Data on the Foreign Born in 2010:Accessing Information on Immigrants and Immigration from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey

Thomas A. GrynPopulation Division, U.S. Census Bureau

Presentation for the Joint UNECE/Eurostat Work Session on Migration StatisticsUnited Nations Economic Commission for EuropeApril 14-16, 2010

Overview of Presentation

• Briefly discuss the core/non-core topics included in the CES Recommendations for the 2010 Round of Population and Housing Censuses

• Outline changes made to the decennial census of the United States after Census 2000

• Review the data available on the foreign born and immigration from the American Community Survey (ACS)

• Compare the data available from the ACS to the CES recommendations

• Review resources available to help analysts access the ACS data

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Objectives of the CES Recommendations for 2010

1. To provide guidance and assistance to countries in the planning and conducting of their population and housing censuses

2. To facilitate and improve the comparability of data at the regional level through the selection of a core set of census topics and the harmonization of definitions and classifications

Chapter VIII focuses on international and internal migration and recommended

core, non-core, and derived non-core topics.

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Core, Non-Core, and Derived Core Topics

• Core topics • CES Recommendations identify core topics as "highly

recommended" for collection

• Non-core topics• “Non-core” topics are optional and recommendations

are included on these topics for guidance for countries that decide to include them in their census.

• Derived non-core topics• “Non-core” topics which may be derived from other

census items

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Core Topics

• Country/Place of Birth

• Country of Citizenship

• Ever Resided Abroad

• Year of Arrival in the Country

• Previous Place of Usual Residence

• Date of Arrival in the Current Place

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Non-Core Topics

• Country of Previous Usual Residence Abroad

• Total Duration of Residence in the Country

• Place of Usual Residence Five Years Prior to the Census

• Reason for Migration

• Country of Birth of Parents

• Citizenship Acquisition

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Derived Non-Core Topics

• Persons with Foreign/National Background

• Population Groups Relevant to International Migration, including:– Foreign-born foreigners

– Native-born foreigners

– Foreign-born nationals

– Native-born nationals

• Population with Refugee Background

• Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

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U.S. Decennial Census – Quick Facts

Universe: Entire U.S. resident population(households and group quarters)

Frequency: Every 10 years (since 1790)Format: Two questionnaires (100-percent and

sample) for Census 2000 but one questionnaire (100 percent)

for Census 2010Geography: National and extensive sub-nationalPurpose: Apportionment of seats in the House of

Representatives among the states

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“Reengineered” Decennial Census

Census Bureau is discontinuing the decennial “long-form” (sample) questionnaire• Only “short-form” (100 percent) questions on

Census 2010– Includes age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, household

relationship, tenure (owner/renter status)

American Community Survey (ACS) is one component of the reengineered decennial census• ACS provides annual demographic, social, economic,

and housing characteristics data• ACS questions are comparable to the decennial long

form sample data, most items included in both• Note sample size in ACS is smaller, however

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American Community Survey – Quick Facts

Purpose: Provide timely data at national and extensive sub-national geography levels

Universe: U.S. resident population(3 million annually in

sample since 2005)

Frequency: Yearly releases of data

Geography: Nation, state, and limited county and place (2000 to 2005) and extensive sub-national (2008 forward)

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American Community Survey – Who Is Interviewed?

• Resident population living in both households and group quarters facilities (since 2006)

• Resident population without regard to legal status or citizenship

• Current residents at sample address who have lived or plan to live at housing unit for more than 2 months

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QUESTION:Does the ACS Include the CES Recommended Topics on International and Internal Migration?

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American Community Survey – Key Migration and Related Items

In addition to all of the other items on the ACS:• Place of Birth/Nativity• U.S. Citizenship• Year of Naturalization• Year of Entry• Residence One Year Prior to Survey• Race, Ethnicity (Hispanic origin), Ancestry • Language Spoken at Home

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Does the ACS Include the CES Recommended Core Topics?

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Country/Place of Birth: YES

• Question: Where was this person born?

• Data available by detailed country of birth for foreign born

Country of Citizenship : PARTIAL

• Question: Is this person a citizen of the United States?

• Data available by status: U.S. citizen (by birth), U.S. citizen (by naturalization), noncitizen

• No country of citizenship data available; no data on stateless persons published; dual/multi-citizenship status not collected

Does the ACS Include the CES Recommended Core Topics? (continued)

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Year of Arrival in the Country: YES

• Question: When did this person come to live in the United States?

• Asked of all residents born outside the United States (foreign born and native)

Place of Previous Residence/Date of Arrival in the Current Place: YES

• Questions: Did this person live in this house or apartment 1 year ago? Where did this person live 1 year ago?

• “Reduced mode”

• Data available by country and, for internal migrants only, previous address in the United States

Does the ACS Include the CES Recommended Non-Core Topics?

Citizenship Acquisition : PARTIAL

• Asked as part of the citizenship question:

– How citizenship acquired: 1) by birth in United States, in a U.S. territory or commonwealth, or abroad to American citizen parents, or 2) by naturalization

– Year of naturalization (since 2008)

• No question on type of naturalization– e.g., by marriage, residence, amnesty, etc.

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Does the ACS Include the CES Recommended Non-Core Topics? (continued)

No data collected on:

• Ever-International Migrants– Ever Resided Abroad– Country of Previous Usual Residence Abroad– Total Duration of Residence in the Country

• Place of Usual Residence Five Years Prior to the Census

• Reason for Migration

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Does the ACS Include the CES Recommended Non-Core Topics? (continued)

Also, no data collected on:

• Country of Birth of Parents– Questions on parental place of birth not currently asked– Cannot separate out persons with a foreign background or

persons with national background by generation group• For example, cannot identify “second generation”

• i.e., native-born nationals with foreign background

ACS 2010 Content Test

• Two questions on parental place of birth being tested, considered for inclusion on the 2014 ACS questionnaire

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Can the ACS Data Be Used to Derive the CES Recommended Populations?

Based on citizenship and place of birth:

• Persons with foreign background

• Persons with national background

• Foreign-born foreigners

• Foreign-born nationals

• Native-born nationals

No data available on native-born foreigners

• All born in the United States are citizens

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Can the ACS Data Be Used to Derive the CES Recommended Populations?(continued)

No data available from the ACS on:

• Population with Refugee Background

• Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

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QUESTION:Does the ACS Include the CES Recommended Topics on International and Internal Migration?

ANSWER:Yes, for most core topics.Yes, for some of the derived populations. No, for most non-core topics.

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American Community Survey – Data ProductsProfiles• Data Profiles• Narrative Profiles• Comparison Profiles• Selected Population Profiles

Tables• Detailed Tables• Subject Tables• Ranking Tables• Geographic Comparison Tables

Thematic MapsPublic Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) Files

- 1 year, 3 year, and 5 year data releases

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American Community Survey – Accessing DataAmerican FactFinderfactfinder.census.gov

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Sitehttp://www.census.gov/acs/www/Special/acsftp.html

Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) Fileswww.census.gov/acs/www/Products/PUMS/index.html

What PUMS Data Users Need to Know“Compass” Handbook www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/ACSPUMS.pdf

Data Ferrettdataferrett.census.gov

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American Community Survey – On-Line Resources for Researchers

“Compass” Handbookswww.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/Compass/handbook_def.html

ACS Design and Methodologywww.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/dm1.pdf

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Contact Information

Thomas GrynPopulation Division, U.S. Census BureauE-mail: Thomas.A.Gryn@census.gov

Elizabeth M. GriecoChief, Immigration Statistics StaffPopulation Division, U.S. Census BureauE-mail: Elizabeth.M.Grieco@census.gov

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