Clinton to announce plan designed to reduce Hispanic undercount in census

By Kelly Wallace/CNN

February 14, 2000
Web posted at: 10:08 a.m. EST (1508 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bill Clinton will unveil a new initiative Monday designed to ensure that Hispanics are counted in the 2000 census, according to White House officials.

In the 1990 census, 8.4 million people in total were not counted, and 50 percent of those were children, based on White House figures.

As for Hispanics, about 3 to 4 percent were not counted in the 1990 census depending on the state, according to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Maria Echaveste.

Hispanics, the fastest growing ethnic group in the country, make up about 9 to 10 percent of the U.S. population.

Clinton's plan would provide classrooms with teaching materials to help educate children and their parents about the 2000 Census.

Echaveste said that 40 percent of the nation's classrooms in the country have signed up to participate.

A cost estimate for the plan was not available early Monday.

Clinton will announce the initiative during a speech at the White House to the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), one of the largest Hispanic groups in the country. He will also receive a lifetime achievement award from the group.

The president will talk about programs in his FY2001 budget such as expanding the earned income tax credit (EITC) that could help Hispanic families. The White House said the expansion of the EITC in 1993 lifted 1.2 million Hispanics out of poverty.

Clinton will also renew his call for an increase in the minimum wage, and will discuss his $800 million proposal for the "Hispanic Education Action Plan" which devotes resources to bilingual education, English language acquisition programs, and Head Start.

Finally, the president will take the opportunity, in this election year, to highlight what he claims the Clinton-Gore team has done for Hispanics. Hispanics are already the largest minority group in places like California, and are expected to the be the largest minority group in the country in five to 10 years.