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Surprise! Census 2000 may have a happy ending

May 5, 2000
Web posted at: 7:45 AM EDT (1145 GMT)

By Jessica Reaves

(TIME.com) -- Don't look now, but this could be the year we witness somewhat of a rebirth in American civic involvement. Bucking the current pervasive anti-census sentiment, the nation's minority communities have posted strong returns this spring, helping to reverse a decades-long downward trend in response rates.

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According to Thursday's New York Times, census officials report that close to 66 percent of Americans have returned their questionnaires -- yes, including the much-maligned long form -- putting the nation on track to reach a return rate of 67 percent, or two full points over 1990's final count. The remaining, refractory 33 percent of households that have not returned their completed forms will be visited by a friendly neighborhood census worker, who will attempt an accurate head count as doors are slammed in his or her face.

American neighborhoods populated primarily by blacks and Hispanics have not yet reached the return rates of the nation's primarily white communities, but they may be well on their way -- white localities' response numbers dropped this year, while minorities' rates rose.

While the precise impetus for the upswing is unclear, this year's strong returns from Hispanics and blacks can probably be traced in part to the Census Bureau's aggressive, targeted advertising campaigns, as well as to grassroots encouragement to "get out there and be counted" or risk losing government spending.

The Times reports that census officials are breathing a sigh of relief as the completed forms pile up; despite concerted and expensive efforts to increase returns, controversy over the questionnaire's so-called "invasive" nature had sparked concerns that this year's return rate would plummet. It's a welcome sign that ill-conceived paranoia is not strong enough to overwhelm even a long-dormant sense of civic duty.

Copyright © 2000 Time Inc.