Modernizing the U.S. Census (1995) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
K Quality of Current Data on Race and Ethnicity
K Quality of Current Data on Race and Ethnicity
Pages 372-383
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From page 372... ...
During this period, the Census Bureau engaged in extensive outreach programs to improve the participation of racial and ethnic minorities in the decennial census. One other factor also increased attention to race and ethnicity data: the removal of national origin restrictions on immigration with the passage of amendments to the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act resulted in the growth of previously smaller ethnic groups, especially among Asians and Hispan~cs.
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From page 373... ...
The Census Bureau collects and tabulates race and Hispanic-origin data in compliance with the federal Statistical Directive 15.i In addition, the Census Bureau provides race and ethnicity data to other government agencies for their use in meeting statutory requirements and program needs. In the past 30 years, the Census Bureau has placed increasing efforts on providing detailed and comprehensive classification of race and ethnicity.
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From page 374... ...
The 1990 census produced unprecedented amounts of data on racial groups and people of Hispanic origin, documenting the transformation of the United States to a multiethnic and multiracial society with 1 of 4 being black, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander, or American Indian and Alaskan Native. It also documented the growth of new immigrants with significant impact on the Asian and Hispanic populations.
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From page 375... ...
It may indicate a need for the Census Bureau to further examine the presentation and instructions for the write-in entries on the race and Hispanic items and to better understand how respondents perceive and interpret these questions. The levels of inconsistency are especially important and of concern for the American Indian population because of its relatively small size and the importance of the data to develop and fund programs for American Indian tribal and Alaska native village governments.
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From page 376... ...
Some respondents may try to indicate identification with a Hispanic national origin group comparable to other groups specified in the race item. Preliminary findings from cognitive research by the Census Bureau indicates that foreign-born Hispanics, foreign-born Asian and Pacific Islanders, and foreign-born blacks view the concept of race differently from the native U.S.
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From page 377... ...
"Cajun" was an example for 1990 but not in 1980; the combined Acadian/Cajun response number in 1990 was 668,271. Unfortunately, there was no comparable figure for 1980 as these responses, deemed too few to warrant their own code, were coded as "French" in the Census Bureau's 1980 code list.
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From page 378... ...
STRENGTHS OF THE RACE AND ANCESTRY QUESTIONS Racial and ethnicity categories for 2000 and beyond may usher yet new ways of defining group identity as well as disadvantaged populations. The high rates of immigration, from both traditional and nontraditional sources of immigrants, and the increase of interracial unions and births in the last 20 years are the most visible alternate responses to the current race, Hispanic-origin, and ancestry items.
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From page 379... ...
He found that Hispanics are nearly 10 percent of the white category and about 1.5 percent of all blacks. He argues that, on one hand, due to the relatively disadvantaged position of Hispanics, their inclusion in the white category tends to attenuate the difference between whites and other race categories on several important socioeconomic characteristics (e.g., labor force status, educational attainment, poverty level, family income)
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From page 380... ...
NOTES TOMB Statistical Directive 15 has set forth the race and ethnicity standards for federal administrative and statistical reporting since 1977. Directive 15 acknowledges four racial groups (American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black, and White)
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From page 381... ...
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
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From page 382... ...
~ o ~ Bog TABLE K.1 Comparadve Allocabon Rates of Populadon Questions Asked of Total Population On percent) Item 1 980 1990 Sex 0.8 1.2 ~ari1al status 1.3 2.0 Race 1.3 2.0 Age 2.9 2.4 ReIa1ionship 2.1 2.6 sp=k off 4.2 10.0 Source: U.S.
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From page 383... ...
Race 1990 1980 1990 1980 Total 2.0 1.5 1.2 1.5 White 1.7 1.3 1.0 1.5 Black 2.9 1.6 1.6 1.7 American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut 2.5 3.1 1.7 1.5 Asian and Pacific Islander 2.7 2.1 1.6 1.6 Other race 6.4 3.9 3.2 1.8 Source: Cresce et al.
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