The 2020 census
The Legal Genealogist has been among the many many United States citizens who began receiving the envelopes from the U.S. Census Bureau.
“This is your invitation to respond to the 2020 Census,” it begins. And there’s no chance we won’t all respond eagerly to that invitation — there’s not a whole lot that’s dearer to a genealogist’s heart than the census.
Except for one minor fact.
Genealogically speaking, for those looking at this census when it’s opened to researchers in 2092 and in the years, decades and even centuries that follow, it’s pretty much gonna be a bust.
Now before I go on… there is one essential truth we all have to accept, however unhappily.
The census, dear friends, is not designed for us.
There isn’t even one tiny smidgin of intent or purpose to produce a record for genealogical research anywhere in the history or laws surrounding the census.
Its purpose comes directly from the Constitution of the United States:
Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, … The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.1
That’s it. Since there aren’t any direct taxes within the meaning of the Constitution levied today, the singular purpose of the enumeration clause is to apportion the now-435 seats in the House of Representatives among the states.
You don’t see reconstructing families mentioned anywhere. No linking parent to child or spouses in the language. There’s nothing at all that says occupations or immigration status or — indeed — any demographic information whatsoever other than sheer numbers has to be collected.
Sigh…
It’s true that, on occasion, the law implementing that provision has required some demographic data. The very first census law in 1790 required “That the marshals of the several districts of the United States shall be, and they are hereby authorized and required to cause the number of the inhabitants within their respective-districts to be taken; omitting in such enumeration Indians not taxed, and distinguishing free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, from all others; distinguishing also the sexes and colours of free persons, and the free males of sixteen years and upwards from those under that age…”2
And it’s even true that, on occasion, the amount of demographic information collected by the enumerators has been just wonderful. The 1920 census, for example, collected information on citizenship, education, nativity and mother tongue, occupation and more.3
So… what will those in the future find out about us, when the 2020 census is opened in 72 years?
Not much… but some things we’d like for them to know:
• The names of all household members living at an address as of 1 April 2020, the enumeration date of the census.
• The relationship of each household member to the head of the household, with options including opposite-sex husband/wife/spouse; opposite-sex unmarried partner; same-sex husband/wife/spouse; same-sex unmarried partner; biological son or daughter adopted son or daughter; stepson or stepdaughter; brother or sister; father or mother; grandchild; parent-in-law; son-in-law or daughter-in-law; other relative; roommate or housemate; foster child; and other nonrelative.
• The sex of each household member.
• Each person’s date of birth.
• Whether any person is of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin and, if so, to specify.
• Each person’s race and origins. For example, if white, we’re asked to specify German, Irish, English, Italian, Lebanese, Egyptian, etc. If Black or African American, African American, Jamaican, Haitian, Nigerian, Ethiopian, Somali, etc. If American Indian or Alaska Native, name of enrolled or principal tribe(s), for example, Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe, Mayan, Aztec, Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government, Nome Eskimo Community, etc.4
• Whether the person usually lives at the location or stays somewhere else, such as at college, in the military, in a nursing home, in a prison, etc.
And that’s it.
No place of birth. No parents’ place of birth. No occupation. No marital status, except by inference. (But was that single female head of household a widow? Divorced? Never married?) No citizenship or immigration information.
Which, of course, means one thing.
If there are things like that that we want the future to know about us, we’d better be creating those records ourselves or in another form altogether.
Because, genealogically speaking, the 2020 census is pretty much a bust.
Cite/link to this post: Judy G. Russell, “What the future will know,” The Legal Genealogist (https://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog : posted 23 Mar 2020).
SOURCES
- Clause 3, Section 2, Article I, United States Constitution. ↩
- “An Act providing for the enumeration of the Inhabitants of the United States,” 1 Stat. 101 (1 Mar 1790). ↩
- You can get a great overview of what was asked on each census from 1790-2000 in Jason Gauthier, Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses from 1790 to 2000 (Washington, DC : US Census Bureau, 2002); available as a downloadable PDF. ↩
- For those agonizing over how to report, remember that there’s no legal significance to your answer to this question. It’s one of those generic demographic bits of data that we’ll all nod at and say, “How interesting that one sixth of Americans say they have German origins!” — it’s of no more importance than that. The instructions say to indicate any self-identification “with one or more nationalities or ethnic groups originating in Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.” So no need to list every ethnic origin for which your DNA test says you have any evidence at all, including that 0.001% Viking. I listed German for my paternal origins (my father was born there), and English and Scots-Irish for my maternal origins (best we can figure). If I’m wrong in some way, it isn’t going to make one whit of difference. Just do your best and stop worrying about it. Seriously. ↩
Judy, I put my surname as my maiden name[space]married name. Hope it gives the future a bread crumb
And of course, how many persons in 2092 and thereafter will recall that 1 April 2020 was right in the midst of the pandemic, when persons were self-quarantining either at their usual residence or wherever else was the safe place to be? Will hospital patients be enumerated by hospital officials, or will they be expected to file from their home addresses? If the latter, what about persons who live alone and are too sick to fill out the form? Will they be recorded at all? This census will indeed be unlike any other.
