2010 Census Alternative Questionnaire Experiment (AQE) Focus Groups

Attachment E – “American Indian”

CENSUS FOCUS GROUP MODERATOR’S GUIDE

Instructions to the moderator are in bold italics. Background information on forms and purpose/intent of the question sections have a gray background.

Thank you all for coming. My name is _______ and I am with JBS International. JBS is a research firm and this focus group is part of a project we are doing with the Census Bureau. Today, I’d like to talk with you about your thoughts on some of the forms that may be used to collect race and ethnicity data for the Census Bureau in the future.

As you know we are audio and video recording our discussion today. These recordings will help us make sure we get what you are saying right. These tapes will only be used by researchers working on this project. Observers are here this evening to see what the focus group is like and to provide feedback to us, as moderators, about what we can do to improve. Your information will be kept strictly confidential and you may choose not to answer a question if you don’t want to.

I will be asking you to look over and complete some questions from the Census forms and then ask you a few questions about the forms. There are no right or wrong answers – we want all of your opinions, ideas and suggestions. We want all of you to feel comfortable and to participate so we have a set of ground rules to help us:

1 – Turn your cell phones and pagers off or to vibrate

2 – Be courteous and respectful of the other participants’ opinions and ideas. Remember there are no right or wrong answers.

3 – Be honest and know that we really want to hear your opinions and ideas

4 – Speak clearly and one at a time. You don’t have to raise your hand to speak.

5 – Actively participate because we want to hear from ALL of you.

Introduction

First, to introduce ourselves to one another, I’d like to go around the table and have everyone take a few seconds to briefly say their first name and share your favorite fun activity.

(Moderator: this can be sharing of favorite food/or something non-threatening to break the ice).

Snippet (XB)

Background on form for Moderator

Form XB uses the same race and Hispanic origin questions as the 2010 Census form. This form has two separate questions for Hispanic origin and race, as the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines Hispanic origin and race as two distinct concepts.

Instructions to Participants

(Moderator: Pass out first two snippets as participants are reviewing form; hold up and/or point to the form or snippet which must be reviewed and completed and ensure participants are understanding and following instructions).

This evening I will be asking you to review a Census form (hold up laminated form) and complete small portions of the forms, which we are calling ‘snippets’ (hold up snippets). The form I’d like you to review, the XB, is in front of you. I would like each of you to read through this form.

Then, when you come to questions 8 and 9, please complete the snippets of questions 8 and 9 that I am passing out now. Please put your first name on the snippets. Then, on the first snippet please answer the questions for yourself.

For the other snippet, please answer the questions for one of your children. If you don’t have any children, please complete the other snippet for any child living in your household. If there are no children living in your household please complete the other snippet for another adult living in your household. If you live alone, please complete only the first snippet.

For the other snippet, please write down the age and relationship of the person you are filling out the snippet for and then complete questions 5 and 6.

(Moderator: Read through the instructions about filling out the second snippet again if necessary. You can shorten the instructions for the second snippet if you read it through a second time.)

Imagine you are Person 1 and the other person is Person 2. Please complete the form to the best of your ability and let me know when you have finished.

Are there any questions about my instructions? If you have any questions about the snippet itself, please note them and we will have a chance to go over them in our discussion.

THEME 1: RESPONSE TO HISPANIC/RACE QUESTIONS

Purpose and Guidance

The purpose of questions 1 through 3 in this theme is to have participants discuss how they answered the race and Hispanic origin questions. The purpose of question 4 is to find out why participants answered the way they did.

If participants discuss what impacted the way they reported, then allow this conversation to occur. For example, some respondents may say that they did not identify with any of the categories in the race question so they did not answer the question, while others may say, “My father is White and my mother is Sioux, but I always report that I am Sioux because I was raised by my mother and grew up with other American Indians” or “People often think I am American Indian and do not perceive me as being White.” Respondents may also discuss whether their tribal enrollment status affects how they report their tribe. In all scenarios, encourage this natural discussion.

The Census Bureau strives to collect detailed responses such as Sioux, Colombian, or Chinese from respondents, but many respondents still report general terms like American Indian, Latino, and Asian. The purpose of question 5 is to gain a better understanding of why participants report a general term such as American Indian, Hispanic, or Asian rather than reporting their specific race or origin.

Questions

(Moderator: These questions will be asked of ALL participants unless otherwise noted. Ask all questions of first participant, then ask all questions of the second participant, etc.)

Please tell me how you completed the snippet for yourself for questions 8 and 9?

1. Which box or boxes did you choose?

2. Did you write an answer on any of the lines?

3. What did you write? Under which checkbox did you write your answer? Why did you choose to write on that line?

4. How did you come up with your answer?

5. (Moderator: This question should be asked only of those participants who reported a general term like American Indian) Tell me more about why you used a general term (like American Indian) rather than a specific term (like Sioux).

THEME 2: THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SNIPPET

Purpose and Guidance

For question 1, we would like to obtain any feedback on instructions or wording on the form.

