Re: “Trump’s motives aside, an accurate census benefits citizens and non-citizens alike,” March 28 editorial.
The Denver Post was mistaken when it said the U.S. Census should ask about citizenship. Counting people and describing people are two different tasks.
The Constitution says everyone in the nation must be enumerated every 10 years. Past censuses tried adding invasive and worrisome questions. “Does your house have a flush toilet?” “What time did you usually leave home to go to work last week?” “What state or foreign country was he born in?” “Is he naturalized?” Research finds such questions reduce public cooperation, causing census undercounts, statistical bias, and misallocation of seats in Congress.
Survey research is a more accurate (and less costly) method of describing people when everyone has an equal probability of being included in a large sample. The Census Bureau already uses this method to ask about citizenship and other sensitive matters.
Letap allow the Census Bureau to do it right and keep politics out of it.
Michael Cortés, Denver
The writer is board chair for the Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy, and Research Organization.
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