Race and Ethnicity Data Collection FAQ
Questions parents and students may ask regarding
the
Federal Government’s revised race and ethnicity
data collection categories
Q: Why is this information needed?
A: In the last few decades, the demographics of our society have changed significantly. As a result, the Federal Government issued revised race and ethnicity reporting categories which allow students and staff to describe who they are in a more accurate manner. This information is also used for funding and evaluation purposes, as well as civil rights compliance. Racial and ethnic data also aids in evaluating placement and program needs. The U.S. Census utilized these new categories in 2000, and education and human service agencies will follow.
Q: Haven’t we provided this information
before? Why do you need to ask again?
A: The Federal Government is collecting this data in a different way. To ensure that everyone has the opportunity to identify him or herself more accurately, the data is now being collected in a two-part question format.
Q: Will the school release my student’s
race and ethnicity to other parties?
A: Individual student records are protected by the Federal Education Records and Privacy Act (FERPA). The new race and ethnicity standards have no effect on FERPA’s protection of student records. FERPA does not designate race and ethnicity as directory information, and race and ethnicity have the same protection as any other non-directory information in a student’s education record. This information will not be reported to any Federal agency in a way that would identify you or your child. Only total number of students in each category of each school is reported to the Federal Government to ensure schools are receiving the proper educational programs and services they need.
Q: Is the Federal Government checking my
immigration status?
A: No. This information will be maintained in the student records. It will not be reported to any federal agency in a way that identifies you or your child. No one will check for immigration status from the information you provide.
Q: Why do Hispanic/Latino students need
to identify a race?
A: The Federal Government recognizes the fact that members of Hispanic populations can be of different races. The Federal Government would like to afford Hispanic/Latino populations the opportunity to better describe themselves according to their culture and heritage. So yes, you will be asked to select one or more races, even if you have indicated that you are Hispanic/Latino. If the two-part question is not answered completely, an observer must fill in the missing information on the person’s behalf.
Q: Can I refuse to provide this
information?
A: Yes one may choose not to provide this information; however, if one chooses not to provide such information, schools are required to provide an answer on one’s behalf.
Definition of race and ethnic categories used for Federal reporting
Ethnicity:
Hispanic/Latino
A
person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, South or Central American,
or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
Race
Categories:
American
Indian or Alaska Native
A person
having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America
(including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community
attachment.
Asian
A person
having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia,
or the Indian subcontinent
including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia,
Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Black or
African American
A person
having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
Native
Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
A person
having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other
Pacific Islands.
White
A person
having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or
North Africa.
Ancestry
A
student may volunteer his or her ancestry rather than answering “yes” to the
Hispanic/Latino ethnicity question. The following is a list of Hispanic ancestry
groups to which Hispanic individuals may refer themselves:
Spaniard
Andalusian
Asturian
Castillian
Catalonian
Balearlc Islander
Gallego
Valencian
Canary Islander
Mexican
Mexican American
Mexicano
Chicano
La Raza
Mexican American Indian
Mexican State
Costa Rican
Guatemalan
Honduran
Nicaraguan
Panamanian
Salvadoran
Central American
Canal Zone
Argentinean
Bolivian
Chilean
Colombian
Ecaudorian
Paraguayan
Peruvian
Uruguayan
Venezuelan
Criollo
South American
Latin American
Latino
Puerto Rican
Dominican
Hispanic
Spanish
Californio
Tejano
Nuevo Mexicano
Spanish American
National Forum on
Education Statistics, Race/Ethnicity Data Implementation Task Force. (2008)
Managing an Identity Crisis:
Forum Guide to Implementing New Federal Race and Ethnicity Categories (NFES
2008-802). National Center for
Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of
Education. Washington, DC.
Two-Part Question for Students:
Part A.
Is this student Hispanic/Latino?
(Choose only one)
The above part of the
question is about ethnicity, not race. No matter what you selected above, please
continue to answer the following by marking one or more boxes to indicate what
you consider your race to be.
Part B. What is the student’s race?
(Choose one or more)