Census 2020 Reveals Latinos Weren't Properly Counted
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he first batch of once-everyT decade data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows a United
mographer at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. That has potentially grim conStates that is growing less quick- sequences for the nation's future. ly and but still seeing its popula- “The big demographic advantage tion shift to the South and West. the U.S. once enjoyed over other The data released at the end of rich nations has evaporated,” April was relatively basic — con- John Lettieri, president of the taining national and state-level Economic Innovation Group, population figures and details of tweeted after the census data how they affect states' represen- release. “Now there are more tation in Congress. Still, it con- Americans 80 and older than 2 or tained some surprises and point- younger.” ed to some consequential trends. The U.S. population may be The U.S. population grew to growing more slowly, but it con331 million, a 7.4% growth rate tinued its 80-year-long trend from the last time the Census of shifting to the South and the Bureau counted every person in West. the country, in 2010. Those may Florida, Montana and North sound like big numbers, but it's Carolina each saw enough growth actually the second slowest rate to add a congressional seat, while of population growth the census booming Texas gained two. Colhas ever recorded, just behind the orado and Oregon also gained 7.3% growth in the 1930s. new seats, while Michigan, New That decade's slowed growth York and Pennsylvania lost seats. was rooted in the Great DepresThe snapshot tells a familiar sion. Our past decade's sluggish story: Americans have moved rate had similar beginnings in out of the industrial Midwest and the long shadow of the Great Re- Northeast, chasing jobs, more afcession. The drawn-out recovery fordable housing, growing new saw many young adults strug- suburbs and vibrant cities. gling to enter the job market, But, strikingly, the longtime delaying marriage symbol of Americans' search and starting a for the new and the next wasn't family. That part of that story. California's dealt a blow to growth rate wasn't enough to the nation's birthretain its 53-seat delegation in rate. Then the the House. The nation's most pandemic hit last populous state lost a congresyear and made sional seat for the first time matters worse. in its history, a fact that is But while already forcing debate over U.S. population whether Democrats' control of growth recovstate government is to blame. ered after the TROUBLE COUNTING Arturo Vargas Great Depression, LATINOS? In fact, the process demographers was expected to go even better are not optimistic it will pick up for the GOP. Texas and Florida anytime soon. Most forecast even were each expected to gain a seat, slower population growth in the as was Arizona. Those shortfalls decades to come. Americans are were a shocker for demographers, getting older — the median age and there were so few details in in the U.S. is 38, up one year the data it was hard to understand from 37 in 2010. Immigration what happened. had been dropping even before One possibility is that Latinos the pandemic effectively shut it weren't properly counted. Latidown. And many Republicans nos make up a large segment of have largely turned against the the population in the three states idea of immigration, legal or ille- that didn't gain expected seats. gal, a new political barrier to the Trump unsuccessfully pushed to country adding more population add a citizenship question to the quickly. census, sparking allegations that “Unlike the Great Depres- he hoped to intimidate Latinos sion, it’s part of a process where from participating in the process. we’re likely to keep having slow The actual count started during growth,” said William Frey, a de- the coronavirus pandemic when
Lubbock News from a Latino Perspective
it was especially hard to reach certain populations. It may be that the gap between expected gains and actual ones is the first sign of a Hispanic undercount. But it's too soon to tell without the more detailed data due out in the fall. “The initial results are su r pr ising enough that once more details are released, we will be able to better determine to what extent the Latino p opu lat ion was fairly and accuThomas Saenz rately counted,” said Arturo Vargas, president of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. Thomas Saenz, president of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said he wasn't ready to “sound the alarm” about an undercount yet, noting that growth among Latinos may have helped New York avoid losing a second House seat.
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