Boston to challenge 2020 Census numbers (Peru: neighborhood, universities, income)

[BostonBornMassMade]

Boston to challenge 2020 Census numbers

MAYOR WU CHALLENGE 2020 US CENSUS COUNT OF BOSTON

The City’s challenge centers on population count concerns, count case coverage issues, and objections to the racial and ethnic classification changes for the 2020 census. An accurate count of Boston’s population will help inform the needs of Boston’s residents as well as guide the City’s planning for allocation of resources across communities.

“Boston deserves an accurate census count across every neighborhood and community,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This count is the foundation to assess the needs of all of our communities, ensuring that Boston receives crucial federal resources, and it should reflect our full numbers.”

I am appreciative of the administration's formal submission of a challenge to our 2020 Census results through Census Bureau programs because we must set the record straight," said Councilor Liz Breadon. "I am particularly concerned by Allston’s reported 5.9 percent loss in total population and 40 percent decline in group quarters population, severely impacted by the early pandemic evacuation of colleges and universities. Correcting the count will help inform the needs of our communities and ensure every Bostonian is reflected."

An accurate count of Boston residents will ensure that all our communities, especially our Black & Brown communities that have suffered from decades of disinvestment, get the resources and attention needed to thrive,” said Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune. “Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau must respect how people identify themselves racially and ethnically. The Census must consider simplifying categorization, particularly for Latino, Brazilian, Middle Eastern and North African respondents, to correctly capture our demographics.”

The City’s challenge centers on concerns related to the group quarters population count, household population count, and objections to the racial and ethnic classification of Boston’s population in the 2020 census; all three of which heavily impacted an accurate and reflective count of Boston’s population.

-Group Quarters Population

Data collected from colleges and universities under the University Accountability Ordinance for Fall 2019 show that approximately 6,000 additional students were not accounted for by the 2020 Census redistricting data.

The Suffolk County Department of Corrections records show that their two correctional facilities on April 1, 2020 housed approximately 500 additional residents than reported by the 2020 Census redistricting data.

With an undercount of the group quarters count by approximately 6,500 residents, the City has applied for a review of Boston’s group quarters count through the Post-Census Group Quarters Review (PCGQR) program. Additionally, the City has provided the Census Bureau with administrative records from educational and correctional institutions to support these undercount issues.

-Household Population

- In the 2010 census, all of Boston’s census tracts' self-response rate exceeded 50 percent. However, in 2020, 29 census tracts – 15 percent of populated Boston tracts – had a self-response rate between 30.0 percent and 49.8 percent.

Some of these census tracts with lower response rates either have a large share of off-campus students or foreign-born residents. Off-campus students may have left the city due to universities shifting to remote operations, which would have led to them not being able to participate in the Census’ Non-Response Follow-up activity. Other census tracts with lower response rates had larger shares of foreign born residents. Issues such as language barriers and government mistrust, in particular a citizenship question and prevalent anti-immigrant sentiment when count was administered, may have resulted in an undercount.

-Race Classification

. Following this self-reported data on the population’s race and Hispanic origin, the Census Bureau recategorizes this information following prescribed definitions developed in 1997 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This recent race and ethnicity reclassification, paired with the Census’s recategorization process, heavily impacted Boston’s data.

As a result of this Census coding, 76 percent of Hispanics in Boston chose (or were assigned) the “some other race” category, either by itself or in addition to other racial categories, up from 45 percent of Hispanics in 2010. Additionally, respondents listing Brazilian or Cape Verdean origin were reassigned by the U.S. Census Bureau to the “some other race” and respondents that stated a Middle Eastern or North African origin were assigned to the White category respectively.

Implications of the Census’s (Re)Classification include the following:

Multiracial or “other” categories are too heterogeneous to be lumped together for data analysis or policy/program creation.

Black and White populations appear smaller while multiracial and “other” populations appear larger. Using single race alone categories may underestimate the number of people who identify as White or Black. A false impression may result that changes are a result of actual demographic or cultural changes in the population not, in great part, a result of reclassification.

Respondents who thought their self-identification was recorded by the Census may have been misled.

“Origin” and “race” are conflated as respondents listing certain origins are assigned to certain races. For example, Hispanic, Brazilian, and Cape Verdean origins are classified as some other race

[Lampert]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Multiracial or “other” categories are too heterogeneous to be lumped together for data analysis or policy/program creation.

