Filling out the Census Form and Census Operations

2010 Census: Timeline and Filling
Out the Questionnaire
March 17, 2010
2:05 – 3:00 pm Eastern

To hear audio for the webinar, you must also call in to our free
teleconference line. To call in, dial:
1 (866) 379-3045 Conference ID: 63082428

Presenter Contacts

Terri Ann Lowenthal
Funders Census Initiative
TerriAnn2K@aol.com
203-353-4364
www.thecensusproject.org

Jan Jacobs
2010 National Partnerships
jan.n.jacobs@census.gov

Amber Ebarb
NCAI
aebarb@ncai.org

2

OVERVIEW
Census Timeline: Key operations
Role of grassroots organizations
The 2010 Census Form: Step-by-Step

3

CENSUS TIMELINE:
KEY OPERATIONS

4

OVERVIEW OF
CENSUS TIMELINE (2010)
Feb. – March: Update/Leave
operation

March – April: Mail-out/Mail-back

March 29 – 31: Homeless count

5

OVERVIEW OF
March 22 – May 29:
Update/Enumerate operation

March 22 – April 16: Enumeration
of transitory locations

April: Group Quarters enumeration

6

GETTING HELP!
Questionnaire Assistance Centers
Be Counted sites (forms only, through
April 19)
Telephone Questionnaire Assistance
(2/25 – 7/30/10)
QAC/Be Counted sites posted at:
http://2010.census.gov/2010census/
Community census “partners”
7

OVERVIEW OF
May – July: Nonresponse Follow-up
(door-to-door visits)
Late April – early August: Coverage
Follow-up
Late July – August: Vacant-Delete check
August 2010 – March 2011: Coverage
measurement interviews
8

OVERVIEW OF
CENSUS TIMELINE
By December 31, 2010: First
population numbers reported for
congressional apportionment

By April 1, 2011: Detailed
population numbers reported to
States for redistricting

9

ROLE OF
GRASSROOTS
ORGANIZATIONS

10

THINGS TO DO
Refer people to official Questionnaire Assistance Centers whenever
possible.

Answer questions about the census in a private area.
– Make sure your staff members fully understand the materials &
concepts.

Translate instructions and questions for people with limited English
proficiency.

Explain questions and response choices.

If necessary, help people fill out their forms.
– Use a private area
– Ensure you are speaking with head of household
– Seal envelope and help respondent mail the form right away

11

THINGS NOT TO DO
Do not pretend to be an official Questionnaire Assistance Center or
use the official census logo if you are offering assistance.

Do not help people fill in forms or “volunteer” to help QAC staff if your
organization is hosting an official QAC.

Do not encourage use of Be Counted forms unless people are sure
they did not receive one at their residence or that they were left off
the form another household member mailed back.

Do not gather completed forms for mailing at a later time; ask
respondents to place forms in mail receptacles that are emptied daily
by the Postal Service.

Do not follow census takers around neighborhoods or into buildings to
“encourage” people to cooperate; canvassing should be done well
before census takers visit.

12

BE TRANSPARENT
Distinguish your census assistance activities and
volunteers from official Census Bureau operations and
trained, sworn Census staff.
– For example, use Community Census Center instead of
Questionnaire Assistance Center or Be Counted Center.

Use slogans aimed at encouraging census participation, not
increasing the count.

Assist your constituencies in filling out the form fully
and accurately, but don’t press them to include people who
you know shouldn’t be included on their form.

