Stand Up and Be Counted in the U.S. Census

By Brandon Lee Smith

Our nation has the honor of being one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse in the world. Although we have a long road ahead of us toward racial equality, we can take pride that America continues to move forward toward the goals of creating a unique, yet unified nation. As we enter the year 2010, we can look back and see how much we have already accomplished, as well as how much further we still have to go.

In our attempts to better understand our cultural diversity, the federal government embarks on an epic undertaking in the form of a national survey called the U.S. Census. On April 1, National Census Day occurs as implemented by the U.S. Constitution. Once every 10 years, the federal government must count every person that lives in the United States, whether a citizen or not.

The 2010 census has only 10 questions and should be filled out completely in order to obtain an accurate count of the U.S. population. The questions on the census will ask the following of each person in every household in America: Name, Gender, Age, Race, Ethnicity, and Relationship to head of household and whether the householder owns or rents the home. The census is completely anonymous and answers cannot be shared or distributed by the federal government, under penalty of the law.

The U.S. Census is safe, simple, and significantly important to our nation. It helps the federal government allocate more than $400 billion to the funding of countless programs including hospitals, schools and universities like PGCC, public works, community centers, emergency efforts, health care, and social security. Not only does the census help determine where federal spending is most needed, it is also a crucial factor in making sure that all states are fairly and equally represented in Congress.

Without question, the U.S. Census is continually the most important questionnaire in U.S. history. It has been aiding our country since 1790 as the most efficient way to have a clear understanding of our country and its future.