Should the ACS Eliminate Questions About Ancestry?

Should the ACS Eliminate Questions About Ancestry?

In response to a recent Federal Register notice, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is urging �the Census Bureau to pause its research into possible elimination of the ACS ancestry question,� calling it �premature� and deserving of �additional scrutiny and transparency.�

1. �The rationale for considering elimination of the ancestry question is not supported by any publicly available research.�
2. �There is no publicly available information to evaluate the suggestion that data collected through the race question can meet the specific legal and programmatic needs underlying the justification for the ancestry question.�
3. �Possible revisions to the OMB standards for collecting and presenting data on race and ethnicity could affect the way people respond to a proposed combined question, thus making any decision on whether to eliminate the ancestry question premature.�
4. �The absence of public briefings or discussion of the possible elimination of the ancestry question is not in keeping with the Census Bureau�s new focus on transparency and stakeholder consultation.�

Read the Leadership Conference�s full April 7, 2023 comments for more details.