Counting Americans Begins in Alaska

 

This week, the U.S. Census¹ to count everyone who lives in the country started in a small Alaska town called Toksook Bay.

The count starts in Alaska for several reasons. Traveling to some of the places there is difficult. In the winter, when the ground is very cold, census workers can travel more easily.

Census workers are also more likely to find people at home in the winter. In the spring and summer, Alaskans may be away from home fishing, hunting or doing warm-weather jobs.

Constitutional requirement

The U.S. government has done a census every ten years, beginning in 1790. This year's has some new ways to answer the survey, and new questions about one's ancestors.

In the past, the census had only had one choice for ethnicity, such as "White," "Black," "Indian" or "Other."

The 2020 form allows people to claim more than one ethnicity. Emily Edenshaw is Director of the Alaskan Native Heritage² Center. She spoke³ about her search for her family roots.

"...On the 1900 census, it had my great-grandfather listed on there, and next to his name, it said, 'mixed.' ... I remember feeling really confused. ... But I'll never forget having the conversation with my auntie when she said, 'Hm. Mixed. Almost as if he's a breed⁴ of something.'" In American English, the word 'mixed' is used for a pet of unknown origin.

Edenshaw says she is happy that this word is no longer on the census form. In 2020, there is a blank space to write in the original country or tribe⁵ of one's family.

This year's survey also asks more exactly about people's possible Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origins. Respondents can claim Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or another heritage.

Counting the homeless

Every year, the U.S. Census plans to make sure there is a good count of people who have no home. This year, plans are to make a special effort to count homeless people on these three days:

April 1, 2020: Count people outdoors, in tents, and on the streets.

This count will help to assign⁶ the right amount of government money to support the programs that serve the homeless.

Census Day is April 1

April 1, 2020 is Census Day: every home will be asked to respond by that day.

Beginning in March, residents⁷ will have a chance to answer the survey online, by phone, or on paper. The main paper questionnaire is in English and Spanish. In Alaska, native language workers in Tooksok Bay translated the census into Yupik, Yupiak, Gwich'in and Athabascan. For Census workers, the questions will be available in 60 languages.

This is the first year for the online census. Other digital tools are in place to make a better count, such as mapping and a new app for workers to use as they walk around from house to house.

In the years between the main census, the U.S. Census Bureau⁸ does smaller surveys and also tests questions and ways to collect information. For example, the American Community Survey (ACS) helps local officials understand changes in their communities.

Words in This Story

census – n. the official process of counting the number of people in a country, city, or town and collecting information about them

form – n. a document with blank spaces for filling in information

survey – n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something

assign – v. to give out something or to provide someone with something

1 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

2 heritage   

n.传统，遗产，继承物

参考例句：

• The ancient buildings are part of the national heritage.这些古建筑是民族遗产的一部分。
• We Chinese have a great cultural heritage.我们中国人有伟大的文化遗产。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 breed   

n.品种，种类；vi.繁殖，产仔；vt.养殖，产生

参考例句：

• The parents are trying to breed their son a musician.这对父母尽力要把儿子培养成为音乐家。
• This breed of horses is both tall and heavily grown.这种马既高且大。

5 tribe   

n.部落，种族，一伙人

参考例句：

• This is a subject tribe.这是个受他人统治的部落。
• Many of the tribe's customs and rituals are as old as the hills.这部落的许多风俗、仪式都极其古老。

6 assign   

vt.派，指派；分配，分派；指定或选定

参考例句：

• It is possible to assign an exact date to this building.这座建筑物的确切年代是可以确定的。
• It's difficult to assign any reason for the failure.失败的原因很难确定。

7 residents   

n.居民( resident的名词复数 )；（旅馆的）住宿者

参考例句：

• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。
• Local residents have reacted angrily to the news. 当地居民对这一消息表示愤怒。

8 bureau   

n.提供或收集消息的机构；局，司，处；署

参考例句：

• The weather bureau makes daily reports on weather conditions.气象局每天报告天气状况。
• The Tourist Bureau arranged everything for our journey to Rome.旅游局已为我们去罗马旅行准备了一切。