Reaching the Foreign-Born: An Examination of Mode of Response in the American Community Survey

Thomas A. Gryn, U.S. Census Bureau
Edward N. Trevelyan, U.S. Census Bureau

The American Community Survey (ACS) collects data from respondents via four modes of response: mail, Internet, Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI), and Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). This poster uses 2013 ACS 1-year data to analyze which mode of response was most commonly used by the foreign-born population. As 2013 was the first year that the Internet mode was used to collect ACS data, this poster places special emphasis on examining this mode of response. First, mode of response of the population by nativity and citizenship is presented. These groups are further subdivided by major demographic characteristics such as age, race, ethnicity, poverty levels, and educational achievement. Next, mode of response by characteristics specific to the foreign born, such as year of entry, English proficiency, and country and region of birth, are examined. Mode differences exist when the data are analyzed across various characteristics, especially nativity and citizenship.