Racial Identity Data Standard variables and values

Purpose

This mandatory variable indicates which race(s) a person self-identifies as.

Preamble

In society, people may experience systemic barriers based on their race. Race is not based in science but is socially created based on where people come from or how they look. Classifying or categorizing people based on race creates social hierarchies and power imbalances, and can affect the way people are treated by individuals and institutions.

Question

“How would you best describe your race? Select all that apply.”

Data values

Note: When asking this variable, display both the label and examples for each value in the answer options.

Label	Examples	Code	Meaning
1. "Black"	African, Afro-Canadian, Afro-Caribbean, Jamaican, Nigerian descent, etc.	BLACK	Individual identifies as Black
2. "East Asian"	Chinese, Hong Konger, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese descent, etc.	EAST_ASIAN	Individual identifies as East Asian
3. "Indigenous"	First Nations, Inuit, Métis descent	INDIGENOUS	Individual identifies as Indigenous
4. "Latin American"	Brazilian, Central American, Mexican, Latine, South American descent, etc.	LATIN_AMERICAN	Individual identifies as Latin American
5. "Middle Eastern"	Afghan, Arab, Egyptian, Iranian, West Asian descent, etc.	MIDDLE_EASTERN	Individual identifies as Middle Eastern
6. "South Asian"	Bangladeshi, Indian, Indo-Caribbean, Indo-Fijian, Pakistani descent, etc.	SOUTH_ASIAN	Individual identifies as South Asian
7. "Southeast Asian"	Cambodian, Filipino, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese descent, etc.	SOUTHEAST_ASIAN	Individual identifies as Southeast Asian
8. "White"	British, European, German, Polish, Ukrainian descent, etc.	WHITE	Individual identifies as White
9. "Another Racial Identity"	(No examples provided)	ANOTHER_RACIAL_IDENTITY [optional free text response]	Individual identifies as Another Racial Identity
10. "I do not know / I am not sure"	(No examples provided)	DO_NOT_KNOW	Individual is unsure how to answer
11. "Prefer not to answer"	(No examples provided)	PREFER_NOT_TO_ANSWER	Individual declines to share information

Usage

• Individuals may identify as being any of Black, East Asian, Indigenous, Latin American, Middle Eastern, South Asian, Southeast Asian, White or Another Racial Identity, including multiple combinations of these categories
• Use checkboxes instead of radio buttons to allow for more than one option to be selected
• Display the examples as well as the data values in the answer options for this question
• Data values for specified identities must be listed in alphabetical order. “I DO NOT KNOW/I AM NOT SURE” and “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” should always appear at the bottom of the form
• “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” is always presented as a response option unless identity information is required to provide a program or service
• Data values should not be numbered in options for response
• The response for “ANOTHER RACIAL IDENTITY” may include a free text response with a 200-character limit that supports UTF-8 character encoding

About the variable

Race: A social construct (an idea) used to classify people into groups based on how they look or where they come from. Race or racial categories are not based on science or biology but on differences that society has created.

What is this variable identifying?

• This is the core variable that should be used for racial equity research. It provides baseline information about the way that systemic racism operates in government programs and services
• Race is the only mandatory variable in the Racial Identity Data Standard. All other variables in the standard add more information to this core variable (for example, ethnicity, spirituality/religion and language can be used to help design culturally sensitive programs and services)
• This variable measures the socially constructed concept of race, which for the purposes of the Racial Identity Data Standard is the social meaning given to a person’s physical characteristics. It is one core aspect of the way that people are racialized by society
• The Racial Identity Data Standard also includes a broader set of identity variables, because racialization can happen based on many aspects of identity beyond physical appearance, including:
  • Ethnicity
  • Religion
  • Spirituality
  • Language proficiency

Context for race values

• Racial categories do not follow a logical system because racialization is a social construct based on historical systems of oppression and colonization. For this reason, this variable uses a mix of ancestral, geographic and physical descriptors for race
• Race categories are distinct from geographic regions. Names of geographic regions are used in this standard (for example, East Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Southeast Asian) to refer to groups of people perceived to belong to a racial group with common ancestral origins in that particular region of the world
• Race is not inherently tied to geography. Individuals described by some categories (for example “Black,” “East Asian,” “South Asian” and “White”) may live anywhere in the world

When to use this variable

• Use this variable to collect baseline race data to identify systemic racism at a broad level. For example, using this variable alone, a ministry could see if their programs and services are reaching people of all races equitably
• This variable can also be combined with Indigenous identity, ethnicity and religion or spirituality variables to examine racial equity at a more granular level
• Consider combining race data with other demographic data (for example, gender, age) to conduct intersectional analysis

