Chinatown in Los Angeles, 1922. Photo by Paul Grenbeaux, courtesy of Library of Congress.
Also see: Racial/Ethnic Composition, Los Angeles County, 1990-2010 Census
| Census Year | Total Population | White | Black | Chinese | Indian | Japanese | Mexican (1) | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 3,530 | 3,518 (2) | 12 (3) | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1860 | 11,333 | 9,221 | 87 (4) | 11 (5) | 2,014 (6) | --- | --- | --- |
| 1870 | 15,309 | 14,720 | 134 | 234 | 219 | 2 | --- | --- |
| 1880 | 33,381 | 31,707 | 188 | 1,169 | 316 | 1 | --- | --- |
| 1890 | 101,454 | 95,033 | 1,817 | 4,424 | 144 (7) | 36 | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 170,298 | 163,975 | 2,841 | 3,209 | 69 | 204 | --- | --- |
| 1910 | 504,131 | 483,478 | 9,424 | 2,602 | 97 | 8,461 | --- | 69 |
| 1920 | 936,455 | 894,507 | 18,738 | 2,591 | 281 | 19,911 | --- | 427 |
| 1930 | 2,208,492 | 1,949,882 | 46,425 | 3,572 | 997 | 35,390 | 167,024 | 5,202 |
| 1940 | 2,785,643 | 2,660,042 | 75,209 | 5,330 | 1,378 | 36,866 | --- | 6,818 |
| 1950 | 4,151,687 | 3,877,944 | 217,881 | 9,187 | 1,671 | 36,761 | --- | 8,243 |
(1) The racial category "Mexican" here was only used in the 1930 Census.
(2) Most Los Angeles residents at this time were Spanish-speaking and likely mostly of Mexican heritage.
(3) Described as "Free Colored"
(4) Also described as "Free Colored." Among these, 25 were further sub-classified as "Mulatto."
(5) Described as "Asiatic"
(6) Described as "Domesticated Indian"
(7) Described as "Civilized Indian"
| Census Year | Total Population | White | Black | Chinese | Indian | Japanese | Filipino | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6,039,771 | 5,453,866 | 461,546 | 19,286 | 8,109 | 77,314 | 12,122 | 6,528 |
| 1970 | 7,032,075 | 6,006,499 | 762,844 | 40,798 | 24,509 | 104,078 | 33,459 | 59,888 |
| Census Year | Total Population | White | Black | Chinese | American Indian & Eskimo, Aleut | Japanese | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White, Total | White, Spanish Origin (3) | White, not of Spanish Origin | ||||||
| 1980 | 7,477,503 | 5,073,617 | 1,120,014 | 3,953,603 | 943,968 | 93,747 | 48,120 | 116,543 |
| Census Year | Filipino | Korean | Asian Indian | Vietnamese | Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | Others | Spanish Origin (All Races) (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 (continued) | 99,043 | 60,618 | 18,562 | 28,696 | 17,641 | 976,948 | 2,066,103 |
(3) The 1980 Census introduced non-racial category "Spanish Origin," reflecting, unlike any other category, not a person's race, but their ethnic/cultural origin (i.e., Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, etc.). Persons of "Spanish Origin" also identified with any of the distinct racial categories (i.e. White, Black, American Indian, etc.). The larger number of persons identified as "Spanish Origin" also identified as "White."
Sources: U.S. Census Decennial Census Official Publications and University of Virginia Geospatial & Statistical Data Center.
It is reported that a late 19th Century editorial in the Los Angeles Times predicted that the "Mexican" population in Los Angeles would disappear by the early part of the 20th Century.
