So I got my 2020 census form (and am still waiting for my 2000 form)

Started by bandit957, March 17, 2020, 01:09:21 AM

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AlexandriaVA

Again, I think it's a classic case of there not really being a wrong answer, and there's a lot to be learned about how people think about their own ancestry.


renegade

Quote from: SP Cook on March 21, 2020, 10:39:18 AM
In my part of the world we have the largest group of people who report their "ethnic background" as "American".  Very proud of that and it is what I use.  My ancestors have been here for 100s of years, came from all over Europe, and I could not care less about any European place.  I am an American, pure and simple.
^^^^^ This. ^^^^^
Don’t ask me how I know.  Just understand that I do.

webny99

Happy Census Day!

There's been discussion in several threads about the impact of coronavirus on the census for college campuses/towns, and these articles provides some clarity on that subject:
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2020/modifying-2020-operations-for-counting-college-students.html
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/04/9637264/us-census-college-students-2020-online-count

Another big question is if the US is going to hit 330 million people. I won't make a prediction on that, but can't wait to find out!  :D

hbelkins

I did not receive a census form in the mail, but I've been told that I won't because I get my mail at a post office box.

I can't remember if I got a form for 2010 or not.

I think this census is going to result in some drastic redistricting for state legislative seats. College students who normally live in their college towns on April 1 are going to be back home, many in smaller communities.

Related, I applied for a part-time census position several months ago and never got anything back other than the confirmation messages and a few standard form emails. Guess I'm overqualified.  :-D


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Rothman

Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

NWI_Irish96

Quote from: hbelkins on April 02, 2020, 01:15:11 PM
I did not receive a census form in the mail, but I've been told that I won't because I get my mail at a post office box.

I can't remember if I got a form for 2010 or not.

I think this census is going to result in some drastic redistricting for state legislative seats. College students who normally live in their college towns on April 1 are going to be back home, many in smaller communities.

Related, I applied for a part-time census position several months ago and never got anything back other than the confirmation messages and a few standard form emails. Guess I'm overqualified.  :-D

Census forms are only mailed to places of residence so no PO Boxes.  You can go online to fill it out or wait (quite a while at this point) for someone to come to your residence.

The plan has been revised to count students who live in dorms at their dorms even though they weren't there April 1. 
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%

vdeane

Quote from: cabiness42 on April 03, 2020, 08:13:21 AM
The plan has been revised to count students who live in dorms at their dorms even though they weren't there April 1. 
How will they do that, though?  The directions are very clear to list where you will be staying on April 1 - a sufficiently strict reading would seem to imply that if someone was visiting a friend or family member on April 1, they're to be counted there, and not at the place they spend the entire rest of the year!  Granted, I've always been prone to taking things overly literally.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

NWI_Irish96

Quote from: vdeane on April 03, 2020, 01:38:21 PM
Quote from: cabiness42 on April 03, 2020, 08:13:21 AM
The plan has been revised to count students who live in dorms at their dorms even though they weren't there April 1. 
How will they do that, though?  The directions are very clear to list where you will be staying on April 1 - a sufficiently strict reading would seem to imply that if someone was visiting a friend or family member on April 1, they're to be counted there, and not at the place they spend the entire rest of the year!  Granted, I've always been prone to taking things overly literally.

The instructions on the form (printed well before we entered our current reality) read: "Here, you'll count everyone living and sleeping in your home most of the time, including young children, roommates, and friends and family members who are living with you, even temporarily."

The Census 2020 website has added this instruction: "If someone such as a college student is just living with you temporarily due to the COVID-19 situation, they should be counted where they ordinarily would be living on April 1, 2020."

For students in college-managed campus housing, such as dorms, the Census Bureau will get the data directly from the colleges in the same manner they would normally.  If a household counts their college student at home and the dorm also counts them, there are procedures designed to catch the duplications.

For students in off-campus housing, if they are still living in or getting their mail forwarded from that address, they can respond for that address using the code they were mailed that is unique to that address.  If not, they can still answer online using that address.
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%

webny99

Yeah, I would think most people know that you're supposed to be counted at your normal home, say if you're traveling to visit family or friends. But if you have no hard date set to return home and it could be months or more, that's where it starts to get a bit dicey. I imagine coronavirus will reduce these types of situations among the population at large, but obviously it's the reverse for college students, so the trends may end up canceling each other out.