What to avoid

• Do not attribute differences in outcomes between races to biological or genetic differences. These attributions have no validity because race and ethnicity are socially constructed concepts that are not biologically or genetically distinct. Instead, think about the social and systemic factors that might have contributed to these differences. For example, how access to and experiences with health-care services explain the link between race and excess mortality (higher than expected death rates)
• Do not use the ethnicity variable interchangeably with the race variable or use other variables as a substitute for the race variable. In your research, it is important to explicitly articulate the definitions for the concepts you are using, conceptually distinguish them from other related terms and explain why they are relevant and what role they play in relation to other variables
• Disaggregation by race should be prioritized and combining data into a larger group should be avoided wherever possible. If combining into a larger group such as “racialized”, you should be able to explain the rationale (for example, insufficient sample sizes) for doing so in project documentation and any publicly released information and specify what categories are included in the larger group
• Aggregating racial groups can mask important variation and can reinforce assumptions that racial groups are homogenous. Striving for disaggregation by race and other identity factors is a fundamental aspect of recommendations from the Office of the B.C. Human Rights Commissioner’s report, Disaggregated demographic data collection in British Columbia: The grandmother perspective
• For more information, see the Guide on Using Categorical Race and Ethnicity Variables (PDF)

Value-specific guidance

• “Indigenous” refers to people who are of First Nations, Métis or Inuit descent. This identity is included to help with understanding how Indigenous people may be racialized as a group. This is distinct from the question about whether an individual self-identifies as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuit, which is collected separately under the Indigenous Identity Data Standard
  • The Indigenous racial category may be further disaggregated and understood using the corresponding Indigenous identity variable collected using the Indigenous Identity Data Standard to better understand how race and Indigenous identity intersect and impact an individual’s program and service outcomes
  • If you are looking at distinctions-based research, use the Indigenous identity variable from the Indigenous Identity Data Standard, not the “Indigenous” value from the racial identity data standard
  • The Indigenous identity question should be the source of the truth for research about First Nations, Métis and Inuit people
• “Another Racial Identity” can be used by individuals who know their racial identity but do not see it reflected in the other values in this question
• “Another Racial Identity” has an optional free text response option public bodies may choose to add at their discretion
  • Note that re-coding free text responses requires considerable time and staff capacity. Collecting free-text responses may not be useful if the responses are difficult to understand, in groups that are too small for statistical calculations, or so specific that they risk personal identification
  • Re-coding free text responses also comes with the added risk of increasing community harm and should only be undertaken with great care
  • When combining datasets, if one or more datasets include free text responses for “Another Racial Identity” but another dataset only has closed responses for “Another Racial Identity”, then the combined data set should have any free text responses re-coded to the closed responses so all the data is at the same level of specificity

Verbal collection

• When verbal collection is needed to ensure accessibility and cultural safety, you may use the following shorter preamble for this variable:
  • In society, people are often described by their race or racial background. Racial groups are socially defined ways of classifying people. Race is not based in science but can affect the way people are treated. How would you best describe your race?

Interoperability

• If needed for interoperability purposes, these values may be aggregated to the identities of people categorized as “visible minorities” under the federal Employment Equity Act. Consult the concordance table for the Racial Identity Data Standard for more information
• If you need more detailed information about identity that aligns with the visible minority categories for the purposes of the Employment Equity Act, then ask a separate question using only the values needed for that purpose
  • For example, you may ask if someone identifies as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, West Asian, or Arab with checkboxes

Technical guidance

• Use checkboxes to allow for more than one choice instead of radio buttons, which only allow for one choice
• Data values for specified identities (1-8) must be listed in alphabetical order. Don’t know/prefer not to answer should always appear at the bottom of the form
• Individuals who identify as more than one race can select all categories that apply
• There is no multi-racial option. It is understood that anyone who self-identifies as more than one racial identity is multi-racial
• Avoid using a multi-racial identifier. Some program areas may need to use a multi-racial identifier for interoperability with data from older datasets or external partners. In these cases, ask the racial identity question as noted above, and then aggregate into a multi-racial category when reporting
• Analysis of data from multi-racial individuals will vary depending on the type of research question and the nature of the data available. Consider using one of the three main approaches to analysis for data from multi-racial individuals as described in section 4 of the U.S. standards for race and ethnicity categories
• Public bodies must not introduce subcategories under the required race categories
• Data values 1-11 should be displayed/provided to the respondent as options. Data value 11 (“PREFER NOT TO ANSWER”) may only be excluded as an option if a response is required to deliver a program or service
• The response for “ANOTHER RACIAL IDENTITY” may include a free text response with a 200-character limit that supports UTF-8 character encoding
• Values 1-9 may be selected in combination
• Data values 10 and 11 (“I DO NOT KNOW/I AM NOT SURE” and/or “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER) are mutually exclusive from all other options. They cannot be selected in combination with data values 1-9
• For additional coding rules see the data entry and coding section

Purpose

This optional variable indicates which ethnicity/ethnicities a person identifies as.

Preamble

Individuals may experience systemic barriers based on their ethnic or cultural origin. Ethnic groups have a common ancestry, identity, heritage or shared history, often with identifiable cultural values and traditions. Ethnic or cultural origins may include:

• Indigenous origins (for example, Cree, Māori, Sami, etc.)
• Origins that refer to different countries or regions (for example, Chinese, Irish, Punjabi, etc.)
• Other origins (for example, Arab, Jewish, Mennonite, etc.)

Question

“What is your ethnic or cultural origin? Write or select all that apply.”