If I may comment as a non-US resident (and non-US citizen too), my understanding is that the enumeration period lasts up until, I believe, September 2020. During this period households which have not filed their returns will have several more invitations to complete the census by mail, and if that still fails, there will be a number of physical visits to the property. This may include talking to neighbors to ascertain details of any missing individuals. Assuming your example person is at home on at least one of those events, they will be able to be included in the count. If, sadly, they should die in that intervening period they will become a statistic of a different kind and the the final count will not need to include them for the purpose of determining the future structure of Congress.
I posted on social media about my experience filling out the online form. I noted that I had almost decided to wait until April 1st to fill out the form, since I was asked where I would be living on 1 April 2020 and “there is a non-zero chance that there is a non-zero chance of something like an earthquake hitting SLC tomorrow and completely sucking my house into a hole in the ground” I could be living somewhere else on that day. Or be dead.
Well, it wasn’t “tomorrow” but a few days after I made the post, Salt Lake City was in fact hit by an earthquake. My home had no damage, but several dozen homes have sufficient damage that no one will be living there on 1 April.
I helped take the census in 1990, so I understand some of the reasons why the Census Bureau does not wait until 1 April 2020 to send out the census invitations. But I wish that there was a way that corrections could be made for cases where early respondents have something happen prior to 1 April 2020 that makes their original responses inaccurate. And it is my understanding that there is not a way to do that.
That could be said of any census. I still cannot find my Great Grandmother in the 1940 census along with the guy she left my GGF for. Each census is and will always be different and we as genealogists must know what the differences are and how to use each one.
If in the future, the genealogist is a census only genealogist, then indeed the 2020 census (and probably 2010 if I remember correctly) will be a bust. A competent genealogist will know how to use other records to supplement where the census falls short as always.
Also, in my case, good luck to any future genealogist finding me in the 2000 census. During March 2000, I move twice as was in 3 different locations (plus another move later in 2000). One of the locations would be where one would not expect to find me.
Oh my, there’s a white issue in the 2020 Census. Identify yourself as white, you get many options to clarify: Norwegian, Swedish, English etc. Identify yourself as Hispanic, the ONLY TWO options are Mexican or Spanish. Puerto Rico or Dominion Republic [my son’s long time girlfriend ethnicity who I live with] were NOT listed as an option. Needless to say, she was not happy and had to be pushed to complete the on-line form.
I was shocked to be told this. Someone surely dropped the ball here.
She’s wrong. You don’t even get to the white ethnic origins question without going through an entire page to designate Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin. On that page, the person can indicate Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or other and if other the person is asked to be more specific: “Enter, for example, Salvadoran, Dominican, Colombian, Guatemalan, Spaniard, Ecuadorian, etc.”
Thanx Judy. Story was second hand. Will share with son.
This is not going to be a problem just for future genealogists. The 1950 census is the last where a large number of questions were asked of everyone. The 1960 census only asked everyone _5_ questions: relationship to the head of the household, age, sex, race, and marital status. A 25% percent sample was asked additional questions in 1960. That pattern – few questions to everyone, more questions to a sample – continued through 2000. And in 2010 and 2020, everyone gets the short set.
There will be some very disappointed genealogists in 2032. See:
https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/index_of_questions/1960_population.html
Alas, the current census will not be the great resource that previous ones, in less sensitive days, allowed us. But that’s probably made up by the vast social media data that tracks our every movement now. If it survives.
As a family genealogist, I was disappointed with the 2020 census-which I was able to fill out in little time via a computer. No place to put where my folks were born, occupation, etc. It was basically a “blah” with no information census. Too bad someone who is a genealogist didn’t have a say in the census.
Noticed when i completed our census online, the program took middle names enters and converted to an initial.
Reference Chad’s comment above, I wondered about filling it out prior to 1 April. There was always a chance that a grandchild could show up on the door on or before that date. But I did submit it. And two days letter received an ,mailing saying that I had not submitted our census yet. It was supposed to be as of 1 April 2020, right?