I guess another big question is, for those living in off-campus housing, how many of them temporarily moved back to other places?
You would think it would be fewer as compared to those living in on-campus housing, but it's hard to say.
It will be very interesting to see how it turns out, but like so many things these days, really only time will tell.

GaryV

What about college seniors, completing their degrees online, who will never be going back to campus?

NWI_Irish96

Quote from: GaryV on April 03, 2020, 02:30:07 PM
What about college seniors, completing their degrees online, who will never be going back to campus?


They should be counted where they would have been living on April 1 had there not been a pandemic.
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%

vdeane

Quote from: cabiness42 on April 03, 2020, 01:49:45 PM
The Census 2020 website has added this instruction: "If someone such as a college student is just living with you temporarily due to the COVID-19 situation, they should be counted where they ordinarily would be living on April 1, 2020."
I don't recall there being any COVID-19 instructions when I completed the form two weeks ago.

Quote
For students in college-managed campus housing, such as dorms, the Census Bureau will get the data directly from the colleges in the same manner they would normally.  If a household counts their college student at home and the dorm also counts them, there are procedures designed to catch the duplications.
Is that how most colleges handle it?  When I was in college for the 2010 Census, we were required to fill out the forms ourselves - I think the RAs passed them out.

Quote
For students in off-campus housing, if they are still living in or getting their mail forwarded from that address, they can respond for that address using the code they were mailed that is unique to that address.  If not, they can still answer online using that address.
Mail forwarding is done on a per-person basis, though (otherwise, when you move somewhere, you'd get all the mail for the person who moved in to your old place).  Census form's aren't - they're addressed to "resident".  As such, I don't think they'd forward.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

NWI_Irish96

Quote from: vdeane on April 03, 2020, 09:23:58 PM
Quote from: cabiness42 on April 03, 2020, 01:49:45 PM
The Census 2020 website has added this instruction: "If someone such as a college student is just living with you temporarily due to the COVID-19 situation, they should be counted where they ordinarily would be living on April 1, 2020."
I don't recall there being any COVID-19 instructions when I completed the form two weeks ago.

Quote
For students in college-managed campus housing, such as dorms, the Census Bureau will get the data directly from the colleges in the same manner they would normally.  If a household counts their college student at home and the dorm also counts them, there are procedures designed to catch the duplications.
Is that how most colleges handle it?  When I was in college for the 2010 Census, we were required to fill out the forms ourselves - I think the RAs passed them out.

Quote
For students in off-campus housing, if they are still living in or getting their mail forwarded from that address, they can respond for that address using the code they were mailed that is unique to that address.  If not, they can still answer online using that address.
Mail forwarding is done on a per-person basis, though (otherwise, when you move somewhere, you'd get all the mail for the person who moved in to your old place).  Census form's aren't - they're addressed to "resident".  As such, I don't think they'd forward.

The instruction isn't on the form itself but is on the main web page and the FAQ page.

As for the dorms, they may have had you fill out your form, but your form would have been sent in with all of the ones for the dorm in a single package, not individually.  That's the methodology I was referring to.  Obviously the individuals can't fill them out themselves now.
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%

vdeane

Quote from: cabiness42 on April 03, 2020, 10:29:16 PM
The instruction isn't on the form itself but is on the main web page and the FAQ page.
That's where I completed the form.  They aren't including paper forms with their mailings, only the link.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

MikeTheActuary

Quote from: vdeane on April 04, 2020, 10:51:57 PMThat's where I completed the form.  They aren't including paper forms with their mailings, only the link.

It varies, actually.

My father (formerly in an independent living apartment in Memphis) received a paper form.  My wife and I (in a single family home in Connecticut) got a link to the website.

NWI_Irish96

Quote from: MikeTheActuary on April 04, 2020, 11:48:22 PM
Quote from: vdeane on April 04, 2020, 10:51:57 PMThat's where I completed the form.  They aren't including paper forms with their mailings, only the link.

It varies, actually.

My father (formerly in an independent living apartment in Memphis) received a paper form.  My wife and I (in a single family home in Connecticut) got a link to the website.

Yes, there are different treatments for different parts of the country and housing types, though everyone who hasn't responded by now has gotten or will soon get a paper form regardless of their original treatment.

