In 1894, suicide rates were calculated from 1890 census data for the Chinese, African American, & white populations in the USA. In the same year, rates for Native Americans were estimated using 1894 data. In 1994, Lester calculated suicide rates for the USA in 1980 by ethnic group. The data suggests that the suicide rate for whites, African Americans & Native American males has increased in the last 90 years, while the suicide rate of Native American females & Chinese males may have decreased.