Black and White populations appear smaller while multiracial and “other” populations appear larger. Using single race alone categories may underestimate the number of people who identify as White or Black. A false impression may result that changes are a result of actual demographic or cultural changes in the population not, in great part, a result of reclassification.

LOL, they seriously want to lump "white (black) Latinos" with white (black) non-Latinos because it makes it easier?

A false impression? What are they smoking? This is a much more accurate representation than the previous one. The average Latino is 65% European, 18% native and 6% black. How is that not multi-racial? If you don't like it drop the race category at all and just use ethnic categories.
Do you identify as "Hispanic, Hispanic-American, African-American, African, European-American, European and so on"?

[Urban Peasant]

We had a similar race discussion back when we were talking about the mayoral candidates and particularly Essaibi-George's identity. My opinion: you're never going to always win with identity labeling. For instance, I've been corrected sometimes for using the term "African American" because not all Blacks identify with Africa and then corrected for using "Black American" because black is just a color and so is pejorative to label someone as such. Then I've been told the terms Latino or Latin American and Hispanic are not interchangeable because one of those terms (I forgot which one) leaves out Portuguese speakers. Race, gender, creed, ethnicity and so forth are qualitative terms. The most important thing to consider in a census is how many people live in one place and then who lives in that place (quantity over quality). It's either ditch race, gender, ethnicity etc. from the US Census and make the whole thing qualitatively neutral or keep the qualities but expect that the Census will be subject to different interpretations. You cannot have it both ways.

[BruinsGirl]

What needs a person has based solely on race?
Not age, income, health status, origins, but a race.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Lampert

LOL, they seriously want to lump "white (black) Latinos" with white (black) non-Latinos because it makes it easier?

A false impression? What are they smoking? This is a much more accurate representation than the previous one. The average Latino is 65% European, 18% native and 6% black. How is that not multi-racial? If you don't like it drop the race category at all and just use ethnic categories.
Do you identify as "Hispanic, Hispanic-American, African-American, African, European-American, European and so on"?

The ‘average Latino’? Lol. Which country? In that example-probably Mexico.

No I think they’re issue is that lots of Latinos we’re reclassified by the census to fill in gaps (many Latinos we’re afraid to fill out the census and they suffered an extreme undercount- per the census’ own statements) or for some other reason-I’m not sure. Far more Latinos identified as white in the 2010 census than the 2020 census. Sort of beyond what one would expect. And it’s in part due to how the questions were asked in 2020.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by BruinsGirl

What needs a person has based solely on race?
Not age, income, health status, origins, but a race.

There are federal programs and grants tied to the concentration fi certain races. But also this data does inform philanthropic and corporate decisions for businesses that operate nationwide- even though it really shouldn’t. But there’s a reason certain places have certain types of events or media and other don’t, it’s due to racial demography and the accompanying information. You ever notice how NFL Hispanic Heritage month commercials key in on Arizona, Miami, LA, New York? -this year they even tossed in Philly. They’re not doing their own census or estimates, of course- they most likely use Census Data and American Community Survey data.

Census Data has collected racial data since the inaugural 1790 count. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s in the Constitution.

[Lampert]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

The ‘average Latino’? Lol. Which country? In that example-probably Mexico.

In all of South America.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Lampert

In all of South America.

Okay but Central America and North America? Literally 65% of Hispanics in MA are from PR and DR. That goes up over 75% when you include Honduras and El Salvador. Not to nitpick but those places do not have that same admixture .

South Americans constitute 11% of all Hispanics in MA. Places like Urguay, Chile, and Argentina are not prevalent in MA by any stretch. not even Peru or Ecuador.

The largest group of Hispanics in Boston and the Boston Area is Dominican (170k) followed by Puerto Rican (127k). Still mixed race. But more will select black. These groups are also more likely to identify as being of One Race (57.1-57.6%) than South Americans (49%)

. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table...PP1Y2021.S0201

[stanley-88888888]

Originally Posted by Lampert

In all of South America.

most south-americans are not hispanic (though they are mostly latin).

[Lampert]

Originally Posted by stanley-88888888

most south-americans are not hispanic (though they are mostly latin).

Most of South Americans are Hispanics, a bit more than 50%.