county was 87.56% White , 0.27% Black or African American , 3.47% Native American , 0.73% Asian , 0.21% Pacific Islander , 5.02% from other races , and 2.75% from two or more races . 7.81% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. 17.7% were of German , 14.0% United States or American , 11.1% English and 9.6% Irish ancestry. 90.3% spoke English and 7.8% Spanish as their first language. There were 7,473 households, out of which 32.30% had children under
1230-413: The county. The population density was 10.9 inhabitants per square mile (4.2/km). There were 9,786 housing units at an average density of 5.2 per square mile (2.0/km). The racial makeup of the county was 87.7% white, 2.4% American Indian, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 5.6% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.7% of
1271-666: The existence of Washington Territory and nine counties were proposed within the first 16 years of Washington's statehood, but none were established. Works American ethnicity Although U.S. census data indicates "American ancestry" is most commonly self-reported in the Deep South , the Upland South , and Appalachia , a far greater number of Americans and expatriates equate their national identity not with ancestry, race, or ethnicity, but rather with citizenship and allegiance . The earliest attested use of
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1312-639: The growth in this response has been substantial. A 2015 genetic study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics analyzed the genetic ancestry of 148,789 European Americans . The study concluded that Inferred English/Irish ancestry is found in European Americans from all states at mean proportions of more than 20% and represents a majority of ancestry (more than 50% mean proportion) in states such as Mississippi , Arkansas , and Tennessee . These states are similarly highlighted in
1353-463: The population. 18.7% of the population were under 18, and 4.6% were under 5. People who were over 65 represented 25.2% of the population. The gender make up of the county was 49% female and 51% male. The median household income in the county was $ 59,583, and the per capita income $ 34,529. 13.0% of the population in the county were under the poverty line . As of the 2010 census , there were 20,318 people, 8,327 households, and 5,626 families living in
1394-431: The population. In terms of ancestry, Of the 8,327 households, 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.4% were non-families, and 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 45.3 years. The median income for
1435-647: The populations of Alabama (16.8%), Mississippi (14.0%), North Carolina (13.7%), South Carolina (13.7%), Georgia (13.3%), and Indiana (11.8%) also reported American ancestry. In the Southern United States as a whole, 11.2% reported "American" ancestry, second only to African American . American was the fourth most common ancestry reported in the Midwest (6.5%) and West (4.1%). All Southern states except for Delaware , Maryland , Florida , and Texas reported 10% or more American, but outside
1476-477: The question of ancestry. The Census Bureau reports the number of people in the United States who reported "American" and no other ancestry increased from 12.4 million in 1990 to 20.2 million in 2000. This increase represents the largest numerical growth of any ethnic group in the United States during the 1990s. The state with the largest increase over the past two census was Texas , where in 2000, over 1.5 million residents reported having "American ancestry." In
1517-444: The tendency to distort, or remember selectively, one's ethnic origins increases.... [E]thnic categories are social phenomena that over the long run are constantly being redefined and reformulated." Mary C. Waters contends that white Americans of European origin are afforded a wide range of choice: "In a sense, they are constantly given an actual choice—they can either identify themselves with their ethnic ancestry or they can 'melt' into
1558-592: The term "American" today "chiefly [means] a native (birthright) or citizen of the United States ." President Theodore Roosevelt asserted that an "American race" had been formed on the American frontier , one distinct from other ethnic groups, such as the Anglo-Saxons . He believed "(t)he conquest and settlement by the whites of the Indian lands was necessary to the greatness of the race...." "We are making
1599-416: The wider society and call themselves American." Professors Anthony Daniel Perez and Charles Hirschman write "European national origins are still common among whites—almost 3 of 5 whites name one or more European countries in response to the ancestry question. ... However, a significant share of whites respond that they are simply "American" or leave the ancestry question blank on their census forms. Ethnicity
1640-792: Was founded as a nativist fraternity, following the Philadelphia nativist riots of the preceding spring and summer, in December 1844. The New York City anti-Irish, anti-German, and anti-Catholic secret society the Order of the Star Spangled Banner was formed in 1848. Popularised nativist movements included the Know Nothing or American Party of the 1850s and the Immigration Restriction League of
1681-509: Was moved from Kittitas to Yakima County in 1970. King County , home to the state's largest city, Seattle , holds almost 30 percent of Washington's population (2,271,380 residents of 7,812,880 in 2023), and has the highest population density, with more than 1,000 people per square mile (400/km ). Garfield County is both the least populated (2,363) and least densely populated (3.3/sq mi [1.3/km ]). Two counties, San Juan and Island , are composed only of islands. The average county