The politics of representation in the US national statistical system: origins of minority population interest group participation

Population Estimation Error and Its Impact on 1991–1999 Cancer Rates

“…The race issue is further complicated by changes in the official federal definition of race that went into effect in 1997 (Office of Management andBudget 1997, 2000;Robbin 2000). With this redefinition, the Asian/Pacific Islander race group was subdivided into separate Asian and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander race groups for the purpose of tabulations.…”

“…Any comparison of race between 1990 and 2000 is thus problematic, since peoples' self-identification, as well as the official government classification, was not stable. Difficulties in racial classification are not limited to these issues; they extend to ambiguous classifications of certain ethnic groups, inconsistent race assignment rules across government agencies, and deeper epistemological questions (Bhopal and Donaldson 1998;Hahn 1999;Robbin 1999;Schein 2002). All of these problems have led to sincere calls for the abolition of racial classification altogether (Fullilove 1998;Oppenheimer 2001).…”

Ethnic Diversity in Library and Information Science

“…Statistics on race and ethnicity have reflected the official record keeper's assessment of a social group's identity, status in society at a particular historical moment, and recognition of membership in the polity (Robbin, 1999). Government statistical systems that record race and ethnicity have created or erased social identity and excluded or included groups in the body politic (Robbin, 2000b). Until recent decades, immigration and naturalization laws contained explicit language that identified particular ethnic groups in racial terms and as ineligible for citizenship.…”

“…A key reason why government agencies did not collect statistical data on the Latino and Hispanic populations was the belief that they were geographically concentrated in only a few regions of the country (Robbin, 2000b).…”

“…"Great Society" initiatives of the 1960s fostered the rise of identity politics and the entrance of minority population interest groups into the political arena. During the 1970s, African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Pacific Islanders mobilized to influence Congressional and administrative policy decisions about federal statistics on race and ethnicity (Robbin, 2000b). Minority statistics became an integral part of the federal statistical system because of their efforts.…”