Census day will take place in a year. But if the Obama administration doesn't take steps to protect this enumeration, Latinos and other groups will be at risk of an undercount.
The U.S. Census Bureau is charged with ensuring an accurate count. Last week, President Obama nominated Robert Groves, who, if confirmed, has to hit the ground running to deal with a slew of issues – some old, others new.
Among the persistent problems is the undercount of certain groups. In 2000, the Census count missed 4.5 million people, most of who were black or Hispanic. The count will be further complicated by the displacement triggered by the foreclosure crisis.
The Constitution mandates that every 10 years, each person living in the country, regardless of immigration status, must be counted. The Census determines the distribution of federal funds and the number of congressional districts within states. But an environment in which immigrant families are in fear of raids and deportation threatens to undermine an accurate representation of communities throughout the country.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, whose department oversees the bureau, has spoken to protecting the confidentiality of census forms. But the Obama administration has to take a step further.
During the 2000 census, large-scaled immigration raids were paused so that people would not be fearful of responding to the census. Congressman William Macy Clay has said he will push for the same policy.
The Census Bureau requested a halt a couple of years ago but the Bush administration rejected that request. Obama can, and should, depart from that shortsighted decision.
Education for Liberation!
Peter S. Lopez aka: Peta
Sacramento, California, Aztlan
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Humane-Rights-Agenda/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/THIRD-WORLD-NEWS/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NetworkAztlan_News/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CASA-12-Steps-Program/