Data values

Label	Code	Meaning
1. “Ethnic Identity 1”	ETHNIC_IDENTITY_1 [free text response]	Individual identifies as the open response provided for Ethnic Identity 1
2. “Ethnic Identity 2”	ETHNIC_IDENTITY_2 [free text response]	Individual identifies as the open response provided for Ethnic Identity 2
3. “Ethnic Identity 3”	ETHNIC_IDENTITY_3 [free text response]	Individual identifies as the open response provided for Ethnic Identity 3
4. “Ethnic Identity 4”	ETHNIC_IDENTITY_4 [free text response]	Individual identifies as the open response provided for Ethnic Identity 4
5. “Ethnic Identity 5”	ETHNIC_IDENTITY_5 [free text response]	Individual identifies as the open response provided for Ethnic Identity 5
6. “Ethnic Identity 6”	ETHNIC_IDENTITY_6 [free text response]	Individual identifies as the open response provided for Ethnic Identity 6
7. “Ethnic Identity 7”	ETHNIC_IDENTITY_7 [free text response]	Individual identifies as the open response provided for Ethnic Identity 7
8. “Ethnic Identity 8”	ETHNIC_IDENTITY_8 [free text response]	Individual identifies as the open response provided for Ethnic Identity 8
9. “I do not know / I am not sure”	DO_NOT_KNOW	Individual is unsure how to answer
10. “Prefer not to answer”	PREFER_NOT_TO_ANSWER	Individual declines to share information

Usage

• Drop-down menus of ethnic and cultural origins should be provided rather than open responses. Drop-down menus should use language from the categories and subcategories from the most recent Statistics Canada list of ethnic or cultural origins
• If a free text response is required due to system limitations the response for each ethnicity may include a free text response with a 100-character limit that supports UTF-8 character encoding
• Individuals may write in or select up to eight ethnic or cultural origins, including multiple combinations of responses
• Use checkboxes for the “I DO NOT KNOW/I AM NOT SURE” and “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” responses. These values should be used even if a drop-down menu is not used
• “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” is always presented as a response option unless identity information is required to provide a program or service

About the variable

Ethnicity: A person’s ethnic or cultural origins. Ethnic groups have a common ancestry, identity, heritage or shared history, often with identifiable cultural values and traditions.

What is this variable identifying?

• The ethnicity variable, like the race variable, is a socially constructed concept without a biological basis. The ethnicity variable measures shared identities based on an individual’s culture and ancestry
• Ethnic or cultural origins may include:
  • Indigenous origins (for example, Cree, Māori, Sami, etc.)
  • Origins that refer to different countries or regions (for example, Chinese, Irish, Punjabi etc.)
  • Other origins (for example, Arab, Jewish, Mennonite etc.)

When to use this variable

• Use the ethnicity variable to supplement the mandatory race variable
• This variable helps to give a more nuanced understanding of data collected from the race variable by providing more cultural and regional aspects within racial categories. It can be used to evaluate outcomes of programs and services to see if people are receiving equitable treatment when disaggregated by ethnic identity categories
• The ethnicity variable can also be used to identify more culturally appropriate ways to tailor programs and services, and how to help ensure cultural safety and prevent community harms

What to avoid

• Do not attribute differences in outcomes between ethnicities to biological or genetic differences. These attributes have no validity because race and ethnicity are socially constructed concepts that are not biologically distinct. Use social attribution instead
• Do not use the race variable interchangeably with the ethnicity variable or use other variables such as religion/spirituality or language variables as a substitute for the ethnicity variable. In your research, it is important to explicitly explain the definitions for the concepts you are using, conceptually distinguish them from other related terms and explain why they are relevant and what role they play in relations to other variables
• For more information, see the Guide on Using Categorical Race and Ethnicity Variables (PDF)

Value-specific guidance

• Ethnoreligious values (for example, Jewish, Mennonite) should not be attributed to religion. The listed values under the ethnicity variable are not a mistake
• Consider disaggregating the race variable further by also looking at ethnicity when doing research using racial identity. This will help to better understand cultural safety considerations and other cultural factors. However, avoid disaggregation in cases where datasets from smaller groups may present a risk of harm due to a too-small sample size or risk of re-identification
• Recognizing that race categories are very broad and may obscure differences across ethnicities, consider using ethnicity to better understand how outcomes may differ across people that share the same racial identity

Verbal collection

• When verbal collection is needed, for example to ensure accessibility and cultural safety, you may use the following shorter preamble for this variable:
  • Individuals may experience systemic barriers in unique ways based on their ethnic or cultural origin. Ethnic groups have a common ancestry, identity or shared history, often with identifiable cultural values and traditions. What is your ethnic or cultural origin?
• An individual’s response should be noted down as raw data and coded prior to analysis by the researcher according to best fit with Statistics Canada’s most recent list of ethnic or cultural origins

