Assessing Availability and Quality of Administrative Records for Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders: Recommendations for the Future

This is the final report of our three-part series focused on the potential role administrative records can play in improving enumeration for both the Asian American and the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations in decennial censuses as well as in other Census Bureau products. The focus of these reports is on the coverage of data on race—and specifically disaggregated race—in administrative records, and the potential limitations and benefits of using these records within an enumeration of these populations. The first report, Assessing Availability and Quality of Administrative Records for Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders: Introduction and Federal Database Analysis¹, focuses on the coverage of the Asian American and NHPI populations in federal administrative records and the attributes that can be assigned to these records. The second report, Assessing Availability and Quality of Administrative Records for Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders: State Database Analysis², focuses on the same topics, but for state-level administrative records.

Each of the above reports provide some reasons for optimism as well as significant cautions about the use of administrative records in decennial census operations. This final report focuses on unpacking potential upsides and downsides, while outlining recommendations for both the Census Bureau and their myriad stakeholders as we approach the 2030 Census. This report begins with a short recap of our previous findings as well as conclusions from other research about the coverage of race in administrative records, with a specific focus on the Asian American and NHPI communities. We then briefly cover the changes in Statistical Policy Directive 15 (SPD 15) that impact the collection of race and ethnicity data both in the decennial census and in administrative records. Finally, we share our cautions and recommendations about the usage of administrative records in census operations, with a focus on what we believe the Census Bureau and stakeholders should prioritize in the lead up to the 2030 Census and beyond.

Click below to read the report.