Cognitive testing has shown that some respondents do not see the instruction to “mark one or more boxes” on the race question. The purposes of questions 2 and 3 are to determine if participants saw the instruction to “mark one or more boxes” in the race question and whether they understood and followed this instruction.

Examples are used in the race and Hispanic origin questions to help clarify categories for respondents and to encourage respondents to report their detailed race and origin. The purpose of question 5 is to get feedback on the use of these examples and how they impacted one’s response.

Questions

(Moderator: These questions will be asked of SOME participants.)

1. How did you feel about the instructions or wording on this snippet?

* If respondents say that the instructions or wording were confusing or unclear, probe: Which words or instructions were confusing/unclear? How could it be improved?

2. How many races did you think you could mark for question 9?

3. Did you see the instruction to mark one or more boxes for question 9? How do you feel about this instruction?

4. (Moderator should point out the examples if necessary. Examples are used with Other Hispanic, Other Asian, and Other Pacific Islander categories.) Look at the examples used for both questions. Do you think having these examples helped you in completing the form?

*If respondents say yes probe: Could you tell me more about that?

THEME 3: RESPONSES FOR OTHER HOUSEHOLD MEMBER

Purpose and Guidance

For this theme, we are trying to obtain feedback about another person in the household. This could be particularly interesting when participants report for children.

For example, in the American Indian context, if participants have multiracial children, it will be interesting to see whether they report their children only as Sioux or if they will report Sioux and another race or races and/or use terms such as mixed, multiracial, etc.

Questions

1. How many of you completed the other snippet for a child? How did you answer the Hispanic and race questions for this child? Was this the same or different from what you did for yourself? Why?

2. How many of you completed the other snippet for another adult who lives in the household? How did you answer the Hispanic and race questions? Was this the same or different from what you did for yourself? Why?

Second Snippet (X3)

THEME 2: THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SNIPPET

Background in form for Moderator

Form X3 is a combined race and Hispanic origin question and includes an American Indian and Alaska Native checkbox response category with examples (Navajo, Mayan, Tlingit) and a write-in line. This form was chosen to get participants feedback on the examples, obtain feedback on a combined race and origin question, and to determine if participants would write in their specific race/origin.

THEME 1: RESPONSE TO HISPANIC/RACE QUESTION

Purpose and Guidance

The purpose of questions 1 through 3 in this theme is to have participants discuss how they answered the race and Hispanic origin questions. The purpose of question 4 is to find out why participants answered the way they did.

The purpose of question 5 (Whether participants marked different checkboxes or wrote in a different response) is to help us understand why this did or did not occur.

Questions

(Moderator: These questions will be asked of ALL participants unless otherwise noted. Ask all questions of first participant, then ask all questions of the second participant, etc.)

Please turn over your first snippet. (Moderator passes out snippet X3) Now we are going to move to a different snippet labeled X3, please review and complete it. Complete it as though you are filling out your census form and it is the first form you have been given; in other words, don’t reflect on the previous form.

Please tell me how you completed the snippet for this question?

1. Which box or boxes did you choose?

2. Did you write an answer on any of the lines?

3. What did you write? Under which checkbox did you write your answer? Why did you choose to write on that line?

4. How did you come up with your answer?

5. Is this the same or different from what you marked and wrote on the XB? If different, why?

THEME 2: THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SNIPPET

Purpose and Guidance

For question 1, we would like to obtain any feedback on instructions or wording of the form.

For questions 2 and 3, we would like feedback on the examples “Navajo, Mayan, and Tlingit) and also understand what the term “principle tribe” means to respondents. Previous focus group research suggests that “principle tribe” does not have meaning for some American Indian respondents.

The purpose of question 4 and 5 are to determine if participants saw the instruction to “mark one or more boxes” in the combined question and whether they understood and followed this instruction.

The instruction to the X3 combined question reads “mark one or more boxes and write in the specific race(s) or origin(s).” This instruction combines both OMB concepts, race and origin. The purpose of question 4 is to see how participants interpret “race or origin.”

Cognitive testing revealed that some respondents interpret “origin” as place of birth or ancestry, therefore we want to understand how the focus group participants are defining race and origin on this form. If participants discuss their understanding of the term “origin” to mean place of birth or ancestry, encourage this conversation to develop.

Questions

(Moderator: These questions will be asked of SOME participants.)

1. How did you feel about the instructions or wording on this form?

* If respondents say that instructions of wording were confusing or unclear, probe:

“Which words or instructions were confusing/unclear? How could it be improved?”

2. Look at the examples used for American Indian and Alaska Native. Do you think having these examples helped you in completing the form?

*If respondents say yes probe: Could you tell me more about that?

3. In the instruction for the American Indian or Alaska Native category, what do the terms “enrolled” and “principal tribe” mean to you? (Moderator: the instruction on the form reads “Print name of enrolled or principal tribe(s)”)

4. How many races did you think you could mark on this snippet?

5. Did you see the instruction to “mark one or more boxes AND write in the specific race(s) or origin(s)? How do you feel about this instruction?

6. What does the term “race” mean in this question? What does the term “origin” mean to you in this question? Do they mean the same thing or different things to you?

