1990 Census Questions
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I thoroughly enjoyed Frank Clifford’s overview of the 1990 census (front page, March 24) but was struck by the article’s conclusion. Clifford writes: “One question on the census long form speaks volumes about old habits at the Census Bureau. In an age of spas and Jacuzzis and basement lap pools, the census form still wants to know if you have indoor plumbing.”
The need to include that particular question actually speaks more about the growing disparity between the rich and the poor during the 1980s than it does about the bureau’s old habits.
The 1990 census will generate a wealth of data, including information on the state of the impoverished in our society (despite the inevitable undercount of this population). The lack of indoor plumbing is common in areas such as rural Texas. Hopefully, this same information will encourage policy-makers to correct this situation, making the question obsolete by the time census 2000 rolls around.
ARTURO VARGAS
National Census Program Director
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Los Angeles
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