Technical guidance

• This question should be asked in digital format wherever possible. Open text boxes are difficult to interpret and re-code consistently and accurately and are not recommended for this question. If you use open text boxes, categorize the responses with care, recognizing that there may be community harm that comes with the way you make these categorizations
• Individual may choose up to eight ethnic or cultural origins, including multiple combinations of ethnicities
• “I DON’T KNOW/I AM UNSURE” and “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” should always appear at the bottom of the form
• Use checkboxes for the “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” and “I DON’T KNOW/I AM UNSURE” responses
• Avoid using a multi-ethnic identifier. Some ministries may need to use a multi-ethnic identifier for interoperability with data from older datasets or external partners. In these cases, ask the ethnic identity question as noted above, and then aggregate into a multi-ethnic category when reporting
• Data values 1-8 should be displayed/provided to the respondent in digital format as drop-down menus of ethnic and cultural origin responses rather than open responses
• Use the list of identity categories and sub-categories of from Statistics Canada’s most recent list of ethnic or cultural origins
• If a free text response is required due to system limitations use a 100-character limit that supports UTF-8 character encoding for the response for each ethnicity
• Data value 10 “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” may only be excluded as an option if a response is required to deliver a program or service
• An individual must be able to select any combination of drop-down menu ethnic and cultural origin responses for values between 1-8
• Data values 9 and 10 (“I DO NOT KNOW/I AM NOT SURE” and/or “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER”) are mutually exclusive from all other options. They cannot be selected in combination with ethnic and cultural origin responses for values 1-8
• For additional coding rules see the data entry and coding section

Purpose

This optional variable indicates which religion or spirituality a person identifies with, if any.

Preamble

Individuals may experience systemic barriers based on their religion or spirituality. A person can self-identify as having a connection with any religion, religious community or system of belief.

Question

“How would you best describe your religion or spirituality? Select all that apply.”

Data values

Label	Code	Meaning
1. "Buddhist"	BUDDHIST	Individual identifies as Buddhist
2. "Christian"	CHRISTIAN	Individual identifies as Christian
3. "Hindu"	HINDU	Individual identifies as Hindu
4. "Indigenous Spirituality"	INDIGENOUS_SPIRITUALITY	Individual identifies as practising Indigenous Spirituality
5. "Jewish"	JEWISH	Individual identifies as Jewish
6. "Muslim"	MUSLIM	Individual identifies as Muslim
7. "Sikh"	SIKH	Individual identifies as Sikh
8. "Spiritual"	SPIRITUAL	Individual identifies as Spiritual
9. "Another religion or spirituality not listed"	ANOTHER_RELIGION_OR_SPIRITUALITY  [optional free text response]	Individual identifies as having another religion or spirituality not listed
10. "No religion or spirituality"	NO_RELIGION_OR_SPIRITUALITY	Individual identifies as having no religion or spirituality
11. "I do not know / I am not sure"	DO_NOT_KNOW	Individual is unsure how to answer
12. "Prefer not to answer"	PREFER_NOT_TO_ANSWER	Individual declines to share information

Usage

• Use checkboxes for all values. If you need more detailed information, include a follow-up question with an open text box
• If a free text response is required for “ANOTHER RELIGION OR SPIRITUALITY NOT LISTED” include a free text response with a 100-character limit that supports UTF-8 character encoding
• Data values for specified identities must be listed in the order shown above. “I DO NOT KNOW/I AM NOT SURE” and “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” should always appear at the bottom of the form
• “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” is always presented as a response option unless identity information is required to provide a program or service

About the variable

Religion or Spirituality: A person may identify as having a connection with any religion, religious community or system of belief. This can also include individual spiritual, faith beliefs and/or practices outside an organized religion, or not having religious beliefs (atheism or agnosticism etc.).

What is this variable identifying?

• This variable identifies an individual’s religion or spirituality, including absence of religion or spirituality

When to use this variable

• Use the religion or spirituality variable to measure if and how an individual’s religion or spirituality impacts their access to government programs and services. This information can enable the identification and elimination of Islamophobia and antisemitism, as well as anti-Indigenous racism based on practice of Indigenous spirituality
  • The provincial anti-racism action plan  under the Anti-Racism Act (ARA) must include actions to be taken by public bodies towards addressing the harms of systemic racism specific to Indigenous Peoples, Islamophobia and antisemitism. Information collected under this variable will help inform this work under ARA
• Even if they are not mentioned by name in legislation, other forms of hate and/or inequity based on religion or spirituality (for example anti-Sikh hate) should be considered and examined
• This variable can also be combined with Indigenous identity, racial identity and ethnic identity using intersectional analysis to further disaggregate into specific groups to examine factors related to racial equity at a more granular level
• If you require more detailed information about an individual’s religion or spirituality (for example, different denominations or branches of Christianity or Islam), you can ask a follow up question with an open text box. Ensure you need more specific information to improve your program and/service before asking for additional information

What to avoid

• Always remember the principle of minimal collection. If your program area does not need information on religion or spirituality, do not use the religion or spirituality variable
• It is important not to use ethnicity as a proxy for religion. For example, an individual may be ethnically Jewish but describe themselves as having no religion or spirituality

Value-specific guidance

• Be mindful when using religious terminology. For example, Islam is the religion, and followers of Islam are Muslims
• If you are examining antisemitism, there are three variables that you should look at: religion or spirituality, ethnicity, and visible markers. To fully capture Jewish experience in the data, you need to consider all three variables because Jewish identity is complex. For example, someone could identify as culturally/ethnically Jewish but not religiously Jewish

