comments from the Leadership Conference to the Federal Interagency Working Group on revisions to standards for maintaining, collecting, and presenting data on race and ethnicity. As the comment explains, “the US population continues to becomes more diverse, collecting and reporting data only on broader race or ethnicity categories masks important differences within these population groups and hinders efforts to improve circumstances for all Americans.” Collecting accurate data from hard to count communities, a practice rooted in constitutional mandate, helps policy makers make more informed decisions on allocating public resources. The long-term costs of revising data collection standards are far outweighed by the benefits. Federal race and ethnicity data that comprehensively describes the population in diverse communities operates as a baseline for evaluating equality of access and has a far-reaching impact on civil rights and social justice.]]>
