Guest column: Counting on it

With the 2010 census approaching in March, speculation has emerged concerning how the U.S. Census Bureau plans to reach its goal of a returned form from every resident in the country. Filling out the survey is much more a matter of abiding the law than it is a choice, as the Bureau would convey. But what it really comes down to is choosing whether it is worth your time.

At 10 minutes and only 10 questions, the 2010 census is the shortest it has ever been, a change that should make its completion less of a hassle. What does the census do, though? Many people believe the census is just a count of how many different kinds of people live in certain areas. It is indeed a population count, but the population determines much more than just demographics for research. It determines the number of congressional representatives for each region and distributes $400 billion in government funding. With the economy in a slump, you'd think we could all use a little monetary incentive.

But the fact remains that a huge number of people still won't complete it, especially college students. Students typically assume our parents take care of it (this was the case for me at least). The truth is, though, that your parents don't fill it out for you because you don't live there (unless you're commuting). You live in a dorm, apartment or house, and you fill out the census at the residence where you mostly live.

Minorities, which substantiate much of the College Park community, have traditionally been "hard to count." Some have speculated that their reasons for not filling out the census are general misunderstanding and/or distrust in the government. Controversial legislation in recent years regarding privacy (such as the Patriot Act and instances of wiretapping) makes it unsurprising that people are skeptical of the government. What many minorities don't know is the information they provide to the census is protected under strict laws. It is a federal crime to disclose private information, and Census Bureau employees who release any information are fined up to $250,000, sentenced up to five years in prison, or both.

Those who seem to be most worried about private information are undocumented immigrants fearing arrest and deportation. One senator, David Vitter (R-La.) even proposed an amendment that would require census participants to state their citizenship and immigration status, allowing the government to remove non-citizens from the count that determines congressional seats. His proposal was rejected, and undocumented immigrants can sleep a little easier at night. Census participants don't have to list citizenship status at all (another fact that probably needs more clarification).

Who would have known any of this information without going to the census website? I wouldn't, but I do now because of some extra research. Realistically, students, minorities and the general population need to be handed the information, not go looking for it themselves. So the Census Bureau must inform people of the benefits and confidentiality of the survey — or maybe just its brevity. If you want to learn more or would like any clarification on questions you have, visit www.cpcensus.com.

Sammi Liang is a senior American studies and communication major. She can be reached at sliang3 at umd dot edu.