What seems like a simple question — How many Hispanics are living in the United States? — has become surprisingly complex as the 2010 census approaches.
Hispanics and other minorities have historically been undercounted in the once-a-decade survey. Advocacy groups are now launching their traditional efforts to ensure an accurate count, but a variety of factors have created new problems for the painting of America’s official portrait.
Activists and government officials say fears over immigration enforcement and government snooping are making people more reluctant to share their information. The economic meltdown and Bush administration budget cuts have slowed funding for the census. Millions of laid-off renters and foreclosed homeowners are on the move.
There are more immigrants here, speaking more languages, than ever before. Some of those immigrants may not know what a census is, or may come from countries where such information is used against rather than for the people.
“This country is just much more complex now, on many different levels,” said Terry Ao, director of census and voting programs for the Asian American Justice Center.
The 2000 census counted 35,305,818 Hispanics in the United States. Hispanic groups estimate that several million more were missed. In 2007, the most recent year available, the Hispanic population had grown to an estimated 44,852,816.
The Constitution mandates that every 10 years, each person living in the country regardless of citizenship or immigration status must be counted.