Technical guidance

• Individuals may select all values that apply
• There is no multi-faith option. It is understood that anyone who self-identifies as having more than one religion or spirituality is multi-faith
• Avoid using a multi-faith identifier. Some ministries may need to use a multi-faith identifier for interoperability with data from older datasets or external partners. In these cases, ask the religion or spirituality question as noted above, and then aggregate into a multi-faith category when reporting
• Use checkboxes for all values. If you need more detailed information, include a follow-up question with an open text box
• If a free text response is required for “ANOTHER RELIGION OR SPIRITUALITY NOT LISTED” this value may include a free text response with a 100-character limit that supports UTF-8 character encoding
• For additional information regarding potential religious discrimination consider also asking the question about religious and/or spiritual visible markers, but only if that information is necessary
• Data values for specified identities must be listed in the order shown above. “I DO NOT KNOW/I AM NOT SURE” and “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” should always appear at the bottom of the form
• Data values 1-12 should be displayed/provided to the respondent as options. Data value 12 (“PREFER NOT TO ANSWER”) may only be excluded as an option if a response is required to deliver a program or service
• An individual must be able to select any combination of data values between 1-10
• The default indicator is “NULL” unless a value or valid combination of values is chosen
• Data values 11 and 12 (“I DO NOT KNOW/I AM NOT SURE” and/or “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER”) are mutually exclusive from all other options. They cannot be selected in combination with data values 1-10
• For additional coding rules see the data entry and coding section

Purpose

This optional variable indicates if and how often a person wears or has visible markers of their religion or spirituality.

Preamble

An individual may experience systemic barriers if they wear or show symbols of their religious or spiritual beliefs. These symbols can include head coverings, clothing, jewellery, items worn or carried, hair and grooming practices, tattoos or bodily adornments.

Question

“Do you display visible markers or symbols of religion and/or spirituality?”

Data values

Label	Code	Meaning
1. "Yes, most or all of the time"	MOST_OR_ALL_OF_THE_TIME	Individual displays visible markers of religion and/or spirituality most or all of the time
2. "Yes, sometimes"	SOMETIMES	Individual sometimes displays visible markers of religion and/or spirituality
3. "Yes, rarely"	RARELY	Individual rarely displays visible markers of religion and/or spirituality
4. "No"	NO	Individual does not display visible markers of religion and/or spirituality
5. "I do not know / I am not sure"	DO_NOT_KNOW	Individual is unsure how to answer
6. "Prefer not to answer"	PREFER_NOT_TO_ANSWER	Individual declines to share information

Usage

• Individuals are to choose the value that best represents if and how often they show visible markers or symbols of their religion and/or spirituality
• Use radio buttons
• “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” is always presented as a response option unless identity information is required to provide a program or service

About the variable

Visible Markers of Religion or Spirituality: Symbols or markers that a person wears or shows (for example, head covering, tattoos, jewellery, etc.) that indicate religious or spiritual affiliation.

What is this variable measuring?

• This optional variable should be used to understand if visible markers of religion or spirituality impact an individual’s access to or experience of government programs and services

When to use this variable

• Only use the visible markers of religion or spirituality variable in tandem with the religion variable, do not ask on its own. The visible markers of religion/spirituality variable provides additional context that allows for a more complete understanding of the experiences of people in B.C.
• Since the visible markers of religion variable focuses on physical markers, this variable should only be used to evaluate programs and services in contexts where physical markers could be visible (for example, front-counter services, services provided over video call)
• This variable can also be combined with Indigenous identity, racial identity, ethnic identity and religious or spirituality using intersectional analysis to further disaggregate into specific groups to examine factors related to racial equity at a more granular level

What to avoid

• This question is specific to how frequently an individual displays a visible marker. It does not give information on what the visible marker is, or how visible the marker is (for example, a small cross on a necklace may be less visible than a turban). If you have sufficient rationale to require additional information, ask about this additional information separately while keeping in mind the principle of minimal collection
• This variable does not identify religious/spiritual practices (for example, diet, and/or prayer times). If specific questions about practices need to be asked (for example, to determine accommodations), ask these questions separately while keeping in mind the principle of minimal collection
• Visible markers do not indicate degree of religiosity or spirituality since these markers can be used in popular culture and fashion as well as in a spiritual context. They may also be worn for cultural rather than religious reasons (for example, someone who is culturally Jewish and wears a Star of David may not be religiously Jewish), or indicative of a belief that someone no longer holds (for example, someone who has a cross tattoo but may no longer identify as Christian)

Value-specific guidance

• The purpose of asking the question under this variable is to determine a yes or no response to whether individuals display visible markers of religion or spirituality
• The values individuals choose will be subject to personal interpretation. “Most or all of the time”, “sometimes”, and “rarely” are relative and subjective values and the contexts people associate with these values may or may not overlap with provision of government services. For example, an individual who says that they wear visible markers “rarely” could mean they wear visible markers at their place of worship, but not elsewhere

Technical guidance

• If you choose to ask this question it should always be asked following the religion or spirituality question
• Individual may choose the value that best represents how often they show visible markers or symbols of their religion and/or spirituality
• Use radio buttons
• “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” and “I DO NOT KNOW/I AM NOT SURE” should always appear at the bottom of the form
• Data values 1-6 should be displayed/provided to the respondent as options. The default indicator is “NULL” unless a value is chosen
• Data value 6 (“PREFER NOT TO ANSWER”) may only be excluded as an option if a response is required to deliver a program or service
• An individual must be able to select one data value between 1-6
• On forms: Data values 5 and 6 (“I DO NOT KNOW/I AM NOT SURE” and/or “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER”) are mutually exclusive from all other options. They cannot be selected in combination with a response from data values 1-4
• For additional coding rules see the data entry and coding section

Purpose

This optional variable indicates what year a person arrived in Canada to live (also known as arrival year).

