[Population-census] Data from Race-Bridging Survey

[Ken Darga]

The Census Bureau has now made microdata available from its "Census
Quality Survey" (CQS).  This national survey of 55,000 households was
designed to provide a basis for "bridging" between single-race data from
the 1990 census and one-or-more-races data from Census 2000. 

The data and related documentation can be found at:
              www2.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/CQS 

This dataset can be used by researchers to analyze the consistency of
race reporting and to develop bridging parameters to convert data from
the 2000 Census to the categories used in 1990.  

The file contains individual responses from the CQS survey.  It does
NOT contain the bridging parameters that the Census Bureau has
developed, and it does NOT contain population estimates derived from
such parameters.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE CQS SURVEY
Half of the sample households were asked to mark one race on a mailback
questionnaire.  They were then contacted by telephone and asked to
select one or more races. The reverse procedure was used for the other
half of the sample households. The survey responses were then matched
with actual census responses.  

The file now being released contains survey responses to both the
mono-racial and the multi-racial question formats, as well as
corresponding responses to the race question on the Census.

RELATED DATA RELEASE
The Census Bureau is planning to release revised annual population
estimates from 1990 through 2000 based on a new set of race bridging
parameters being derived from the Census Quality Survey.  These
population estimates are now scheduled for release in December 2004.



-- Kenneth Darga, State Demographer
   Library of Michigan
   DargaK at michigan.gov