(CNN) From the moment the United States was born, it has been an exercise in transformation, a nation that every day welcomes new citizens -- by birth and by oath -- to take part in this grand experiment.

Conceived by a band of wealthy, white men who demanded freedom from Great Britain, America has developed into a multicultural, multiethnic community. And even as family separations at the border, racist rallies travel bans and bigoted slurs remain part of our cultural landscape, our transformation rolls on.

Here are some of the ways our nation has become -- and will continue to grow -- more diverse:

From a collection of colonies, America grew ...

The first US Census, in 1790, counted 3.9 million people living in the brand-new United States : nearly, of whom about; no other races or ethnicities were tallied.

By 1960, at the advent of the civil rights movement, the country had ballooned to 178 million people -- about 89% of them white, 11% black, and a tiny fraction comprised of other races, including Native American and Asian and Pacific Islander. Hispanic ethnicity wasn't counted yet.

... and new laws changed who we would become.

black business people owned 2.6 million firms across the US in 2012, a 1.9 million Asian-owned firms nationally in 2012, marking a 24% bump from 2007; and 3.3 million US firms were owned by Hispanics in 2012, up 46% in the prior five years. Over that same period, the overall number of US firms only grew 2%. Meantime,across the US in 2012, a 35% increase from five years earlier; there werenationally in 2012, marking a 24% bump from 2007; andin 2012, up 46% in the prior five years. Over that same period, the overall number of US firms only grew 2%.

white men still account for Fortune 500 companies that share employee data. Even so,still account for 72% of corporate leadership at the handful ofthat share employee data.

Like the founders, immigrants flocked to our shores ...

... and the way we saw ourselves changed.

just three categories when it came to race: free white males and females, all other free persons, and slaves. Until 1960, Americans weren't even allowed to choose their own race -- identify their own race, and since 2000, we've gotten to identify with more than one. During the first US Census in 1790, Americans were sorted into: free white males and females, all other free persons, and slaves. Until 1960, Americans weren't even allowed to choose their own race -- a Census worker did it for them . But starting that year, Americans were allowed to, and since 2000, we've gotten to

some 9 million of about 309 million people -- chose more than one racial category to describe themselves. In the 2010 Census, there were more than 60 race options , plus ethnicity. About 3% of all Americans ---- chose more than one racial category to describe themselves.

As our nation transformed, so did our families ...

... with the birth of more multi-racial Americans ...

1970, three years after the Supreme Court ruling, just 1% of babies 2013, that number had risen to 10%, and demographers expect this rapid growth to continue, if not quicken, in the decades to come. With multiracial couples, of course, come multiracial families. In, three years after the Supreme Court ruling, just born in the US were multiracial . By, that number had, and demographers, in the decades to come.

... and more and more people marrying the person they love.

Our leaders are changing, too ...

20% of voting members of the current House and Senate are a racial or ethnic minority. That makes this Congress 34% of the new members in both houses. And, of course, US voters in 2008 elected the nation's first black President, Barack Obama. Almostare a racial or ethnic minority. That makes this Congress the most diverse in history . And minorities account forin both houses. And, of course, US voters in 2008 elected the nation's

... along with the way we identify by faith ...

... and if anything is ever certain, it's that we'll keep on changing.

non-Hispanic whites still make up the nation's largest racial group, theirs was Asian population increased 3.1% over that same period. And the number of people who identify as two or more races rose by 2.9%. Whilestill make up the nation's, theirs was the only to decline -- by 0.02% -- from 2016 to 2017. Meanwhile, theincreasedover that same period. And the number of people who identify asrose by