Preamble

Individuals may experience systemic racism and other barriers based on the length of time that they have lived in Canada. People who have spent longer in Canada may have an easier time navigating and accessing government programs and services than those who have not spent as much time in Canada.

Question

“What year did you first arrive in Canada to live? Select or write-in the option that most applies to you.”

Data values

Label	Code	Meaning
1. "I was born in Canada"	BORN_IN_CANADA	Individual was born in Canada
2. “I arrived in Canada in the year [year text response]”	ARRIVED_IN_CANADA [year text response]	Individual arrived in Canada to live in the year provided
3. "I do not know / I am not sure"	DO_NOT_KNOW	Individual is unsure how to answer
4. "Prefer not to answer"	PREFER_NOT_TO_ANSWER	Individual declines to share information

Usage

• Individual to choose the value that best represents the year in which they first arrived in Canada to live
• Use radio buttons and a drop-down (preferred) or open text box (if drop-down unavailable) with a limit of 4 numeric characters for value 2
• “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” is always presented as a response option unless identity information is required to provide a program or service

About the variable

Arrival Year: Refers to the year in which the person first arrived in Canada to live. People born in Canada will not have an arrival year.

What is this variable identifying?

• This variable identifies the year that an individual first arrived to live in Canada. For individuals who entered Canada more than once, their year of arrival is their first year they arrived in the country to live
• This variable can be used to derive the length of time (since year of arrival) that an individual has lived in Canada
• This serves as a proxy for how familiar the individual is with Canada’s culture and customs. It is assumed that generally speaking, people who have lived in Canada longer may have an easier time navigating and accessing government programs and services than those who have not spent as much time in Canada

When to use this variable

• Arrival year can be used to provide a deeper understanding of the race variable. It can be used to evaluate the relationship between length of time in Canada and outcomes of programs and services and how that relationship may change depending on an individual’s race

What to avoid

• Do not ask for this information unless it’s directly relevant to your provision of programs or services (for example, if there is a special program for newcomers to Canada)
• Do not use this as a proxy variable for English language proficiency
• Do not use this to infer information about citizenship status (for example, both immigrants and non-immigrants can be citizens of Canada) or immigration status
• Though an individual’s year of arrival in Canada may correlate with their length of time living in Canada, and therefore, their ease in navigating government programs and services, this may not always be the case. For example, an individual may have arrived in Canada to live, moved away, and then come back to Canada, which may impact their experience compared to someone living in Canada continuously. To gather length of time in Canada and/or its potential correlation to experience with government programs and services, qualitative research is recommended
• In addition to length of time since arrival, the life stage when a person arrived may have shaped their experiences of racism. For example, a 36-year-old adult and their 16-year-old child have both lived in Canada for 10 years but may experience racism differently because the child has lived in Canada for more than half their life during their formative years. In this case, the child feels more Canadian than their parent despite both living in Canada for the same length of time
  • If you need to know more about what life stage a person arrived in Canada, consider cross-referencing an individual’s date of birth with their arrival year

Value-specific guidance

• Individual may choose the value that best represents the year in which they first arrived in Canada to live
• Responding to the arrival year question may be difficult for some people because they do not remember exactly when they came. Individuals are asked for their best approximations so the arrival year date may be slightly subjective

Technical guidance

• Data values 1-4 should be displayed/provided to the respondent as radio buttons with a drop-down (preferred) or open text box (if drop-down unavailable) with a limit of 4 numeric characters for value 2
• Data value 4 (“PREFER NOT TO ANSWER”) may only be excluded as an option if a response is required to deliver a program or service
• Data values 3 and 4 (“I DO NOT KNOW/I AM NOT SURE” and/or “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER”) are mutually exclusive from all other options. They cannot be selected in combination with responses for values 1 or 2
• For additional coding rules see the data entry and coding section

Purpose

This optional variable indicates how well a person understands, speaks, reads or writes English (also known as English language proficiency). It uses five response options: Very Well, Well, Not Well, Not at all, and Prefer not to answer.

Preamble

Government programs and services that are only offered in English can create barriers for people depending on how well they can understand, speak, read and write English. Knowing a person’s proficiency in English can help government identify language needs.

Question

“How well can you understand, speak, read and write English?”

