U.S. Census Bureau
 Census Seal
PREPARED STATEMENT OF
 
CHARLES LOUIS KINCANNON, DIRECTOR
U.S. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS
 
The Future is Waiting

 

The League of United Latin American Citizens

74th Annual National Convention and Exhibition

Orlando, Florida

Wednesday, 18 June 2003

 

 

Buenas tardes a todos.  Es un placer estar aquí entre amigos de la Oficina del Censo and for the rest of you…good afternoon.  I am pleased to be here to be among such good friends of the Census Bureau.  Your support during the census and our ongoing partnership are crucial to the success of our mission.  Without LULAC, the Census Bureau would face a much more daunting challenge.  Without LULAC, the task of finding every colonia, neighborhood, and barrio would seem impossible.  It is with LULAC’s support that we reach every person in the Latino community.  GRACIAS!

 

Indeed today marks another milestone for LULAC, for the Census Bureau, for the Latino community, and for America.  The Official Population Estimates now indicate that the Hispanic community is the nation’s largest minority community.  This is an important event in this country — an event that we know is the result of the growth of a vibrant and diverse population that is vital to America’s future. 

 

Over the decades, we’ve witnessed thousands of subtle changes in the demographic composition in thousands of communities throughout America — from right here in Orlando, Florida to Onarga, Illinois.  

 

The first real evidence of these changes came with the census.  We knew that the Hispanic population grew by nearly 60 percent in one decade from 22 million in 1990 to 35 million in 2000, adding more than 12 million people to the American family. 

 

This growth occurred throughout the United States.  The number of Hispanics living in California, Texas, Florida, and New York in 2000 grew by 7 million from 1990 to over 23 million (a number larger than the total number of Hispanics in the U. S. in 1990).  But, the real news in 2000 was the dramatic growth of the Hispanic population outside of these “traditional” Hispanic states.  In North Carolina, the Hispanic population grew by 400 percent, followed by Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Nevada. 

 

Towns throughout America, especially small towns, grew dramatically for the first time in decades — with the growth came new businesses, new homes, and new jobs.

 

For instance, the population of Dalton, Georgia — the carpet capital of the world — grew by 28 percent.  Yet, this figure doesn’t tell the true story of the town’s revival.  Most of Dalton’s growth was due to the increase in the Hispanic population — nearly 10,000 people.  This helped not only with the carpet industry, but with the rest of regional economy as well with the construction of new homes and the creation of many, new small businesses.  Dalton is now a leader in the region’s economy. 

 

And there are thousand other cities and towns throughout the United States similar to Dalton — towns like Las Vegas, Nevada; Columbus Junction, Iowa; and Chaska, Minnesota.

 

And today, we’ve come to a remarkable moment, a moment we’ve anticipated since the 2000 census.  We now have the data to show that Latinos are the nation’s largest minority community.  According to the Official Population Estimates, there are nearly 40 million Hispanics living in America.  The number of Hispanics grew by three-and-a-half million, partly due to international migration and partly due to natural increases.  Hispanics grew at a rate of nearly ten percent, almost four times as high as the population as a whole. 

 

These numbers are only part of the picture.  Within the next several months, we will have the population estimates for every state, county, and place.  These numbers will paint an even more detailed picture of the growth of the Hispanic population.  These numbers are a reflection of our diverse, changing nation; they are a reflection of the lives, hopes, and opportunities of millions of people and thousands of communities throughout the United States. 

 

These data present the facts.  They are evidence that the Latino population is here, has been here and that it continues to grow.  These facts feed hope by demonstrating that the economic and cultural opportunities do exist.  The future is waiting in Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, Chicago, and New York.  It’s also waiting in Little Rock, Arkansas and Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

 

Yet, to seize the opportunities, we must know more than just the population and size of the Hispanic community.  In short, we need a more detailed picture.  The Census Bureau can provide this detailed picture through the economic and demographic data that we produce, not only with the decennial census, but also with other surveys that we conduct, including the Current Population Survey. 

 

In fact, we are also releasing another important product today from the Current Population Survey.  This is a monthly survey of approximately 50,000 households and is the primary source of routine and timely information on the nation’s labor force — employment, unemployment, earnings, and other indicators.  Today’s report focuses on information on the Hispanic population, including information collected in supplemental questions on topics such as education and family composition. 

 

In addition, the report reminds us that there is a great deal of diversity within the Hispanic community and this is consistent not only with Census 2000, but what we know from our experience. 

 

For instance, Latinos of Mexican origin were more likely to live in the West and South, Cubans live in the South, and Puerto Ricans in the Northeast, and Central and South Americans are living throughout the country.

 

And with regard to age, we know that the Hispanic population is younger than the U.S. population as a whole.  Over one-third of the Hispanic population is under 18.  This is dramatically different than other groups. And, within the Hispanic, population the Mexican population has the highest proportion under age 18 — nearly 40 percent.  And the Cuban population has the highest proportion of people over age 65 — over 20 percent.

 

This report also presents data regarding the workforce, education, family-size, and origin for the Hispanic population at the national level.  It is important to have data for an entire demographic group — it allows us to measure major developments and trends.  But it’s equally important to have data for smaller geographies — in our own neighborhoods and communities — where having the high quality data really make a difference in the lives of the people we know. 

 

For instance the community leaders of Grand Rapids, Michigan where the Latino population grew by nearly 175 percent from 9,000 to 26,000 in one decade, know that it is much more important to have data for Grand Rapids, than only for the U.S.  Only the decennial census, specifically the long form, provides these data. 