13

THE 2010 CENSUS
QUESTIONNAIRE:
Step-by-Step

14

2010 CENSUS QUESTIONNAIRE:
OVERVIEW

10 questions; 6 topics.
Language information:
– English language forms mailed/delivered to
most homes
– Bilingual English-Spanish forms
mailed/delivered to 13.5 million targeted
homes nationwide
– Forms available upon request in Spanish,
Chinese (simplified), Korean, Russian, and
Vietnamese
– Assistance guides available in 59 languages
– Replacement forms mailed (in April) to low
response census tracts, in English only
15

THE HOUSEHOLDER
The householder is the person who fills out the census
form for everyone else in the home.
Person 1 on the census form.
Should be age 18 or older, if possible, and someone who is
generally responsible for household members in some way.
Whether a household is counted as an American Indian
or Alaska Native household depends entirely on the race
of “Person 1” -- the first person listed on the Census
form. If that person says he or she is American Indian or
Alaska Native, then the household will be counted as
one with an American Indian or Alaska Native
“householder.”

16

NUMBER OF PEOPLE
IN HOUSEHOLD
Question #1 (Person 1 only):
How many people were living or staying in this
house, apartment or mobile home on April 1,
2010?
Snowbirds? On the questionnaire sent to southern or
winter home, write “0” and do not answer any other
questions. Fill out form sent to permanent home
completely, even if you weren’t there on April 1.

Were there any other people staying in the home
that you did not include? Mark reasons.

17

TENURE QUESTION
(OWNER v. RENTER)
Asks if the home is owned or rented
(“tenure” in data terms).

– Offers four detailed choices but does not ask
for any financial information (e.g. how much
rent).

– Tenure data provide a general proxy for
higher income households (owner) and
lower income household (renter).

18

TELEPHONE NUMBER
Used only if the Census Bureau must follow-up
with the household to collect more information
or clarify who lives there.
Especially important for large households (e.g.
those with 7+ residents, or 9+ residents on a
bilingual English-Spanish form)

If no responsible person (e.g. 18+) in the
home has a phone, encourage using a
neighbor’s or relative’s phone number (they
can act as a go-between).
19

NAME
Question #5 for Person 1.
Question #1 for Persons 2 - 6 (single language forms)
Question #1 for Persons 2 - 8 (bilingual English-
Spanish forms)
– Used to reduce likelihood of duplicate count.
– Respondent can have access to a copy of their
own census form for any purpose after the
census (such as to prove U.S. residence).
– Genealogists can do research about family
histories, using census forms, after 72 years.
20

RELATIONSHIP
QUESTION
Question #2 for Persons 2 - 6 (or 8 on
bilingual form)

Everyone in household is “related” in some
way to Person 1 (the householder)

Question offers many options, including for
“nonrelatives” (e.g. roommates; boarders)

Gay/lesbian couples can check husband/wife,
if applicable, or “unmarried partner” 21

SEX/AGE/
DATE OF BIRTH
SEX:
Question #3 for Persons 2 - 8 (bilingual forms)

AGE and DATE OF BIRTH:
Date of birth is used to reduce likelihood of duplicate count,
since only about 10,000 people are born each day.
– DOB also used to confirm correct age.
22

HISPANIC ORIGIN
& RACE
OVERARCHING CONCEPT: Self Identity

People must answer both the Hispanic origin
and race questions.

Under federal policy (Office of Management &
Budget, not Census Bureau), Hispanic is
considered an ethnicity, not a race.

Hispanic origin question comes first to
encourage people to answer both questions.

23

HISPANIC ORIGIN
& RACE

HISPANIC ORIGIN:

RACE:

24

HISPANIC ORIGIN
People not of Hispanic origin should mark “no” and
move on to the race question.
People of Hispanic origin should mark the subgroup
with which they identify (e.g. Mexican; Puerto Rican;
Cuban).
If subgroup of choice is not listed, write in another
Hispanic/Spanish origin (e.g. Dominican; Venezuelan;
Nicaraguan).
People of Brazilian ancestry are not considered to be
of Hispanic origin.

25

RACE
People may choose one or more races.
– They will appear in “Two or more races” category
(e.g. there is no official “multiracial” category).

Census Bureau publishes race data for single
race responses (e.g. “AIAN alone”) and for all
inclusive responses (e.g. “AIAN alone or in
combination”).

