On Mon, 30 Nov 1998, Joe Gentile wrote: > Actually, it IS "junk history" in several different respects. Many, if > not all, of us have ancestors who were definitely alive in the history > of this nation, but were missed because of sloppy or inattentive > censustakers. I myself recall working for the "pre-census enumeration" > in 1987, where there were many co-workers who "gun-decked" their > assigned routes goofing off. > > The reason for the "new" push for sampling is to account for persons > who should be counted in the census, but are missed for one reason or > another....homeless, transients...and in particular, certain ethnic and > demographic groups who for one reason or another either voluntarily or > involuntarily fall between the cracks of an accurate count. > > Not surprisingly, most of the latter group consists of minorities, > particularly Blacks and Hispanics...and not a few Native Americans. > > One will find upon even cursory examination of this issue that the main > proponents of an "actual head count" are political conservatives... > because, conveniently, the "actual head count" serves to dispossess the > groups which are the most disenfranchised, and least empowered from an > economic standpoint. > Yes, part of the NPR story mentions that many in New Mexico were missed. As for people being missed, my grandfather often told about the census taker driving by his farm in Oklahoma and not stoping. That would have been for the 1900 census since grandpa was back in Missouri by 1908. John You wanna discuss it? Try: INDIAN-HERITAGE discussion list *====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====* # John Wm Sloniker <johnwms@serv.net> Seattle, WA # # (206) 789-6663 7323 - 19th Ave NW 98117-5612 # *====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*