Latinos to Boycott Census?
Credit: MGShelton
Amid the most expensive census preparations in history and a PR blitz to ensure an accurate tally, some leaders are encouraging Latinos to forego the survey altogether. Mixed signals and high stakes are leaving many unsure how to proceed.
The Census Bureau has long had trouble counting Latinos. Robert Groves, recently nominated for Director of the Census Bureau, estimated that about 1 million Latinos (of the roughly 50 million in the country) went uncounted in the 2000 enumeration. Blaming unlisted addresses, households with large families and high mobility rates for the faulty tabulation, many predict that the recession and recent foreclosures in the Latino community will make an accurate count even more unlikely this March.
Determined not to succumb to the odds, however, the Census Bureau and some Latino interest groups are taking steps to ensure full representation. The Census Bureau has vowed to send out 13 million copies of the survey with a complete Spanish translation to households in heavily Hispanic communities across the country. They have also launched a campaign proclaiming the importance of census participation and assuring the confidentiality of all information disclosed. Republicans estimate the cost of the campaign over the next year will amount to several tens of millions of dollars.
This will run alongside the Ya es hora, ¡HÁGASE CONTAR! (It’s time, make yourself count!) campaign, staged by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), in partnership with other Latino interest groups, including media heavyhitter Univision, to encourage Latinos to “stand up and be counted.” And Rep. William Clay (D - MO) who chairs the House subcommittee that oversees Census data collection, announced April 6th that he plans to ask the administration to halt raids over the next year to ensure statistical accuracy. This has been done in other census years, including the most recent in 2000.
Meanwhile, the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders (shortened to CONLAMIC, based on the Spanish translation) is launching its own initiative—one to boycott the census. Encouraging Hispanics across the nation to use census participation as a bargaining chip for immigration reform, CONLAMIC hopes to convince lawmakers to give temporary work visas to undocumented workers and provide easier pathways to citizenship. In some parts of the country, like Phoenix, Latinos are also encouraged to boycott as a way to protest crackdowns on illegal immigrants.
Amidst such conflicting messages, Latinos find themselves in a double bind. On the one hand, pro-census activists point out that census stats are used to allocate federal block grants, which can cover everything from healthcare to law enforcement. With more than $300 billion at stake, plus stimulus money, which also being doled out according to census data, boosting population stats in Hispanic areas could benefit Latinos. Census data is similarly used to determine seat allocation in the House of Representatives and Electoral College. Of the nine states that stand to gain representatives in the upcoming enumeration, at least four of them (Arizona, Florida, Nevada, Texas) have large Hispanic populations.
Advocates stress that the Census does not ask for about immigration status, nor does it request a Social Security number. Using the Census for deportation is illegal under federal law, and no authority can obtain personal identifiable data from the Census Bureau. Nonetheless, opponents argue, Hispanics have reason to mistrust the Census Bureau. A report released by Fordham University last month confirmed that the Census Bureau had forwarded information about Japanese-Americans from the 1940 census to American surveillance agencies during WWII. And again in 2004, the Census Bureau gave the Department of Homeland Security detailed information of Arab-American populations by city and zip code. The Census Bureau has yet to acknowledge its wrongdoing in either case.
While refusing to fill out the census is not a deportable offense (it is punishable by fines between $100 and $500), some worry that increased funding to Hispanic areas would simply mean stepped up raids against illegal residents. Moreover, they argue, increased state representation means nothing if illegal residents have no path to American citizenship. Compounded by frustration that Obama has yet to move on his campaign promises of immigration reform, more Latinos, as well as the ethnic media, are beginning to come around to CONLAMIC’s message.
Census participation is a sticky issue for all of the US’s estimated 12 million illegal residents, but when it intersects with powerful interest groups, it can become an overtly political maneuver. Only time will tell which tactic Latinos choose. Because legal and illegal immigrants have different reasons to participate—or boycott—and with the incentives and disincentives as complex as they are, we can hardly expect a uniform response. Whatever the exact result, it is clear that the 2010 enumeration will reflect political allegiances as much as it does the populace itself.