Note: This question is to be asked in a response-grid format as shown below:

Check one box in each row:

English language proficiency	Very Well	Well	Not Well	Not at all	Prefer not to answer
Understand (spoken)	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Speak	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Read	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Write	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐

Data values by row

Variable: English Language Proficiency - Understand (Spoken)

Label	Code	Meaning
1. "Understand very well"	UNDERSTAND_VERY_WELL	Individual understands (Spoken) English very well
2. "Understand well"	UNDERSTAND_WELL	Individual understands (Spoken) English well
3. "Understand not well"	UNDERSTAND_NOT_WELL	Individual does not understand (Spoken) English well
4. "Understand not at all"	UNDERSTAND_NOT_AT_ALL	Individual does not understand (Spoken) English at all
5. "Prefer not to answer"	PREFER_NOT_TO_ANSWER	Individual declines to share information

Variable: English Language Proficiency - Speak

Label	Code	Meaning
1. "Speak very well"	SPEAK_VERY_WELL	Individual speaks English very well
2. "Speak well"	SPEAK_WELL	Individual speaks English well
3. "Speak not well"	SPEAK_NOT_WELL	Individual does not speak English well
4. "Speak not at all"	SPEAK_NOT_AT_ALL	Individual does not speak English well at all
5. "Prefer not to answer"	PREFER_NOT_TO_ANSWER	Individual declines to share information

Variable: English Language Proficiency - Read

Label	Code	Meaning
1. "Read very well"	READ_VERY_WELL	Individual reads English very well
2. "Read well"	READ_WELL	Individual reads English well
3. "Read not well"	READ_NOT_WELL	Individual does not read English well
4. "Read not at all"	READ_NOT_AT_ALL	Individual does not read English at all
5. "Prefer not to answer"	PREFER_NOT_TO_ANSWER	Individual declines to share information

Variable: English Language Proficiency - Write

Label	Code	Meaning
1. "Write very well"	WRITE_VERY_WELL	Individual writes English very well
2. "Write well"	WRITE_WELL	Individual writes English well
3. "Write not well"	WRITE_NOT_WELL	Individual does not write English well
4. "Write not at all"	WRITE_NOT_AT_ALL	Individual does not write English at all
5. "Prefer not to answer"	PREFER_NOT_TO_ANSWER	Individual declines to share information

Usage

• Individual to choose the value that best indicates their proficiency in English
• Use check boxes, limited to one to each row
• Consider separating into four distinct questions if your system is unable to accommodate the grid format
• “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” is always presented as a response option unless identity information is required to provide a program or service

About the variable

English language proficiency: How well a person understands, speaks, reads or writes English.

What is this variable measuring?

• This variable is measuring how proficient an individual self-reports they are at understanding, speaking, reading and writing English. It is assumed that people who self-report greater proficiency in English will have an easier time navigating and accessing government programs and services than those who have lower levels of proficiency
• Information from this question could help ministries identify language-based service gaps in different sectors. It may also be used to develop communication tools and strategies to better meet the needs of individuals with lower levels of proficiency in different forms of English communication
• This variable is intended to indicate proficiency in English as it is commonly used in daily life and reflects non-specialized English vocabulary that is typically read in a newspaper, heard on a radio or seen on TV. English is a vast language with many sector-specific specialized terms (for example, medical or legal jargon etc.). This variable does not include knowledge of sector-specific specialized terms or highly specialized jargon or vocabulary

Use of variable

• The English language proficiency variable can be used to investigate whether lower English proficiency makes it harder for people to access government programs and services
• This variable may also be used to identify areas where government communication could be improved for specific types of common English communication barriers (for example, using more pictures and infographics, or additional captioning or dictation-enabled resources etc.)
• This variable can be used along with the service language variable to better understand the language abilities and needs of people who seek government programs and services
• The proficiency values are reported separately for each proficiency and may be the same or completely different for each proficiency (for example, it’s possible to have someone speak English very well but not write English at all and vice versa)

Accessibility considerations

When asking this question in grid-response format you must make the grid screen-reader friendly.

• A table is accessible if you are able to navigate all the way through the table using only the Tab key to move between cells from left to right, starting in the top left cell and ending in the bottom right
• Some screen readers will call out the name of a row or column before reading the data
• Find out more about creating accessible tables:
  • Accessibility and Inclusion Toolkit
  • Creating accessible documents
  • Create accessible tables in Word (video) - Microsoft Support
• If this variable cannot be asked in an accessible table format, ask the variable questions as four separate questions instead

What to avoid

• Do not assume that English language proficiency is related to proficiency in other languages
• Do not equate English language proficiency with intelligence or level of education or credentials attained
• Do not equate English language proficiency with level of willingness to communicate in English
• Do not equate English language proficiency with length of time in Canada
• Do not assume that English language proficiency is related to accent
• Do not assume English language proficiency development is complete. Children and youth may report lower English language proficiency because they have not completed their schooling yet, so consider age-appropriate skill development when interpreting data reported by children and youth. This may also apply to adults just beginning to learn English as an additional language

Value-specific guidance

• English language proficiency: How well a person understands, speaks, reads or writes English using a metric of four options:
  • Very well: The individual reports they can understand everything said in English and can speak, read or write English comfortably or fluently
  • Well: The individual reports they can understand most of a conversation in English but not completely understand everything said, and that they can speak, read, or write English enough to be understood but have some problems with it
  • Not well: The individual reports they can understand some vocabulary or words and phrases but cannot speak, read or write in sentences, or that they have substantial difficulties communicating in English
  • Not at all: The individual reports they cannot understand English when it is spoken, and cannot speak, read or write English

 Technical guidance

• Individual may choose the value that best indicates their proficiency in English
• Use checkboxes for each row. If possible, require that at least one checkbox on each row be checked
• Consider separating into four distinct questions if the system is unable to accommodate the grid format or format the table to be accessible to screen readers
• Note that unchecked boxes (NULL) is a valid response that should not be overwritten as though it were missing data
• For additional coding rules see the data entry and coding section

Recoding and grouping English language proficiency responses

To reduce the number of language ability variations that can result from a grid-response question, responses from the language ability matrix can be re-coded into three broad proficiency categories (Having English proficiency, Limited English proficiency, No proficiency) and 10 main derived values for analysis. Refer to Appendix 2: Recoding and grouping of English language proficiency responses for an overview of the 9-way classification method used by Scotland’s Census.

