Hi,
I have a question regarding RACE variable. I think several write-in options for White have been added since 2020, such as Lebanese and Egyptian. But I do not see those categories in RACE variable. I may not be looking at the right place, but I appreciate any feedback on this.
Thanks!
I assume you are referring to the redesigned race question that allows respondents to print their origins after reporting their race. While the question on race was changed in order to capture more information when people didn’t fully understand the instructions, the write-in responses are not released verbatim in the public use microdata that are used by IPUMS USA. These verbatim responses inform coded versions of the originally released race variables, in some cases with additional detail such as in the detailed race subgroups in RAC2P and RAC3P from Asian, Pacific Islander, and American Indian respondents. Note that not all race categories include detailed subcategories; for example, there are no such categories for for White (e.g. German) or Black (e.g. Nigerian) respondents. To create RACE and RACED, IPUMS uses data from the publicly released variables RACE1P, RAC2P, and RAC3P (see the 2021 ACS PUMS data dictionary). You may be able to obtain the original write-in data by applying to access the restricted use data through an FSRDC or consider using the variables ANCESTR1 and ANCESTR2, which provide detailed ancestry information that may be comparable to the write-in origins in RACE. Finally, a colleague of mine noted that tabulations of the write-in responses are released via the DDHC.
Thank you for your helpful response!