<p>So one of us hates hates hates having to fill out this form, especially the race questions, and is suggesting that we just don’t answer those questions. (We just got it yesterday–I was hoping they somehow forgot about us.) The other of us is not especially happy about these questions but does not want a census worker showing up at our door, or to be fined.</p>
<p>So what should we do?</p>
<p>What’s the problem with the race questions? What do you have to lose by answering them?</p>
<p>Title 13 Section 221 of the U.S. Code (re:the census)</p>
<p>[13</a> U.S.C. § 221 : US Code - Section 221: Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers](<a href=“http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/13/7/II/221]13”>http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/13/7/II/221)</p>
<p><a href=“a”>quote</a> Whoever, being over eighteen years of age, refuses or
willfully neglects, when requested by the Secretary, or by any
other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce
or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the
Secretary or authorized officer, to answer, to the best of his
knowledge, any of the questions on any schedule submitted to him in
connection with any census or survey provided for by subchapters I,
II, IV, and V of chapter 5 of this title, applying to himself or to
the family to which he belongs or is related, or to the farm or
farms of which he or his family is the occupant, shall be fined not
more than $100.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don’t know if they actually would enforce it, but there it is.</p>
<p>I worked the 1980 Census as part of the “follow up” campaign. Door to door census workers will show up at your door and ask you any questions left unanswered. If you refuse to answer, the census worker will enter a best guess.</p>
<p>You can argue about what to do, but the data will be entered. If you provide the data, it will be accurate.</p>
<p>[Nevada</a> Daily Mail: Local News: Census follow-up process to begin soon (04/28/10)](<a href=“Local News: Census follow-up process to begin soon (4/28/10) | Nevada Daily Mail”>Local News: Census follow-up process to begin soon (4/28/10) | Nevada Daily Mail)</p>
<p>[2010</a> census follow up program](<a href=“Redirect Notice”>Redirect Notice) pdf.</p>
<p>If race is unanswered before tabulations are done, the value will be imputed (assigned) based on others in the household or in the nearby household.</p>
<p>We had to fill out a form for S3’s middle school. If we didn’t return, a designated person would guess. Give me a break…guess at my child’s heritage? My cousins children are caucasian, african-american, asian, & native-hawaiian… not in equal ‘proportions’. To me they are simply beautiful children that are growing up in a loving family, just like my children who are Danish-American. My cousins children are simply required to check off a bunch of boxes. When they are told ‘no more than two’ how do they choose? A child shouldn’t have to choose if they are more asian than african-american. My children could not understand when they were younger why there was no box for Danish, when their cousins got to check off boxes for their heritage. We told them it was just a box, not who they were. Now that they are older, they just don’t care. Neither should we. The longer we make people check boxes, the longer we make people see the color of others skin. </p>
<p>That is simply my opinion. I am sure others have different views, which I respect. They are based on their personal experiences. This is mine.</p>
<p>You all have wrong information.</p>
<p>I am a crew leader for a group of 11 enumerators who begin going door-to-door starting today for non-response follow-up to the census. We will not be guessing as to anyone’s race. We have not been taught in our training to guess at anyone’s race. We will provide you a list of races that are printed on the form, or if one of those is not how you self-identify as a race you simply tell us what you consider your race and we write that down. The answer can also be multiple races, and we will check-off or write all of those down. If you would rather not answer the race question, we will simply write a note that responded refused to answer and move on to the next question.</p>
<p>Nobody is going to guess anything because that is falsification of your census form.</p>
<p>Thank you for the facts, RSB.</p>
<p>I agree with the previous poster that as we become more of a melting pot we should stop asking these questions and putting people into pigeonholes based on whether they are more “Asian”, “African-American”, or “Caucasian.”</p>
<p>As a historian however, I see the value in tracking the melting of our pot. Although the census over the years has asked some odd questions or questions that seem rude or unnecessary it is one of our best tools for tracking amazing things about our selves as a nation, including our changing attitudes on race.</p>
<p>“White” and “Black” are colors, not races. The U.S. is hampered with political correctness to the point of ridiculousness and it is costing our country greatly.</p>
<p>Just FYI, there were some people in Texas who received a Census form that asked for their social security number. People filled it out and sent it back. But the official census does NOT ask for your social. A radio show had a representative from the Census Bureau on and she said any census form or anyone coming to your door claiming to be with the Census bureau who asks for your social is not legit and is phishing.</p>
<p>Now all the people who filled out the fake census form are having to take ID theft precautions.</p>