Report asserts U.S. territories receive unequal treatment in Census data collection

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Officials of two U.S based non-profit organizations have recommended changes on how the U.S Census Bureau collects and publishes data on the people in U.S. territories, arguing that millions of U.S citizens and residents living in the territories “are rendered invisible by their unequal treatment in the federal statistical system, resulting in an incomplete portrait of the nation.”

The Georgetown Law’s Center on Poverty and Inequality, and Equally American made the suggestions in their joint letter in response to the Census Bureau notice seeking comments on the development and implementation of strategies that would improve the way people participate in the 2030 Census.

The two groups focused comments on the people living in the U.S territories, of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).

“A full, fair, and accurate census and the collection of useful data about our nation’s territories is vitally important, not only to the people who live in the territories but to the nation as a whole,” the joint letter said.

Over 3.6 million people live in the U.S. territories and while this population is equal to that of the five smallest U.S. states combined,”the federal statistical system overlooks many of the critical data needs of citizens living in the territories,” the groups argued.

“This means essential statistical data on housing, labor force participation, and demographic changes are either missing or unavailable on a timely basis,” the letter points out. “The census is a critical source of information and one of the very few datasets that includes all of the territories.”

The groups offered suggestions, which they say are targeted at helping the Census Bureau better collect, process, publish, and evaluate data of the people who live in U.S. territories.

Specifically, they addressed: reaching and motivating everyone; and respondent support services.

“We believe that the Census Bureau can better motivate the people of the U.S. territories by recognizing that the disparity exists within census data and changing the way in which the Census Bureau reaches out to the people of the U.S. territories,” according to the letter.

REACHING AND MOTIVATING EVERYONE

The groups’ joint comment letter recalled that in the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau enumerated American Samoa, Guam, CNMI, and USVI through the Island Areas Census (IAC) — a separate operation from the census covering the 50 U.S. States, District of Columbia (D.C), and Puerto Rico.

And the driving reasons for having a separate census may be understandable given the unique operational challenges and needs.

“However, the separate treatment of the IAC territories is also inequitable: citizens and residents of these areas are excluded from key census operations and milestones and a sufficient and proportional level of research and evaluation is not provided for the citizens and residents enumerated through IAC,” the letter points out.

For example, the Census Barriers, Attitudes, and Motivators Study (CBAMS) provides valuable research and insight into attitudes and behaviors that relate to census participation across demographic characteristics.

“However, the sample frame for the CBAMS survey did not include any of the IAC territories,” the groups say, noting that  the survey also did not sample residents in Puerto Rico.

While — on the other hand — the CBAMS focus group research did include groups from San Juan, Puerto Rico, the focus group research excluded the IAC territories.

Furthermore, the CBAMS research is vital and provides actionable insights for improving participation in the census.

Additionally, the U.S. territories are not given equal consideration and attention with regard to significant census milestones and events — such as the public announcement and celebration of the U.S. population totals following each census.

For example, it was in April 2021, when the Census Bureau announced the first 2020 Census results, in which the number of people living in the United States was 331,449,281.

While the first sets of data reported by the Census Bureau are for the purposes of congressional apportionment, the Census Bureau also calculates and announces the “U.S. resident population” — separate from the “apportionment population'' — which includes D.C. residents, according to the comment letter.

“Given the symbolic significance and public attention given to this announcement, the exclusion of the 3.6 million residents of Puerto Rico and the IAC territories from the resident population is regrettable,” the comment letter pointed out.

The groups noted that the population counts for American Samoa, Guam, CNMI and USVI, were only published six months later in October 2021.

“The total 2020 Census resident population that includes the territories — 335,073,176 people — is not easily found in any Census Bureau’s public-facing blogs, press releases, or announcements,” the groups said.

They say that the Census Bureau can take several actions to treat the data received from the people of the U.S. territories equally. One recommendation is to include all residents in the total “U.S Resident Population”.

“While we understand that decennial census data products are released on a flow basis, the Census Bureau should prioritize including everyone and every block in the U.S. when it  announces the total U.S. resident population totals,” according to the letter.

The groups pointed out that the first announcement of the nation's total population is an important moment that attracts broad national media attention and  discussion.  And the Census Bureau should include the 3.6 million people living in the territories — just as it does with D.C. — when it announces the total population counts.

“Doing otherwise sends a regrettable message that people in the territories do not count,” the group said.

The second recommendation is to include territories in the Census Barriers, Attitudes, and Motivators Study (CBAMS) and in releases of operational metrics and census evaluations.

The groups argued that the general omission of IAC territories and, to a lesser extent, Puerto Rico hampers the national goal of achieving a complete and fair census.

“For the 2030 Census, CBAMS research should provide actionable insights for more effectively reaching and motivating residents in the territories,” they suggested.

Additionally, since coverage evaluation methods do not exist for the IAC, estimates for the net and differential undercount in the IAC territories are not known. The Census Bureau also does not release the same operational metrics available for the 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico — for IAC territories.

”As a result, it is difficult to develop a more robust understanding of where gaps in census coverage and participation exist,” the group said.

RESPONDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

The groups believe the Census Bureau should provide respondents in the territories with language guides and resources to ensure that people who live within the U.S. territories can fill out the census.

They say that people of the U.S. territories come from diverse backgrounds, with many different languages. And that providing the people of the U.S. territories with more ways to fill out the form in many different languages would not only increase the number of people filling out the survey, but would also make the census more accessible.

“To better record the number of people that live in the U.S. territories, the census should come in languages that are spoken in the U.S. Territories,” according to the groups’ letter.

CONCLUSION

“Addressing these data disparities is an urgent task. Millions of U.S. citizens and residents are rendered invisible by their unequal treatment in the federal statistical system, resulting in an incomplete portrait of the nation,” the groups said.

“These data disparities undermine the ability of policymakers, researchers, and others to understand national and local challenges, especially the unique risks posed by the climate emergency and the pervasive challenges of social and economic inequalities,” they pointed out. “The disparities also hamper the development of evidence-based policies and solutions to address challenges.”

“Until residents of these areas are fully counted in federal statistical programs, it is perhaps no surprise that they continue to be treated as second-class citizens when it comes to a broad array of other federal programs and rights that other U.S. communities are able to take for granted,” they concluded.

The letter is signed by Cara Brumfield, Associate Director, Georgetown Center on Poverty & Inequality; Jae June Lee, Policy & Data Analyst, Georgetown Center on Poverty & Inequality; and Neil Weare, President & Founder, Equally American.

More information the Center online (https://www.georgetownpoverty.org) and Equally American online (https://www.equalrightsnow.org).

Samoa News notes that Weare was part of the legal team representing the Fitisemanu plaintiffs in the U.S citizenship case that was filed in federal court.