Third Snippet (X4)

THEME 2: THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SNIPPET

Purpose and Guidance

The X4 is a combined question.

We would like to compare X3 and X4 to obtain feedback about the differences between the two forms.

(Moderator: pass out X4 snippets)

Now I’d like you to look at our third snippet, labeled X4. Please place the X3 and X4 snippet side by side. Please compare the two.

Questions

(Moderator: These questions will be asked of SOME participants.)

1. Did you see that the questions are asked differently on snippet X3 and snippet X4? What do you think about the differences between the two? Would you have answered the X4 questions the same or differently as X3?

2. In your own words, what is question 9 on X4 asking?

3. What do you think the purpose is for the three blank lines on X4? What would you have written on these lines, if anything? Why?

4. Did you notice the examples on X4? Do you think they are helpful in answering question 9?

* If yes, please explain how you think they may be helpful.

* If no, why don’t you think they would be helpful?

5. Which of these two forms do you prefer? Why do you prefer one instead of the other?

General Questions

THEME 2: SNIPPET PREFERENCES

Purpose and Guidance

The purpose of this theme is to determine if participants prefer one snippet over the others and if so, why.

(Moderator: These questions will be asked of ALL participants.)

1. Thinking back on all the snippets, which do you prefer and why?

*Wording?

*Instructions?

*Boxes and write in space?

*Examples?

*Categories?

*Layout?

2. Do you think any of the 3 snippets are better for American Indians?

THEME 2B: RECOMMENDATIONS

Purpose and Guidance

The purpose of this theme is to obtain any recommendations that participants may have for improving the forms, especially with respect to helping people of American Indian descent provide more accurate information.

(Moderator: These questions will be asked of SOME participants.)

1. Do you have any recommendations on the forms that you believe would help people of American Indian descent provide more accurate information? Also, to make people feel more comfortable answering?

THEME 4: SITUATIONAL IDENTITY

Purpose and Guidance

For some people, the context in which they are asked to identify their race can influence their answer. That is to say, they may answer the question differently in different situations and contexts and depending on who is asking, and how they are asking. Therefore, the purpose of this section is to better understand how participants answer questions about their race in conversations and on forms.

(Moderator: These questions will be asked of MOST participants.)

1. Have you been asked to identify your race or race(s) in conversations?

*If yes, in what kinds of situations have you been asked? How do you answer?

2. When you are asked to identify your race on forms, do you answer the same or differently than when you are asked in person?

* If participants answer differently, probe: Please explain why. What influences the way you answer these questions?

THEME 5: AWARENESS AND FLUIDITY

Purpose and Guidance

For some people, race and ethnicity are fluid concepts and their racial or ethnic self-identification may change over time. The purpose of questions 1 to 3 is to gain an understanding of when participants first became aware of their racial identity and how/why their racial identity has changed over time.

Some people’s self identification may be influenced by how they are viewed and treated in society. For example, if a person considers themselves to be White and Sioux, but people constantly refer to them as only American Indian or perhaps they have been discriminated against for being American Indian, then the person may begin to view themselves as American Indian and not White (or both).

For question 5, if respondents have not already discussed whether their tribal enrollment influences their racial identity and racial reporting, then ask these questions.

(Moderator: These questions will be asked of MOST participants.)

1. As we have been discussing today, all of these forms are asking you to identify your race or races. I’d like you to think of some of the earliest instances in which you thought about your racial identity. Please describe one of these experiences and why/how this is an important memory for you.

2. Do you believe your racial identity has changed over time? How so? For example, early childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, now?

3. Have any other of your life experiences had an important impact on your racial identity? How so?

4. Do you feel that people may wonder “what” your race or races are? What race or races do people typically think you are? Why do you think that is?

5. Ask MOST participants: Are you enrolled in a tribe? If you are enrolled, how does this influence your racial identity? If you are not enrolled, how does this influence your racial identity?

THEME 6: “RACE” & “ORIGIN” CONCEPTS

Purpose and Guidance

As mentioned previously, the instruction to form X3 combines the concepts of race and origin. We want to better understand how people are interpreting the race and origin concepts and look at other possible terms to use on the forms. The purpose of questions 1 is to see how American Indian participants interpret the term race. Then, how they interpret the term ethnicity relative to the terms race and origin.

(Moderator: These questions will be asked of SOME participants.

Questions

During our discussion of form X3, we talked about the use of the meaning of “race” and “origin” on that form. Now, I’m going to ask about a couple of some more terms.

1. What does the term “race” mean to you?

2. What does the term “ethnicity” mean to you?

3. Does “ethnicity” mean the same thing to you or something different than “race?”

4. Does “ethnicity” mean the same thing or something different than “origin?”

Wrap up by JBS – i.e., Additional comments? Questions? Ideas? Suggestions?

Moderator: Thank the participants for their time and provide instructions for collecting participation incentives.

MODERATOR INFORMATION

Focus Group Moderator: ______________________________________________

Location: _________________________________________________________

Date:___________________________________________ Time of FG ________

Attachment E – American Indian Moderator Guide

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