The purpose of the Census is not only to count how many people reside in different areas in the United States, but it is also to find out what ethnicity these populations consider themselves to be. This is extremely important for logistical purposes. However, the language used in the census can drastically affect the answers elicited. For example, the diction used on the Vietnamese translation of the census conveys a tone reminiscent of a communist investigation. Therefore, fewer Vietnamese citizens may be inclined to submit personal information, thinking it is serving a sinister purpose. Because many Vietnamese have recently had a frightening history relating to communist governments, this wording could skew census results from Vietnamese populations.
More problematic, however, is that non-English speakers sometimes do not have correct instructions about filling out the census form. It is confusing for them to have to supply a distinct ethnicity not present as one of the choices available. But the difficulty is compounded when census workers urge respondents to mark an incorrect ethnicity. In Queens, New York, one of the most richly diverse areas in the United States, census workers directed people of Bangladeshi background to check the “Indian” box. The distinctions between Indians and Bangladeshi people are very pronounced, but this difference is not being accounted for in the recent survey. Glenn Magpantay, the director of the democracy program at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, addresses this inequity as he declared, “To have someone identified as something they’re not is not only offensive, but it also drives a misallocation of resources and representation.” The most important difference between ethnic groups, however, is in terms of language. Various governmental services whose workers are fluent or familiar with a certain language are assigned to locations based on the information provided by the census. For example, hospitals will include signs in Bangla if the census determines that there is a large enough population of Bangladeshi people in the surrounding area.
Officials are hurriedly trying to correct mistakes in this census. There are more than 30,000 questionnaire assistants nationwide to help anyone who doesn’t understand the census directions. There are bound to be many mistakes because this process is not scientific. Mr. Magpantay’s organization is trying to rectify the Bangladesh/Indian confusion because the census information has such reverberating consequences.
The very concept of identifying their race is confusing to some immigrants because it often does not happen in other cultures. “The concept of picking a race or ethnicity for non-American-born folks is not common.” Many immigrants don’t understand the lasting impact that filling out this piece of paper will have on them for at least the next ten years. More education efforts need to be enacted to make this 2010 census as accurate as possible
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