The New Milwaukeeans: Making Sense of Population Growth in the Cream City
Best Reads: Census and the City
flo_a in denver on Tue, Mar 09, 2010 at 12:58pm
hey Maggie—how about getting a single quote from a Latin@ in your post. as you indicate, there are numerous latin@ community organizations involved in both the efforts to get a more accurate count, and people expressing hesitation about participating. for a few places to start, why don’t you try: National Latino Congreso, the New York Community Media Alliance, or affiliates of the NCLR or Hispanic Federation.
get some perspective from the Latino communities you are covering, as opposed to just writing about them from afar.
rcp11889 in new orleans on Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 4:02pm
This is so racist. Why do people continually think that all Latinos are illegal immigrants or can’t speak English. As a proud Hispanic, I just want to say that Hispanic is not a race. Why is it that I put on the Census that I am Hispanic even though I was born in America. It’s bull. They will count me in statistics that make me seem like I am an illegal immigrant who doesn’t speak English.
Michael Isla in 3104839258 on Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 2:37pm
If we boycott the census how will we get the word out. Because many inmigrants see it as a step in the door for ICE. The law says if you are here illegal you are breaking the law and might be looked as a terrorist. If caught you are not going to pay a 100 dollar to a 500 dollar fine. You are going in to custody and might be deported. The census count of non legal residents can be look by INS and get your info. And come after any illegal if they have to met there quarterly quote.
Carlos on Fri, Mar 26, 2010 at 12:46pm
It is a fact that were not a race. Myself im mexican of Aztec background [like MOST mexicans are] and filled out the native-american checkbox. And yet im sure most mexicans, including the lady on the right in that picture deny being any bit native [she looks full Aztec] and her husband looks like it to. And the census hinting at illegal status, just acknowledge that close to half of our latino population is illegal and that is why so many stereotype us as being illegal. If half of all the white people here speak french at home or with accents they would get stereotyped aswell.
Michael Isla in 3104839258 on Sun, Apr 04, 2010 at 12:05am
Put yourself in an illegal immigrant shoes. You are from Mexico, and you live in L.A. trying to work and find a new life in one of the worlds best Government. Then ICE comes to your work and the only motive they have is to you all illegals back to there country. Mexico has two 9/11 a year in the amount of killings. Is now considered one the biggest civil wars in the world. and is just over the border. Imagine escaping a world like to come here for a chance and what does ice do, sends people back like if they are drafted.
Michael Isla in 3104839258 on Sun, Apr 04, 2010 at 1:11pm
Hello Carlos,
Do you like it being define between so many races and being Mexican these days you are noted in society as what are you doing in my land consuming my economy. Not everyone feels this way but does people that do have been solve by false ideas that we are the cause bad economy. We are planetcitizens with same symmetrical bodies. In high school we where all a student body. I am 29 years old and graduated in 99’ from Phineas Banning High school. Democracy was King and really it never came to mind about where you, but anxious to met the foreign kid and heard stories about his home town. People are here not because they came to have fun, but discover a new life. Carlos the Mexican media is not showing the full story about the Feds going to war with the Carteles ( cartel means organize Bandidos) The Bandidos have Feds trucks, federal balges, helicoters, and they use all that equipment to get people out Prison. Last time I heard they pull a huge heist to get 100 maximum security prisoners facing life in prison. The Feds are in highalert to capture all of them. You are young and a male and just walking from work they at you fully loaded in trucks and treat you or even leave you for dead just to get info about you Colonia(barrio you live in) they are scared to go all the way so they target the weak. Now imaging you are here selling tamales to survive when the police or ice harrast you and got no permission to be here. Get ready to change your mentality to an urban soldier cause Mexico is in War and bigger than Iraq and afghanastine. Like both sides, Federal Agents got caught kidnapping young girls. The town gave they judgment. The federal Gorvernment did not like it. So they came for justice. La familia(Michoacan the state is also at war with the Feds) is never ending fight.