Workers’ Matters

Heat, Fear and Stubborn Doormen: What Census Workers Face in the Final Month

BY RACHEL HOLLIDAY SMITH, THE CITY

The first responders to the non-responders have only a month left. After a historically fraught census season marked by budget woes, political tussling over a citizenship question, a lastminute timeline cut and a pandemic, New York’s best hope to avoid a U.S. Census undercount is walking around your neighborhood right now. Census enumerators are pounding the pavement across the five boroughs in an effort to confirm how many people live in the city — at a time when pandemic-scarred New Yorkers may be less likely than ever to answer a door-knock. The enumerators have until Sept. 30 — a month earlier than originally expected — to get it all done. Derek, an enumerator on the Upper West Side, applied for the job before the COVID-19 crisis hit. By the summer, he wasn’t sure he could go through with it. “I did tell myself that I was going to try it for a week and see exactly how it worked out,” he said. “And if I genuinely did not feel safe, I would have most likely have just quit.” Now, he says he’s committed to the job “until this thing is over.” He is one of a handful of city enumerators who spoke with THE CITY on the condition of anonymity: U.S. Census Bureau employees are not cleared to speak with the media.

Local Count Lags They have their work cut out for them. In New York, the city’s self-response rate rose 10.7 percentage points between May and August according to a recent analysis. But that still means only 57.4% of households have responded as of Aug. 28 — 6.6 percentage points lower than in 2010. And some hard-tocount neighborhoods are lagging by double digits. The stakes of getting an accurate count are high for the city. Everything from Congressional seats to federal funding depends on the final numbers. Andrea, an enumerator in Brooklyn, said she never “expected to be so personally invested in getting it done.” At first, she took the job mostly because it paid well — at just under 30 bucks an hour — and allowed for a flexible schedule. Now, she finds herself educating, cajoling and sometimes nearly begging for basic information when faced with a reluctant subject. “It’s really like, ‘You can turn me away, you can slam the door on me, but just tell me how many people live here,’” she said, describing her approach. “If you can just give me that, someone probably won’t bother you again.” In Flushing, Queens, enumerator Katelyn finds that most people will answer the census questionnaire “once they’re at the door with me.” But on the whole, “most people just straight up won’t open their doors,” she said. “Some people are very obviously home, but won’t come to the door, which is fine. I’m not offended. I don’t take it personally because I mean, A) I don’t like opening my door to strangers either. But, B) there’s a global pandemic happening,” she said. All surveys are completed via tablet by the enumerator, so the respondent doesn’t need to touch anything. The questionnaire takes about 10 minutes to complete. But because of policies put in place due to COVID-19, physically getting to the door can be a challenge. “A lot of doormen as well as building management just don’t want you in the building,” Derek said. “It does make it extremely hard, especially

NEW YORK, NY – JULY 29, 2020: Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Census 2020 Director Julie Menin go door-knocking to encourage New Yorkers to complete the census in South Richmond Hill, Queens. Editorial credit: Ron Adar / Shutterstock.com

when I have 15 or 17 apartments that I have to do in this certain building, and I’m not able to.… And I’m not supposed to argue.”

Fighting Scams and Suspi-

cions The enumerators get their assignments for the day sometime between midnight and 7 a.m., they said. Then they suit up. Each has two Bureau-issued cloth masks, hand sanitizer and gloves. A Census-branded bag and lanyard complete the uniform, which New Yorkers should look for when they get a visit. Census-related scams are all too common: Just last week, fraudsters posing as census workers set up a table on 125th Street in Harlem, asking people for their Social Security numbers in exchange for $10 Subway gift cards, according to an alert sent out by a Bronx community board. All enumerators who spoke with THE CITY said they don’t believe their health is at risk on the street and won’t let fears of contracting coronavirus stop them. Ron, who has been enumerating in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, feels “mostly safe” from the virus, especially since the workers rarely enter anyone’s home and can usually keep a fair distance. Only once did COVID-19 get in the way of the job. “There was one respondent that answered the door and was like, ‘Oh, I can’t open the door. I think I’m sick.’ And I said, ‘You know, I can actually do this interview through a closed door,’” Ron said. But there was no further answer. “They just didn’t want to do it,” Ron recalled.

Enumerators say they’re learning more tips and tricks on the job. Derek makes all of his Census-branded gear “as visible as possible,” to convince skeptical New Yorkers to talk with him. After getting a “really bad sunburn” her first day, Katelyn schedules her hours in the afternoon and evening to avoid the heat — and said she carries “a huge-a— water bottle.”

The Kindness of Strangers

Andrea has discovered when she can’t find an address, talking to longtime locals about what the area used to look like elicits a ton of help. “It’s distinctly hard in New York and in neighborhoods in Brooklyn, especially rapidly gentrifying ones, because the building may not exist,” she said. “If we strike up a conversation about how much has changed … those are people who want to help.” Still, enumerators say they regularly deal with insults and even threats on their routes. Ron, who is gender non-conforming, has been verbally harassed and spat at because of their appearance. Separately, they were escorted by a group of men off of a property after knocking on the door of a basement apartment. “Nobody said anything directly verbally threatening or violent. But it was very understood,” Ron said. Andrea has been called a “b--h,” she said, but has never marked a case as “hostile” — an option the workers have if a visit gets out of hand. Katelyn in Flushing counts herself lucky to not have been yelled at or threatened. She frequently reads through a Reddit group for census workers and sees a constant stream of enumerators posting about being harassed, or having the police called on them. Still, the workers in New York are committed to the job and, on the whole, focus on the good. Ron said the people who are “really courteous and sweet” make a big difference. “I just kind of try to hang on to that,” Ron said.

