New guidelines in data collection for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities

The federal government is making an effort to disaggregate data regarding Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. 

On March 28, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced revisions to its guidelines for data collection. This marks the first update to these guidelines since 1997 and aims to ensure that federal data accurately reflects the diversity of the American population.

It is also getting rid of outdated language in its guidelines.

One notable aspect of the updated standards is the more detailed categorization of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. This will allow for a more nuanced understanding of these communities and ensure that their specific needs are taken into account in data collection efforts.

Under the Asian category, users will be given the following options:  Chinese, Asian Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese or another group (for example, Pakistani, Hmong, Afghan). The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander category will have more detailed choices as well: Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Chamorro, Tongan, Fijian, Marshallese or another group (for example, Chuukese, Palauan, Tahitian).

Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) described the changes as a “historic milestone” for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

Caucus Chair Rep. Judy Chu of California said in a statement that the “OMB announcement is no minor bureaucratic change or maneuver; it’s a once-in-a-generation breakthrough,” 

She added, “As CAPAC has consistently emphasized, grouping our AANHPI communities together often masks the disparities that certain racial or ethnic groups face, including on economic prosperity, health outcomes, home ownership, or educational attainment, and make government programs and services less responsive and effective.”

The process of updating these standards began in June 2022 when the OMB convened a group of government officials to discuss ways to improve data collection practices regarding race and ethnicity. This group considered feedback from various sources, including over 20,000 comments from the public, as well as input from listening sessions and virtual town halls.