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Communities excluded in the national census will be represented and included; For the first time since 1997, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) expanded its rules on race and ethnicity, seeking to make visible and represent all people in federal data collection.
During a briefing held by Ethnic Media Services, Experts discussed how new race and ethnicity standards have been included for OMB to ensure clarity in data collection and ensure needs are heard and communities represented.
Juan Rosa, national director of Civic Engagement of the Educational Fund (NALEO), commented that these changes in data collection can benefit communities in a long-term format, while considering that generations have changed and have more capacity to recognizing their identity, feeling proud of their origin and looking for a way to truly identify themselves as they are and where they come from.
35 percent of Latinos marked in the 2020 census that they were of another race, as they were not identified, while 8 percent did not respond; It is estimated that 27 million of the 63 million that were counted in the census were not reflected in the questions regarding race, which generated a need for changes, he said.
Tina J. Kauh, Senior Program Officer for the Research, Evaluation and Learning Unit at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, explained that this organization works with communities, doctors and institutions to create a future where medicine is available to everyone.
He commented that systemic racism is still present, not only for the Asian American community, but also for other minority communities, so getting enough resources for various studies or programs is really complicated, and without hard data it becomes almost impossible.
In that sense, he said that currently they are supporting the collection of data that adds a lot to the communities, which will allow them to know their shortcomings and needs, generating relevant information to implement new and better support programs.
Gail C. Christopher, executive director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity and director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's National Commission on Transforming Public Health Data Systems, explained that the data system must be expanded to include to the most vulnerable communities within California.
Christopher highlighted that it is very important to address the structural racism that limits communities of color, and that there are currently different categories so that people can identify and feel truly heard, showing that they are not invisible.
?The data system still needs to be transformed so that communities, health agencies and associations can understand that doing this is with the best intentions, since there are different narratives, however, the resources and results are intended to help. to prosper those communities that do not feel represented?, he stressed.
?The challenge we face is that the lack of data fits into the framework of discrimination and racial stereotypes that have been part of our nation and right now we are in that moment of accepting our history to create strength, reconciliation and healing processes.?, he added Gail C. Christopher.
Meeta Anand, senior director of census programs and data equity at The Leadership Conference Education Fund, explained that when you put the dots in the numbers, you're not telling the stories of racial equity and you're really only showing part of it.
And, he assured, when talking about collecting data, you only seek to have a better version of the people you want to represent, since the data can never pigeonhole a person, since there are many origins and cultures, but having More options in a survey allow them to show themselves what they are like or as close to what they are, and that is what is sought.
With this new format, people can identify themselves and tell their story through surveys. To achieve this, there will be sufficient time to code the collected data. Organizations will be aware of the process to achieve results that are more in line with reality.
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