Tea and Talk

Andrea has enjoyed cataloging the area around her own home — most census workers are assigned to canvass their own neighborhoods — and getting to know her neighbors. One of the best visits so far, she said, was visiting a large family about to have dinner. “They offered me mint tea,” she said, noting that she declined because census workers can’t accept gifts. “They were sitting down … ready to eat delicious-looking food,” she said. “I had a couple other cases in the building and I was like, ‘Finish eating.’ And then I came back and they brought a seat to me out in the hallway.” With the family sitting inside the apartment and the door open between them, she completed the questionnaire and got them counted. l

NYC Municipal Unions Rally to Save 22,000 Jobs

With the clock ticking for 22,000 municipal workers whose jobs are hanging by a thread, some of New York City‘s top labor leaders and their members gathered for a rally Thursday in Foley Square to send a message to city and state leaders that essential workers are not Photo courtesy NYC Central Labor Council expendable workers. The and are about to find their jobs families while cutting services COVID-19 pandemic has ap- on the chopping block,” said to the public,“ said Henry Garparently left city coffers more Joe Puleo, President of Local rido, Executive Director of DC than $9 billion in the red. With- 983 and organizer of the rally. 37, the city‘s largest public emout a federal bailout from the “This is unacceptable. We are ployee union. “The proposed HEROES Act or help from Al- talking about up to 22,000 layoffs are morally reprehensibany by allowing long-term workers, some of whom earn ble to the everyday heroes who borrowing, the Mayor has barely earn enough to support have put it all on the line. Our turned to layoffs — the typical their families as it is.” essential workers are not exfallback plan when no one “DC 37 members stayed the pendable!“ wants to think outside the box, course on the frontlines of our Dozens of unions, hundreds according to union leaders. city‘s response in the darkest of members, and pro-labor “Now that the mayor needs days of the COVID-19 pan- politicians all gathered for the to cut expenses and find a way demic. It is unconscionable for rally as the city postponed to balance his budget, the same the City to propose laying off sending out layoff notices municipal workers that he 22,000 city employees, disrupt- while speaking with union once deemed ‘essential’ will ing the lives of thousands of leaders. p now be deemed ‘expendable’ essential workers and their

Support A New Deal for CUNY!

CUNY Rising, an alliance of workers, students and communities fighting for free and quality college education, has launched a campaign to win a New Deal for CUNY. CUNY is often the best chance for a college education for poor and working-class New Yorkers, for New York City’s communities of color, for successive waves of new immigrants, for the urban middle class. Yet years of underfunding have led to annual tuition hikes, reduced student services, faculty and staff shortages—and now in the COVID Recession, layoffs of almost 3000 adjunct instructors. The New Deal for CUNY reimagines public investment in the colleges that educate the workers of New York City and their children. It calls for the return of free tuition at CUNY and a fully funded university with adequate staffing, robust student counseling and advisement, and safe, modern facilities. Add your name in support of the New Deal for CUNY. And look for CUNY Rising programing and materials during the Labor Week of Action! p

Family: The True Modern Relationship

Is Your Partner Family Obsessed?

BY JENNINE ESTES, MFT

Sharing a close bond with your family can be one of the greatest parts of your life. And seeing your partner have closeness with their family is often a good indicator about how your future family might operate. Still, can someone be too close with their family… even obsessed? It is one thing to be family oriented, but if your partner is family obsessed it can actually turn into a wedge in your relationship. Here are some ways to tell the difference and how to handle a family obsessed partner.

What is the difference between family oriented and family obsessed

Being family oriented means the family spends quality time together, celebrates with one another, and supports each other during difficult times. On the other hand, a family obsessed partner will make you feel like you are always competing with their family – and can never win. It can be hard to feel like a priority when you are dating someone who is enmeshed with their family. Your partner’s mom may feel threatened by your relationship and throw a tantrum for attention. Your partner may be too worried about upsetting their parents so they always “takes their side” to make them happy. It can feel like your family obsessed partner is always on stand-by for their parents and siblings, not completely present with you. Or that relationship decisions aren’t between you and your partner, but between you and your partner’s family. Family obsessed partners won’t take a stand for the relationship. They may even ask to bend or violate your boundaries in an effort to “keep the peace.”

Should you consider your partner’s relationship with their family?

When you date someone, a relationship with their family is often included. You have to make sure that the family dynamic is something you can work through. Don’t let the family be the only factor when you decide if you should continue dating, but take it into consideration. If you don’t get along with the family, examine how you and your partner can work through these issues. Does your partner seem like they can hear you out? You’ve got to make sure that the relationship is solid and can handle their family feeling threatened. If you and your partner are trying to overcome one of you being family obsessed, it’s important to build a strong, secure attachment. Your partner needs to know that even if you love your family, you will still stand up for the relationship and not always take your family’s side. Communication and boundaries are key in making this work. You can learn to say “no” to your family to make more time for your relationship. It’s not all or nothing. The family obsessed (hopefully soon family oriented) partner can still call and spend time with their family. Just within the boundaries of your relationship. For example, if you are going on a vacation with your partner, wait until you get back to give your family the updates instead of a constant play-by-play. Figure out, together with your partner (not their family), what your relationship boundaries are when it comes to family. p Jennine Estes, MFC#47653 is a Marriage and Family Therapist in San Diego, CA. She is certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples, a supervisor and creator of #BeingLOVEDIs campaign.

Article is reprinted with the kind permission of Estes Therapy.