Paper form responses are having their barcodes scanned as received to remove those addresses from in person follow up when it eventually resumes but the rest of the processing steps are on hold for now.

National response rate is currently 43.9% which is extremely high for this early in the year. 

One request: if you or anyone you know owns a 2nd home/vacation home/rental property that nobody is in right now, please respond for that address in addition to your own.  A large chunk of in person follow up is vacant properties that nobody has responded for.
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%

webny99

Quote from: cabiness42 on April 05, 2020, 08:49:15 AM
Quote from: MikeTheActuary on April 04, 2020, 11:48:22 PM
Quote from: vdeane on April 04, 2020, 10:51:57 PMThey aren't including paper forms with their mailings, only the link.
It varies, actually.
My father (formerly in an independent living apartment in Memphis) received a paper form.  My wife and I (in a single family home in Connecticut) got a link to the website.
Yes, there are different treatments for different parts of the country and housing types, though everyone who hasn't responded by now has gotten or will soon get a paper form regardless of their original treatment.

Indeed!

webny99

Here's a live map of the current census response rates. Most states have not reached their 2010 self-response rates, but I'm assuming the responses (including self-responses) will still be flowing in for a few more weeks, if not months. So it's an encouraging sign that the census is at least proceeding as planned for the most part despite everything else going on in the world!

https://2020census.gov/en/response-rates.html#

TheHighwayMan3561

For the ethnicity question regarding those of us with "mutt"  backgrounds, how did you respond? I just put "Swedish"  since that's the most visibly identifiable part of our heritage, even though there is significant German and French along with a couple other things. I felt it was overkill to list all 4 or 5 nationalities in my known ancestry.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

US 89

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 08, 2020, 11:30:56 PM
For the ethnicity question regarding those of us with “mutt” backgrounds, how did you respond? I just put “Swedish” since that’s the most visibly identifiable part of our heritage, even though there is significant German and French along with a couple other things. I felt it was overkill to list all 4 or 5 nationalities in my known ancestry.
'
I just left it blank. I have English, Irish, Norwegian, Austrian, and probably some other ancestry I'm not aware of, but nothing makes up a significant proportion. I don't think of myself as anything more specific than just "general European".

oscar

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 08, 2020, 11:30:56 PM
For the ethnicity question regarding those of us with "mutt"  backgrounds, how did you respond? I just put "Swedish"  since that's the most visibly identifiable part of our heritage, even though there is significant German and French along with a couple other things. I felt it was overkill to list all 4 or 5 nationalities in my known ancestry.

I listed German/Swedish (on my father's side of the family -- a cousin had thoroughly researched that part of the family tree) and Italian (my mother). I could've listed another ethnicity, but I wasn't sure of my maternal grandfather's non-Italian origins, and I didn't feel like chasing that down just for a crummy Census form. Either way, a mix of northern and southern European.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

J N Winkler

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 08, 2020, 11:30:56 PMFor the ethnicity question regarding those of us with "mutt"  backgrounds, how did you respond? I just put "Swedish"  since that's the most visibly identifiable part of our heritage, even though there is significant German and French along with a couple other things. I felt it was overkill to list all 4 or 5 nationalities in my known ancestry.

In my case, I listed just three--German, Scottish, and Swiss--in descending order by blood quantum.  I don't actually know all of the European regions or countries that are represented in my ancestry and I still run into surprises when I look at my family tree in FamilySearch.  For example, for years I thought my UK roots were exclusively in the Scottish Lowlands, but it appears I have some English ancestry as well.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

hbelkins

I put "European but in retrospect, I should have left that blank. What does it matter in the greater scheme of things, meaning legislative redistricting?

Due to having Indian ancestry, my brother checked "Native American" in either the 2000 or 2010 Census. Fauxcahontas would probably approve.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Scott5114

Quote from: hbelkins on April 09, 2020, 12:25:54 PM
Fauxcahontas would probably approve.

Anyone using that word illustrates their ignorance of the state of Oklahoma.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

hbelkins

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 11, 2020, 06:00:28 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on April 09, 2020, 12:25:54 PM
Fauxcahontas would probably approve.

Anyone using that word illustrates their ignorance of the state of Oklahoma.

She might be a native of Oklahoma, but 1/1,024 DNA doesn't lie.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.



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