The 2010 Census Alternative Questionnaire Experiment Race and Hispanic Origin Research Joan M. Hill and Sonya Rastogi U.S. Census Bureau Presentation to State Data Center and Census Information Center Steering Committees June 16, 2010

2 Overview of Presentation Topics 2010 AQE Goals and Research Strategies Methodology and Sample Design Race and Hispanic Origin Panels Reinterview Study Focus Groups

AQE Goals and Research Strategies Goals are to increase accuracy, completeness, and reliability of 2020 race and Hispanic origin results Designed to identify strategies for improving race and Hispanic origin reporting by testing different questionnaire design strategies

AQE Methodology Expert review and cognitive testing for race and Hispanic origin questions prior to field testing 15 experimental panels Experimental forms mailed to a national sample of housing units – 30,000 housing units per panel Initial questionnaire non-respondents receive a replacement questionnaire (mimics initial contact) Telephone reinterview study conducted for sample of 2010 AQE mail respondents

AQE Sample Design focuses on significant oversampling of mailout to various demographic groups Universe consists of census tracts likely to contain relatively high proportions of these groups - Asian; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander - Black or African American - Hispanic or Latino - All other Final sample is 30,000 housing units per panel selected from these strata

Census - Control Panel

7 Modify examples Remove the term “Negro” Allow reporting of multiple responses to the Hispanic origin question Design Strategy 1

8 Clarify the Asian and the Pacific Islander checkbox categories Limit the use of the term “race” Design Strategy 2

9 Design Strategy 3 Combine the race and Hispanic origin questions: Detailed approach Streamlined approach Very Streamlined approach Alternative Control approach

10 Includes examples and write-ins for all OMB race and Hispanic origin categories Maintains all original race and Hispanic origin checkboxes Detailed Approach

11 Streamlined Approach Includes examples and write-ins for all OMB race and Hispanic origin categories Removes specific national origin checkboxes; presented as example groups Streamlined presentation of OMB race, Hispanic origin categories

12 Very Streamlined Approach Part 1 - Very streamlined presentation of OMB race, Hispanic origin categories Part 2 - Examples for all OMB race and Hispanic origin categories Write-in areas for specific race(s), origin(s), or tribe(s)

13 Serves as an alternative control for the combined race and Hispanic origin design approach Maintains 2010 Census race and Hispanic origin questions’ write-in areas and checkboxes, but in a combined, single question format Alternative Control Approach

2010 AQE Reinterview Study One-in-five housing units from the 2010 AQE panels will be pre-selected for a reinterview study Assess the relative accuracy of the experimental 2010 AQE race and Hispanic origin panels Probe more extensively into the racial and ethnic background of respondents 14

AQE Focus Groups Focus groups will supplement 2010 AQE quantitative research Gain better understanding of self-identification of race and Hispanic origin and fit of responses within OMB categories Identify issues that respondents have with experimental treatments; reasons behind issues Help refine treatments for future testing

Summary of 2010 AQE Increase accuracy, completeness, and reliability of race and Hispanic origin results Three-part design strategy: - mailout survey - reinterview - focus groups The 2010 AQE race and Hispanic origin research is designed to identify strategies for improving race and Hispanic origin reporting in the future 16

Questions? 17