OMB Letter

Generic Information Collection Request:
Cognitive testing for the 2023 Race and Ethnicity Questions

Request: The Census Bureau plans to conduct additional research under the generic clearance for questionnaire pretesting research (OMB number 0607-0725). As part of the Testing Team that is under the U.S. Office of Management and Budget Interagency Technical Working Group on Race and Ethnicity Standards and as a federal statistical agency that collects detailed demographic information through surveys and censuses under Title 13, United States Code, the U.S. Census Bureau plans to conduct presting activities on the newly revised race and ethnicity questions released in the Federal Register (88 FR 5375).

Note: The only changes to this memo, are the highlighted lines, and these documents are the ones for OMB review. Everything else had been previously approved by OMB on April 6, 2023. (link)

Purpose: Office of Management and Budget (OMB) maintains government-wide standards for collecting Federal race and ethnicity data. These government-wide standards ensure the consistent reporting of these data by federal statistical agencies, allowing the comparison of information and data across Federal agencies and informing Federal programs that serve a diverse America. On January 26, 2023, OMB’s Office of the Chief Statistician released an initial set of recommended revisions proposed by an Interagency Technical Working Group to revise OMB’s statistical standards for collecting and reporting race and ethnicity data across Federal agencies (see Initial Proposals for Revising the Federal Race and Ethnicity Standards | OMB | The White House). The initial proposals—developed by Federal Government career staff representing more than 20 agencies—include:

• Collecting race and ethnicity together with a single question;

• Adding a response category for Middle Eastern and North African, separate and distinct from the “White” category; and

• Updating Statistical Policy Directive (SPD) 15’s terminology, definitions, and question wording

On January 27, 2023, OMB published a Notice and Request for Comments on the Interagency Technical Working Group’s initial proposals.

The purpose of this request is to recruit and conduct cognitive testing on potential updates to the race and ethnicity question format, terminology and wording of questions, as well as the instructions for respondents and associated guidance. This testing will help the Census Bureau assess the effects of potential revisions to SPD 15 on surveys and censuses conducted by the Census Bureau under Title 13, United States Code. This includes the recruitment of English and Spanish speaking participants.

Population of Interest: We plan to recruit from the general population as described further below.

Timeline: Testing will be conducted from April 1 through June 30, 2023.

Language: Testing will be conducted in English and Spanish.

Method: We will conduct cognitive interviews with up to 115 respondents. These interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. During the interviews, respondents will view both versions of the draft questions (see Attachments B and C, which demonstrate the two versions of the race and ethnicity questions in opposite order). Interviews will be conducted by contractors and Census Bureau staff. We will use probes (see Attachment A) to assess respondents’ understanding of the questions and the flow of the questionnaire.

All participants will be informed that their response is voluntary and that the information they provide is confidential and will be seen only by Census Bureau employees and those with special sworn status (see Attachment D).

Sample: We plan to conduct up to 115 cognitive interviews. At least eighty interviews shall be in English and at least 20 interviews shall be conducted in Spanish. We plan to conduct interviews with a variety of individuals as further described below.

Recruitment: Researchers shall interview respondents in the following criteria. A maximum of 115 cognitive interviews. A minimum of 20 interviews shall be conducted in Spanish with Spanish-dominant or monolingual Spanish speakers. The screener protocol is attached (see Attachment E) and the recruitment flyer template (see Attachment F).

At least 10 participants shall be recruited identifying with each of the following race or ethnicity categories, 5 of whom should identify with at least one of the detailed categories and 5 should be recruited that are suspected to not identify with a listed detailed category. For categories that mention “unrepresented categories” an additional 5 participants will be required.

• American Indian or Alaska Native (minimum of 10)

  • Listed detailed categories: Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe, Mayan, Aztec, Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government, Tlingit, etc

  • Additional categories: Original peoples of North, Central, and South America not included above.

• Asian (minimum of 10)

  • Listed categories: Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese.

  • Additional categories: Additional nationalities or ethnic groups originating in East Asia, Southeast Asia, or South Asia and not included above. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to Pakistani, Cambodian, Hmong, Thai, Bengali, Mien, etc.

• Black or African American (minimum of 10)

  • Listed categories: African American, Jamaican, Haitian, Nigerian, Ethiopian, and Somali.

  • Additional categories: Additional nationalities or ethnic groups originating in any of the Black racial groups of Africa not included above. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to, Ghanaian, South African, Barbadian, Kenyan, Liberian, Bahamian, etc.

• Hispanic or Latino (minimum of 30: minimums of 10 English-speakers and 20 Spanish-speakers)

  • Listed categories: Mexican or Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Salvadoran, Dominican, and Colombian.

  • Additional categories: Additional nationalities or ethnic groups originating in Central and South America, and other Spanish cultures. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to, Guatemalan, Honduran, Spaniard, Ecuadorian, Peruvian, Venezuelan, etc.

  • Unrepresented categories: People from Central and South American, and Caribbean nationalities or ethnicities whose primary language is not Spanish (e.g., Brazil, Surinam, Guyana, Belize, French Guiana) 

• Middle Eastern or North African (minimum of 10)

  • Listed categories: Lebanese, Iranian, Egyptian, Syrian, Moroccan, and Israeli.

  • Additional categories:   People of Middle Eastern or North African nationalities or ethnicities not included above. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to Algerian, Iraqi, Kurdish, Tunisian, Chaldean, Assyrian, etc.

• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (minimum of 10)

  • Listed categories: Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Chamorro, Tongan, Fijian, and Marshallese.

  • Additional categories: Additional nationalities or ethnic groups originating in the Pacific Islands. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to, Palauan, Tahitian, Chuukese, Pohnpeian, Saipanese, Yapese, etc.

• White (minimum of 15)

  • Listed categories: German, Irish, English, Italian, Polish, and French.

  • Additional categories: Additional nationalities or ethnic groups originating in Europe. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to,Scottish, Norwegian, Dutch, Slavic, Cajun, Roma, etc. and

  • Unrepresented categories: People with white origins not listed above (e.g., Russian, or eastern European groups)

• Afrolatino (minimum of 10)¹

  • Individuals who identify with both the Black or African American and the Hispanic or Latino racial and ethnic groups.

Minimum Category	Detailed and Additional Categories	Minimum number of participants
American Indian or Alaska Native	Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe, Mayan, Aztec, Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government, Tlingit	5
	Original peoples of North, Central, and South America not included above.	5
Asian	Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese	5
	Additional nationalities or ethnic groups originating in East Asia, Southeast Asia, or South Asia and not included above. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to Pakistani, Cambodian, Hmong, Thai, Bengali, Mien, etc.	5
Black or African American	African American, Jamaican, Haitian, Nigerian, Ethiopian, and Somali	5
	Additional nationalities or ethnic groups originating in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to,Ghanaian, South African, Barbadian, Kenyan, Liberian, Bahamian, etc.	5
Hispanic or Latino	Mexican or Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Salvadoran, Dominican, and Colombian.	2 English 10 Spanish
	Additional nationalities or ethnic groups originating in Central and South America, and other Spanish cultures. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to,Guatemalan, Honduran, Spaniard, Ecuadorian, Peruvian, Venezuelan, etc.	3 English 10 Spanish
	People from Central and South American, and Caribbean nationalities or ethnicities whose primary language is not Spanish (e.g., Brazil, Surinam, Guyana, Belize, French Guiana)	5
Middle Eastern or North African	Lebanese, Iranian, Egyptian, Syrian, Moroccan, and Israeli.	5
	People of Middle Eastern or North African nationalities or ethnicities not included above. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to Algerian, Iraqi, Kurdish, Tunisian, Chaldean, Assyrian, etc	5
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Chamorro, Tongan, Fijian, and Marshallese.	5
	Additional nationalities or ethnic groups originating in the Pacific Islands not included above. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to,Palauan, Tahitian, Chuukese, Pohnpeian, Saipanese, Yapese, etc	5
White	German, Irish, English, Italian, Polish, and French	5
	Additional nationalities or ethnic groups originating in Europe. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to, Scottish, Norwegian, Dutch, Slavic, Cajun, Roma, etc.	5
	People with white origins not listed above (e.g., Russian, or eastern European groups)	5
Afro-Latino	Individuals who identify with both the Black or African American and the Hispanic or Latino racial and ethnic groups.	10
Additional interviews that can appear in any category listed above.	As selected by the researchers	5-10
Total		110 minimum (115 maximum)

Recruitment characteristics for cognitive testing

A single participant may meet multiple types of the criteria listed above, but this will not result in a reduction in the total number of interviews conducted. However, it will allow for more flexibility in the types of participants recruited for additional interviews. Ideally participants will represent a diversity of other demographic characteristics such as age and gender identity to the extent possible.

Respondent name, address, phone number, e-mail, demographic data, and other personal identifying information (PII) of all household members is covered under Title 13 and all appropriate Title 13 requirements shall be followed when handling these data.

Protocol: A copy of a draft interview protocol and a draft questionnaire for testing purposes are enclosed (see Attachment A).

Cognitive interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams.

Use of incentive: Respondents shall receive a $40 incentive for remote cognitive interviews and $50 for in-person interviews.

Enclosures: Below is a list of materials to be used in the current study:

Attachment A: Cognitive Testing Protocol

Attachment B: Questionnaire specification Version A

Attachment C: Questionnaire specification Version B

Attachment D: Consent form

Attachment E: Screening questionnaire

Attachment F: Draft recruiting ads

Attachment G: Questionnaire specification Version C (adding People of African Descent)

Attachment H: Cognitive Testing Protocol Version B (adding probes about People of African Descent)

Length of interview: We expect that each cognitive interview will last no more than 60 minutes (115 cases x 60 minutes per case = 115 hours). Additionally, to recruit respondents we expect to reach out via email and to make up to 3 phone contacts per completed case. The recruiting calls are expected to last on average 3 minutes per call (3 attempts per phone call per completed case x 115 cases x 3 minutes per case = 17.25 hours). Thus, the estimated burden for the cognitive interview portion of this project is 132.25 hours (115 hours for interviews + 17.25 hours for recruiting).

Contact: The contact person for questions regarding data collection and statistical aspects of the design of this research is listed below:

Jenny Childs

Center for Behavioral Science Methods

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, D.C. 20233

301-763-4927

jennifer.hunter.childs@census.gov

1 Participants recruited in this category will see a revised questionnaire and revised probes, enclosed as Attachments G and H. These will focus specifically on self-identification of racial and ethnic groups amongst Afrolatino respondents.