GOVERNMENT TO EDUCATE IMMIGRANT CHILDREN ON THE CENSUS

It is estimated that the 1990 census missed as many as 40 million people, many of whom were immigrants.  Officials believe this low turnout was the result, in large part, of a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of the census in immigrant communities.  Immigrants, especially those who are undocumented or from countries with repressive governments, are often hesitant to reveal information about themselves, and often, when they will speak of themselves, they will not reveal information about their children.   

The government has been making a concerted effort to ensure that the census counts every person in the US, and has been paying a good deal of attention to minority and immigrant communities.  One way it plans to increase the count is by educating children about the purposes of the census.  Forty percent of the public classrooms in the country will participate in the educational program, which will teach the children how to complete census forms, and will provide them with material about the census that they can share with their parents. 

The INS is also trying to ease fears that it may use the census as a cover for enforcement activities.  It is currently in the process of drawing up an internal guidance document for agents.  It will essentially tell agents to stay away from areas where census counting is occurring.  This was the same plan as was used in the 1990 census, when the INS presence is thought to have resulting in some undercounting, but the agencies say they will be better able to coordinate their activities this year.

The Census Bureau is forbidden by law from sharing the information it gathers with any other agency, including the INS.  The census is to count every person in the country, regardless of their immigration status.  Information gained in the census is used to draw voting districts and to allocate federal government funding.  The importance of an accurate count can be seen in California, where almost 4 million people were overlooked in 1990.  The state has been suffering severe financial crunches because it has had to provide services to people without the assistance of the federal government, and if an accurate count had been obtained, it would have gained a new seat in the House of Representatives.