Are there racial differences in regards to celiac disease?

Yes: Because celiac disease is hereditary, the disease occurs more often in certain ethnic/racial groups because more people in those groups carry the hla-dq2 and hla-dq8 genes that "cause" celiac disease. The genes are more common in persons from northern and western europe, but are uncommon in western pacific rim populations (china, japan).

Celiac Disease: Mayo clinic has an article discussing this. It is more prevalent in the caucasian population but can occur in any ethnicity.