For interoperability the raw data of the respondents’ choices for each language proficiency category value (understand, speak, read, write) should be retained so the data can be used or shared for other research under the Anti-Racism Data Act that may use different response groupings.

Purpose

This optional variable indicates the language(s) a person is comfortable receiving government services in (also known as service language).

Preamble

People in B.C. speak multiple languages and it’s essential that government services reflect this strength and diversity. Knowing what languages people are comfortable using can help government identify barriers individuals may be facing as well as opportunities for improving access to services.

Question

“What languages would you feel comfortable receiving services in? Please list up to five language(s) spoken from most to least comfortable.”

Data values

Label	Code	Meaning
1. "Most comfortable service language"	SERVICE_LANGUAGE_1 [free text response]	Individual identifies the open response provided as their most comfortable service language
2. "Second most comfortable service language"	SERVICE_LANGUAGE_2 [free text response]	Individual identifies the open response provided as their second most comfortable service language
3. "Third most comfortable service language"	SERVICE_LANGUAGE_3 [free text response]	Individual identifies the open response provided as their third most comfortable service language
4. "Fourth most comfortable service language"	SERVICE_LANGUAGE_4 [free text response]	Individual identifies the open response provided as their fourth most comfortable service language
5. "Fifth most comfortable service language"	SERVICE_LANGUAGE_5 [free text response]	Individual identifies the open response provided as their fifth most comfortable service language
6. "I do not know / I am not sure"	DO_NOT_KNOW	Individual is unsure how to answer
7. "Prefer not to answer"	PREFER_NOT_TO_ANSWER	Individual declines to share information

Usage

• Individual may select up to five languages, ranked from most comfortable to least comfortable
• Drop-down menus of languages should be provided rather than open responses. The language drop-down menus should use the most recent list of languages from Statistics Canada
• If a free text response is required due to system limitations the response for each service language may include a free text response with a 100-character limit that supports UTF-8 character encoding
• If two languages are used equally it will be up to the individual to choose how to order their responses
• Use checkboxes for the “I DO NOT KNOW/I AM NOT SURE” and “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” responses
• “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” is always presented as a response option unless identity information is required to provide a program or service

About the variable

Service language: A language that a person is confident in using to understand and be understood for the purposes of receiving government services. A person’s primary language is usually the language they are most comfortable using.

What is this variable identifying?

• This variable identifies which languages individuals could use to receive government programs and services. It is a way of learning more about what languages people in B.C. know and feel confident in using and gives a way of better understanding the multilingual capabilities of people in B.C., and how that may change over time

When to use this variable

• This variable can be used to identify solutions for language-based service gaps in different sectors and help to develop communication tools and strategies that better meet the needs of groups who may benefit from communication in languages other than English
• The English language proficiency variable can be used with the service language variable to identify the most helpful languages to provide services in for specific forms of communication (speaking, understanding, reading, writing). Ministries can then develop targeted communication tools and strategies (for example, based on a ministry’s clientele, they could learn that it would be most helpful to provide written translations in Spanish, but verbal instruction in Mandarin)

What to avoid

• Do not assume that comfortable service languages are a person’s first language or primary language
• Do not assume that comfortable service languages are the language they use most often at home
• Do not assume that comfortable service languages are the only languages the person understands
• Do not assume that comfortable service languages indicate a person’s race or ethnicity

Verbal collection

• When verbal collection is needed, for example to ensure accessibility and cultural safety, you may use the following shorter preamble for this variable:
  • Knowing what languages people can receive services in can help government identify ways to improve access to services. What languages would you feel comfortable receiving services in?
• An individual’s response should be noted down as raw data and coded prior to analysis by the researcher according to best fit with the most recent list of languages from Statistics Canada

Technical guidance

• Individual may respond with up to five languages ranked from most- to least-used
• This question should be asked in digital format wherever possible. Open text boxes are difficult to interpret and re-code consistently and accurately and are not recommended for this question. If you use open text boxes, categorize the responses with care as there may be community harm that comes with the way you make these categorizations
• Drop-down menus of languages should be provided rather than open responses. It is recommended that the language drop down menus be populated using Statistics Canada’s most recent list of languages used in Canada
• If a free text response is required due to system limitations use a free text response with a 100-character limit that supports UTF-8 character encoding for each service language response
• Use checkboxes for the “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER” and “I DO NOT KNOW/I AM NOT SURE” responses
• Data values 1-5 should be displayed/provided as drop-down menus of language responses
• Data value 7 (“PREFER NOT TO ANSWER”) may only be excluded as an option if a response is required to deliver a program or service
• Data values 6 and 7 (“I DO NOT KNOW/I AM NOT SURE” and/or “PREFER NOT TO ANSWER”) are mutually exclusive from all other options. They cannot be selected in combination with language responses for values 1-5
• For additional coding rules see the data entry and coding section