For the love of your country, fill out your census form!

[Steve_MB]

@Northern_Piper

Having sound information about the racial distribution within the state helps to ensure that the state’s seats are not being gerrymandered on the basis of race.

Denying this information to the government does more than “help” prevent that – it makes it impossible.

[bup]

@Steve_MB

Denying this information to the government does more than “help” prevent that – it makes it impossible.

That’s naive. State legislatures can unfairly ghetto-ize congressional districts without census data.

[Anaamika]

I filled mine out last night. And I was happy to see all of the breakdowns of Asian ethnicity; I seem to remember either in 2000 or 1990 that it only said “Asian”. Now I was able to put in Asian Indian for myself and Chinese for my SO. Progress! Even better they had a category for “Unmarried partner” - that wasn’t there before either, was it?

Mine is in the mail today, happily mailed. And with only two people in the house, it didn’t even take three minutes.

[Steve_MB]

@bup

That’s naive. State legislatures can unfairly ghetto-ize congressional districts without census data.

How, exactly?

[Rumor_Watkins]

Jesus H. Christ what is up with these fucking hand-wringing, everything’s relative there are no absolutes, so-quick-to-offend liberals (with a small l here)?
“what are you talking about, adopted kids are exactly the same as biological children and there shouldn’t be any distinction drawn! especially since there’s no chance that if this distinction isn’t made, some group of children (who, you know, I can’t identify at all because they are all **my **children, and absolutely all the same) may be double counted!”

“ZOMG. I am so fucking progressive I am going to put “human” as my race because there are clearly no differences whatsoever in socioeconomic status between identifiable groups based on their historo-geographical origins”
give me a fucking break. just fill out the g.d. form and stow your feigned indignation for something that matters.

[Zsofia]

@Steve_MB

How, exactly?

Uh, you don’t know where the black people live? Really? Seriously? You don’t think your state representatives, like, live where you do?

[Khadaji]

Filled and sent this morning.

[Sarahfeena]

@Rumor_Watkins

“what are you talking about, adopted kids are exactly the same as biological children and there shouldn’t be any distinction drawn! especially since there’s no chance that if this distinction isn’t made, some group of children (who, you know, I can’t identify at all because they are all **my **children, and absolutely all the same) may be double counted!”

I don’t understand that at all. How are they going to prevent people from being double counted?

[MsWhatsit]

Here.

The data are designed to assist agencies that serve adoptive families such as the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse of theAdministration for Children and Families. The data also may inform policy-makers who develop legislation related to adoptive families such asthe Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994, the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, and the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993.

[Harmonious_Discord]

@MsRobyn

Prisons, nursing homes, college dorms and the like are considered Group Living Quarters and the residents therein are counted separately. Generally speaking, the Census Bureau works with the administrators of these facilities to make sure the information is correct and to make sure that these people aren’t counted elsewhere; i.e. college students may be counted while at school (where they should be counted) and at home (where they shouldn’t).

Thanks for the reply.

[Rumor_Watkins]

@Sarahfeena

I don’t understand that at all. How are they going to prevent people from being double counted?

First off, the short form doesn’t even ask about adoption status, at least not in any place that I noticed it

But let’s ignore that. People are, on average, stupid. If you don’t distinguish between adopted and biological children, biological parents may very well answer that they have a child (even though technically it’s no longer theirs), and hypersensitive adoptive parents will for sure answer that they have that same child. ergo, the double counting.
And let’s just ignore this and get to the root of the issue: there’s a slight difference between a biological child and an adopted child, and there are perfectly valid reasons for wanting to glean statistics from adopted as opposed to biological children, your (global you) offense notwithstanding.

[rockle]

Out of curiosity, what do they do when you check the “Some other race” box and fill in “Unknown”? We had to do that with our (adopted) daughter, because we just don’t know all the details.

[rockle]

@Rumor_Watkins

First off, the short form doesn’t even ask about adoption status, at least not in any place that I noticed it

I can’t remember which question it is, but somewhere it does ask for a relationship to “Person #1” and differentiates between biological and adopted children.

[DanBlather]

@MeanOldLady

Whoa, whoa, whoa, ten whole minutes? Where are people supposed to find that kind of time between the hours spent goofing off at work, and wanking to internet porn?

Those aren’t supposed to be done at the same time?

[Sarahfeena]

@MsWhatsit

Here.

How does that prevent people from being double-counted?

[Sarahfeena]

@Rumor_Watkins

First off, the short form doesn’t even ask about adoption status, at least not in any place that I noticed it

You should have looked more closely. They ask for each person from #2 on how that person is related to person 1, and they differentiate between adopted and biological.

But let’s ignore that. People are, on average, stupid. If you don’t distinguish between adopted and biological children, biological parents may very well answer that they have a child (even though technically it’s no longer theirs), and hypersensitive adoptive parents will for sure answer that they have that same child. ergo, the double counting.

A biological parent may still mark that they have a biological child (even though technically it’s no longer theirs), and true that adopted parents, hypersensitive or not, will surely answer that they have that same child. So…how are you going to prevent double counting again?

And let’s just ignore this and get to the root of the issue: there’s a slight difference between a biological child and an adopted child, and there are perfectly valid reasons for wanting to glean statistics from adopted as opposed to biological children, your (global you) offense notwithstanding.

Maybe so, but double counting I don’t think is one of them.

[Rumor_Watkins]

@rockle

I can’t remember which question it is, but somewhere it does ask for a relationship to “Person #1” and differentiates between biological and adopted children.

yes, I see it now. ty.

[Rumor_Watkins]

@Sarahfeena

A biological parent may still mark that they have a biological child (even though technically it’s no longer theirs), and true that adopted parents, hypersensitive or not, will surely answer that they have that same child. So…how are you going to prevent double counting again?

because they can run models to attempt to accurately discount the chance of this double counting… if they know that children are adopted.

if everyone just puts “child” then they don’t have sufficient data to figure things out.
I’m assuming you’re similarly miffed at the “stepson and stepdaughter” classification? right?

[Sarahfeena]

@Rumor_Watkins

because they can run models to attempt to accurately discount the chance of this double counting… if they know that children are adopted.

if everyone just puts “child” then they don’t have sufficient data to figure things out.
I’m assuming you’re similarly miffed at the “stepson and stepdaughter” classification? right?

They could run models (and probably do) based on how many people are likely to be too stupid to understand the concept of “people living in your residence.”

[Rumor_Watkins]

@Sarahfeena

They could run models (and probably do) based on how many people are likely to be too stupid to understand the concept of “people living in your residence.”

so? more data is better than less, even if it offends your delicate sensibilities regarding the status of an adopted child.