Census Bureau publishes data for race groups
by “of Hispanic origin” and “not of Hispanic
origin.”

26

Who is American Indian/
Alaska Native?
The Census Bureau uses the definition of AI/AN published by
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): “A person having
origins in any of the original peoples of North and South
America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal
affiliation or community attachment.”

This definition of who’s Indian is quite different than the one in
federal law that says an Indian person is a member of an Indian
tribe. What gives American Indian and Alaska Native people
special status in law is a political relationship – as a member of
a Native governmental entity -- not who one’s ancestors are.
Simply saying that one is Indian on a Census form does not
convey any special relationship or privileges.

There are 19 box to write in enrolled or principle. If the name is longer
than the 19 spaces, you can write outside the assigned boxes. We will
capture up to 30 characters. Also, if a person writes in more than one
tribal name, we will capture up to 2. If a person writes a tribal name in
the SOR box, Census will capture that as well.

“SOME OTHER RACE”
People who don’t identify with any listed race category may
check “Some other race” (SOR) and write-in their identity.
– 90+ percent of people who check SOR write in “Hispanic.”

People may check a listed race (e.g. Black or White) and also
write-in another national origin on the SOR line (e.g. Jamaican
or Arab American)
– Census Bureau will tabulate these respondents only as a
single race (unless they actually check the SOR box).
– Census Bureau plans series of Special Reports that will
provide more detailed information gleaned from write-in
responses, for larger groups).

People who check only SOR and write-in, for example, Somalian
will be tabulated as Black(OMB Directive 15).

29

“I DON’T SEE MYSELF
IN THE RACE QUESTION!”
American Indians and Alaska Natives can write-in a
Tribal affiliation.
No check-box for “Asian” or “Native Hawaiian & Other
Pacific Islander” race categories
– Check off one of listed nationalities or write-in another
(e.g. Pakistani or Cambodian).
– Reason: Immigrants often don’t identify with term “Asian”
or “Pacific Islander (they are an American construct).

Census Experimental Program testing alternative race
questions during 2010 census for 2020 census.
– Test options would offer more opportunity to identify
Black and White subgroups (e.g. Haitian; Caribbean; Arab;
Polish)

30

COVERAGE QUESTION
Question #10 for Person 1


Does this person sometimes live or stay
someplace else?
– Designed to help spot possible omissions
(undercount) or duplicates (overcount).
– Census staff will follow-up by phone to clarify, if
necessary. 31

ADDITIONAL PEOPLE
For Persons 7 - 12 (Persons 9 - 12 on
bilingual form), fill out:
– Name
– Sex
– Age and date of birth
– Related to Person 1 (householder)? (yes or no)

Census staff will follow-up by telephone with all
“large households” (Coverage Follow-Up
operation), to collect remaining information.
32

Questions?
Concerns?
To ask a question online, click To ask a question
on the Q&A button at the top on the phone, press *1
of your screen and type your
question in. on your keypad.

(No need to use the You’ll be put into a queue and the
“Ask a Question” hand button, operator will un-mute your line at
just ask away.) the appropriate time.

Upcoming
Webinars:
Mapping Hard to Count
Communities,
March 19, 2010
Urban Indian Outreach,
March 24, 2010

Join the Campaign!

We are only two weeks away from Census day, April
1st 2010; plan events now!

Ways to be involved right away:
Sign up at IndianCountryCounts.org.
Sign the action pledge.
Forward emails and website to friends.
Request Indian Country Counts materials and Census Bureau
materials for events.

Presenter Contacts

Terri Ann Lowenthal
Funders Census Initiative
TerriAnn2K@aol.com
203-353-4364
www.thecensusproject.org

Jan Jacobs
2010 National Partnerships
jan.n.jacobs@census.gov

Amber Ebarb
NCAI
aebarb@ncai.org

36

Filling out the Census Form and Census Operations

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