 

According to Census 2000, 13 percent of the population of Grand Rapids is Hispanic.  This is roughly the same percentage as the U.S.  Yet, the data for the Latino community of Grand Rapids differs in many ways from the data for the overall U.S. Latino population. 

 

For instance, the proportion of Foreign-born for Hispanics in the U.S. is about 40 percent.  In Grand Rapids, it’s about 50 percent.  This underscores the importance of having local data — there are many instances where the national data just do not paint the right picture.  Or, in other words, one size doesn’t fit all. 

§         It’s the difference between knowing that the median household income for Hispanics in the United States was $34,000 but was higher at $35,000 in Grand Rapids. 

§         It’s the difference between knowing that nearly one-half of the Hispanic population in the United States has a high school education, compared to only one-third in Grand Rapids.

§         It’s the difference between knowing that the median gross rent for Latinos in Grand Rapids $529, about $75 less than the rent for Latinos in the U.S. as a whole. 

 

And for the business and community leaders, it’s the data for Grand Rapids — not the U.S. as a whole — that provides the evidence, proving that there are opportunities to invest in Grand Rapids. 

 

There is a saying, though, that “opportunity only knocks once.”  Of course, answering the door takes vision and probably some courage.  But vision and courage can be much more effective, if they’re supported by timely, accurate data.  It takes data after all, to provide the evidence that the opportunity exists. Well, some can see this opportunity, but to convince a bank or investors, one needs facts and figures. 

 

The bad news is the census data are collected only once a decade.  They become stale and even inaccurate as time goes by, especially for diverse, rapidly changing cities, towns, and communities and for rapidly growing population like Hispanics in the U.S. 

 

The good news is the Census Bureau has developed a better alternative, a plan known as the “Reengineered Census.”  The most important advantages to this plan are that it will deliver data every year for every local government and businesses it provides a real opportunity to improve the accuracy of the 2010 census.

 

This plan has three parts.  The first part, enhancing and modernizing the Census Bureau’s geographic systems, is to bring our systems into true geographic alignment, using the same technology some of us have in our cars that help us when we get lost.  This means our census and survey-takers will not get lost.  They will find every housing unit and put it into the right place, improving the accuracy and coverage of the census. 

 

The second part of the plan deals with the decennial census itself.  As many of you know, the long form is not popular.  The long form takes a long time to complete.  It takes a long time to get the forms back.  It takes a long time to process.  In general, it’s a tremendous drain on resources during the decennial census.  Our plan is to conduct a short form-only census in 2010.  This means ALL of the Census Bureau’s efforts during the 2010 census will be focused on the fundamental, constitutional responsibility of the decennial census: the count. 

 

Our goal with this plan is provide the data that serves the needs of a diverse, changing nation. Eliminating the long form from the decennial census provides an opportunity to provide yearly data with the American Community Survey. 

 

The American Community Survey is the third part of the “Reengineered Census.”  With this survey, we will collect long form-type data every year from three million households throughout the country beginning in the last half of 2004. The American Community Survey will replace the long form, providing the same data that is currently being used to meet thousands of needs throughout the United States.  The real difference — the real advantage — is that the American Community Survey will provide the data every year. 

 

What does this mean? 

§         We will have detailed economic and demographic data in 2006 for every state, every large city, and every minority community and we will update these data every year thereafter. 

§         We will have detailed economic and demographic data in 2008 for every city or county with a population of 20,000 or more, and every year thereafter.  

§         And in 2010 — two years before decennial census data could be available — we will have detailed economic and demographic data for every small town, community, and neighborhood, and every year thereafter.

 

This is a revolutionary change in the nation’s statistical system.  Under the current, conventional system, the Census Bureau delivers data once a decade.  This is not good enough for America’s cities, communities, and neighborhoods. 

 

As of right now, Congress is considering the President’s budget request for 2004 that includes the American Community Survey, as well as funding for the mapping systems and planning for the 2010 census  — yes, it’s never too early to plan for the decennial census.  (It is, after all, the nation’s largest peacetime mobilization effort.)  They are considering this opportunity and our future.  Their support is critical. 

 

Your support is critical as well, especially as we move forward.  We need LULAC.  You have helped us tremendously in the past to get the message of participation out.  You have helped us to reach the colonias, neighborhoods, and barrios.  And most importantly, you’ve helped through your continuing support to ensure that Latino community has access to the data and knows how to use these data.  The Census Bureau is grateful to LULAC for the forum you have provided today and throughout this conference, and your other meetings. 

 

We believe the American Community Survey is the future — not only for the Census Bureau and statisticians, but also for local leaders and growing communities.  There are schools waiting for teachers; new roads, neighborhoods, and homes that need to be built; and there are urgent needs, such as emergency preparedness, that must be assessed and planned-for. 

 

In addition, local business and community leaders are scouting for opportunities to invest — folks like residents of Roosevelt Park, a Latino neighborhood in Grand Rapids.  Together the Grandville Business Association, the Neighborhood Association, and the Hispanic Center of West Michigan are looking for ways to develop a thriving a business district along the Grandville Avenue corridor.  They see hope and opportunity.  They see the growing population of Latinos.  They see the start of new businesses and they see others expand. 

 

Roosevelt Park is a symbol for me of thousands of other diverse, changing neighborhoods and communities throughout America.  I believe their hopes, as well as their needs, will be better served through timely, accurate data from the American Community Survey, rather than data once a decade.  Recuerden, el futuro es ahora.  The future is waiting.  Muchísimas Gracias. 

 

 

 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Public Information Office
(301) 763-3030

Last Revised: June 18, 2003 at 11:56:59 AM

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