ISSUES REGARDING DATA ON RACE AND ETHNICITY - THE CENSUS BUREAU EXPERIENCE

In this paper, the authors describe some of the complexities of collec ting and presenting data on race and ethnicity based on the experience s of the Bureau of the Census. Different methods of data collection, d ifferent content and format of questions, and different definitions ma ke it difficult to collect consistent race and ethnic data across data systems. The Bureau of the Census experiences have shown that changin g ethnic self-identity and concepts, intent of the question, consisten cy of reporting, and the classification of persons of mixed racial par entage affect the quality of the data. These are some of the issues th at must be addressed as statistical agencies and researchers seek to p rovide comparable race and ethnic data.