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Under-representation: Mistakes We Can't Repeat in Census 2000

By Sanaa Unus
Islam Online, Washington DC


Censuses are handled differently in different parts of the world, but a majority of countries will be participating in some type of census in the year 2000. Many others, such as Pakistan and Spain, will conduct theirs in 2001. A census, according to Webster's Dictionary, is "a usually complete enumeration of a population; specifically: a periodic governmental enumeration of population."

The idea behind the census is to find out exactly how many people are populating each country, and to find about those people. Demographic studies include where people live, how much money they make, what resources they have and lack, how old they are, what racial and religious backgrounds they have and numerous other facts. Governments then base decisions regarding allotments and laws according to this information.

Unfortunately, census counts usually under-represent key groups, especially minorities. Like voting, if you do not make your presence known… your presence will not be known. Great efforts are being made this year to combat this problem in the United States Census of 2000. As one of the most diverse and powerful countries in the world, the under-representation of minorities, including Muslims, is a major setback.

If a group is not participating in the census count, it will suffer in many ways. Resources will not be allocated if the government doesn't show those resources are needed. The size of minority populations affects their political power. A group that appears to be only a small one will not be able to make changes politically, no matter how large that group really is. Because the accuracy of the Census directly affects the government's ability to ensure equal representation and equal access to important governmental resources for all Americans, ensuring a fair and accurate Census must be regarded as one of the most significant civil rights issues today.

Difficulties In The Census Count
Counting every individual living in the United States is a formidable task, and there are bound to be some errors. The 1990 Census was the first in over 50 years to be less accurate than its predecessor. It missed 8.4 million people and double-counted 4.4 million. Among those groups most hurt by misrepresentation in the Census were minorities.

The 1990 Census undercount of racial and ethnic minority groups was the highest ever recorded. This undercount was 4.9 percent for Blacks, 5.2 percent for Hispanics, 3.1 percent for Asian Pacific Islanders and 5.0 percent for Native Americans. Caucasians were undercounted by only 1.7 percent. Why are minority groups the most likely to be undercounted? There are several possible reasons:

  • Mail and door-to-door collection methods have lower response rates in lower income areas;
  • Lower education levels, illiteracy, or difficulty with the English language affect the ability of many individuals to understand the census;
  • A general misunderstanding of the importance of census participation;
  • Distrust or suspicion of government leading to the fear that the census may be used by immigration and/or law enforcement officials to deport, incarcerate or disqualify one for social welfare programs.
Another very disturbing undercount was that affecting children. Children in 1990 made up just over a quarter of the United State's population. Of all those missed in the 1990 United States Census, 52 percent of them were children under the age of 18. Children are the most vulnerable to the problems caused by undercounting. All parents are concerned about providing their children with better schools, better communities and a better quality of life. If the government doesn't know that these children exist and that they need these resources, it cannot provide them. And most children are grown up by the time the next decade approaches and Census time rolls around again.

An accurate Census count is vital to its success, and the success of the Census is helpful to everyone. The Census counts that will be taking place in the next few years all over the world are unparalleled in their scope. At no other point is such a comprehensive accounting of the world's population attempted. The information gathered through these surveys is used to decide everything from whether to put a new stoplight at the intersection across town to identifying victims of natural disaster in coastal Africa


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