2010 Census

Starting March 2010 most of the households in the U.S. will begin to receive Census Questionnaires. The U.S. Census survey is the largest and most accurate measurement of Hispanics statistically.

"The primary goal of the Census is to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place" according to Census. Verification is currently underway with a massive Army of about 140,000 volunteers, knocking on doors to ensure an accurate address list. The Census is also used to determine how government dinero is allocated.

Why do I have Census on the brain?

I came across an article recently about what race are Mi Gente, Latinos, Hispanics, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians etc.

In the 2000 Census Bureau has stated that "Hispanics can be of any race, any ancestry, any country of origin.", and in 2010 Census will state our identity the same.

Does the Census have it right? Is Race based on geography of your "original" ancestry and pigment of your skin? or is it much deeper than that going into the layers colonization and culture?

Is Hispanic too general a term to describe the diversity of over 20 different Hispanic countries and cultures?

In fairness to the Census the data is so rich that they do ask questions in the Census Survey to divide by country of origin to measure size, characteristics, and location. Census also does a good job of trying to measures undocumented and illegal citizens.

I'm excited to see the numbers from the 2010 Census in 2012 after all the tabulating is complete because our community has grown and I want a more accurate view of the changes our community has undergone, not projections and predictions.