Thread by @GSierraZorita

🧵 In Puerto Rico it is being reported that the #Census2020 response rate is high – 89.9 % (9/10/20). Most people think this numbers is the % of households which have completed the census form. Unfortunately, IT IS NOT. That number is actually 33.9% (9/10/20). #Censo2020

I will explain why, esta vez en inglés para el beneficio de nuestros amigos angloparlantes. #Census2020 #Censo2020

89.9% is the share of housing units (households) enumerated (counted). It is referred to as "Enumerated" in the table below or as the total response rate. It is the sum of 2 key pieces of information⬇️⬇️⬇️ #Census2020 #Censo2020

(1) "Self-Responded" - households enumerated when they complete census forms via mail, internet or phone.
➕
(2) "Enumerated in Nonresponse Follow Up (NRFU)" - households enumerated when visited by census takers because they have not completed census forms.
= "Enumerated"

Check how the numbers add up in this regularly updated U.S. Census table - #Census2020 #Censo2020 public.tableau.com/profile/us.cen…

Household data collected during NRFU does not give you the same quality or accuracy of data collected by self-responding to the census. The NRFU % tells you what % of housing units have been counted but NOT HOW THEY HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR. #Censo2020 #Census2020

THERE ARE SEVERAL POSSIBILITIES ➡️ A census taker could: mark the housing unit as vacant or non existent; complete the census form through an in-person interview; conduct a proxy interview with a neighbor or landlord; #Census2020 #Censo2020

OR... after unsuccessful visits account for the unit by using federal administrative records. #Census2020 #Censo2020

Want more evidence? Check out @CUNY's Hard To Count Maps. It does not include Puerto Rico but offers a great explanation of data collection limitations. #Census2020 #Censo2020 censushardtocountmaps2020.us/?latlng=43.615…

WHAT WE DO KNOW, however, is that completing the census form is the surest way for your household to be accurately counted. In Puerto Rico 33.9 % (9/10/20) of households have self-responded to the census. THAT IS NOT ENOUGH AND WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME! #Census2020 #Censo2020

SOME POINTS OF COMPARISON:
In the 2010 Census the mail participation rate in Puerto Rico was 54 % (no telephone or internet options existed to complete the census.) #Census2020 #Censo2020

As of 9/10/2020: Alaska has the lowest self-response rate at 53.4%; Minnesota has the highest self-response rate at 74.4%; the average national self-response rate is 65.7 %. #Census2020 #Censo2020

What accounts for the gap between the self-response rate in the states and Puerto Rico? A couple of reasons:
#Census2020 #Censo2020

BIG REASON: Political Power. 🗳️🗳️🗳️ In the 50 states the census determines number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, how congressional and state legislative districts are redrawn, and the number of electoral college votes. #Census2020 #Censo2020

(In Puerto Rico, census numbers are used to redraw local legislative districts.) #Census2020 #Censo2020

ANOTHER REASON: In addition to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic downturn, Puerto Rico is still dealing with ongoing earthquakes and the Hurricane Maria wreck. #Census2020 #Censo2020

So what do Boricuas have to loose if they don't complete #Census2020? MUCHISIMO!
(1) #Censo2020 data is needed for distribution of Federal $ which account for @ 1/3 of PR’s budget.
(2) Most Federal data collection programs don't include PR. We need all the good data we can get.

Why is the Census not explaining all this? I don’t know but .... #Census2020 #Censo2020

The Trump Administration has been heavily criticized for moving up the Census deadline one month in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic which could lead to an undercount of people of colors. #Census2020 #Censo2020

Dedicated U.S. Census Bureau employees are working VERY HARD to deliver the undeliverable -reliable data in a shortened period of time. (In Puerto Rico hand-delivery of census forms to homes came to a halt for about 2 months because of the pandemic!) #Census2020 #Censo2020

BUT ...if the U.S. Census Bureau focuses on total response rates it can shows progress in the field even if it cannot guarantee full accuracy. #Census2020 #Censo2020

Unfortunately “the more the bureau relies on alternative processes to finish the count, the higher the risk of producing inaccurate information about historically undercounted groups, including people of color" like us. @hansilowang n.pr/32m0zLZ #Census2020 #Censo2020

We have a few weeks to fix this problem. I know we can do it if we put our minds to it. Nuestro futuro está en juego. So please go to 2020census.gov/es.html and fill out the census by September 30th 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷#Census2020 #Censo2020 @boricuenta2020