Census project targets LDS living abroad

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Feb 6, 2004 by Lee Davidson Deseret Morning News

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Census Bureau is launching a test to see if it can accurately count Americans abroad -- after Utah complained that the 2000 Census robbed it of an extra U.S. House seat by not including its overseas LDS missionaries.

And, in what should be music to Utah politicians, "We are working to get questionnaires delivered directly to Mormon church mission presidents in the three countries" where the test is occurring: Mexico, France and Kuwait, said Kathleen Styles, manager of the project.

But Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon says his agency is finding so many problems in just those three friendly countries to clearly show that "the task is daunting." And -- depending on how well the test finally ends -- Congress may decide against a worldwide count in the next full census in 2010.

The issue heated up when Utah was initially told it missed gaining a fourth U.S. House seat (which went to North Carolina) by just 857 residents after the 2000 Census. Errors identified later show Utah was actually short by about 80 residents.

Utahns complained because the state easily had more LDS missionaries than that living abroad. But the only U.S. citizens living in foreign countries who were counted in 2000 were members of the military, other federal workers and their families.

Congress ordered the Census Bureau to test the feasibility of counting citizens abroad. Mexico, France and Kuwait were chosen for that test, which began Monday, to help examine any problems from their differing size, government type, culture, geography and the diversity of Americans likely living there.

"This test marks the first time the Census Bureau will try to count all U.S. citizens living in foreign countries," Kincannon said, so it has no old road map to follow.

He added that it "is not an easy task. We can't, after all, use the techniques that we use in this country" -- such as mailing questionnaires to every residential address, and following up with armies of enumerators knocking on the doors of those who didn't mail back questionnaires.

Complicating matters, he said, "The U.S. government does not maintain information on the addresses of U.S. citizens living abroad, nor does the government maintain an exact -- or even a general -- count of Americans living abroad. We don't count Americans leaving the country."

For the test, the bureau is allowing Americans abroad to fill out questionnaires online at www.census.gov/overseas04. They may respond anytime through July.

They may also pick up paper versions at U.S. embassies and consulates. And the bureau is working with businesses, travelers' clubs and churches -- including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints -- to distribute copies to their U.S. members abroad.

It is also running advertisements in the three countries about the program, and is trying to publicize it through the international news media. Kincannon said the test will cost $6 million.

"I encourage all U.S. citizens to get counted. It is easy. It is important. And it is confidential," Kincannon said.

"It is really important that citizens cooperate in the test so that the Congress is well informed about what we can gather, how efficient and effective it is, and how the Congress may see fit to go forward. . . . Our job is to provide the Congress the most complete information possible for what will be a difficult decision," he said.

Kincannon said lessons learned so far in just designing the test show that conducting a true worldwide count would be "daunting."

For example, he said the bureau found many Americans with dual citizenship live in Mexico. But reaching them is difficult because many do not speak English or have many ties with U.S. groups. In France, the bureau found privacy laws prohibit asking about race and ethnicity -- something important to many U.S. funding formulas.

"I have found the problems we have faced in even these three countries to be more significant than I personally anticipated," Kincannon said. "These countries are diverse, they are friendly toward the United States, they are well-organized countries, they are willing to cooperate. It may be far more difficult in some other countries."

E-mail: lee@desnews.com