Did You Fill Out Your Census? You Really Should, Especially If You Are of Hispanic or Latino Ancestry

By now I am sure you have all received your U.S. 2010 Census. After perusing it’s housing section you might ask yourself why does this matter?

(Think we have a prison problem in the US? I'm no expert, but I think the answer is yes, when it is a category on the Census form.)

Simply put, the constitutionally mandated Census every 10 years is meant to determine the country's population and serves as the basis for congressional districting and the distribution of federal dollars to the states and county and local governments. Census data form the basis for $400 billion in federal aid distributed annually.Got your attention didn’t I? That’s right all your tax dollars are rolled up and handed out largely based upon the results of the Census.

A bipartisan firm, Election Data Services, Inc. projects that eight states will gain at least one House seat, while eleven states will lose at least one seat in Congress. Their results are below:




States gaining House seats: Texas (+4), Arizona (+2), Florida (+1), Georgia (+1), Nevada (+1), Oregon (+1), South Carolina (+1), and Utah (+1).

States losing House seats: Ohio (-2), Illinois (-1), Iowa (-1), Louisiana (-1), Massachusetts (-1), Michigan (-1), Minnesota (-1), Missouri (-1), New Jersey (-1), New York (-1), and Pennsylvania (-1).

In reality this is going to be the most important Census in modern history. This is because this Census marks an opportunity for Latinos to gain greater influence within the US government, through congressional redistricting, as a result of the Census. This in turn creates the opportunity, if voters turn out and Latino candidates are on the ballot, for more Latinos to be voted into Congress.

Currently Latinos represent 51% of population growth in the United States since 2000. States projected to gain seats under this Census are largely Republican in nature and owe their growth to rising Latino populations in their states. Latinos are also settling in a wide range of geographic locations, vs. large cities, making their influence more widespread. Georgia and South Carolina, as well as Arizona and Texas, will owe their positions, in part, to the expanding Latino population.

The total population of Hispanic and Latino Americans comprised 46.9 million or 15.4% of the national total in 2008, according to the US Census Bureau. Yet Latinos are largely underrepresented in Congress. Given their makeup o of the population, you would expect approximately 65 House Seats and 15 Senate seats to belong to Hispanic and Latino candidates. However, currently there are 3 Latino Senators (out of 100) and 27 Representatives in the House (out of 435).

The total population of Hispanic and Latino Americans comprised 46.9 million or 15.4% of the national total in 2008, with the following racial distribution. So come on US Latinos, opportunity calls, it is time for you to take your rightful place at the table.