2020 Census
Go on now, do it: Take the 2020 Census
Why?
Well, the first and most important reason is because it tells our government how many people are living in a given area. We can use that data to try to answer all kinds of questions.
Where should we draw the lines for legislative districts? Does your town need more roads or a higher capacity power grid? How much money might your area need for social programs like food stamps or medical care or housing assistance? Will there be more children needing school lunches and after-class care? How many fire trucks do we need — and how many wastewater drains and public libraries and bus stops and… ???
Like voting, participating in a census is one of the best ways you can make your voice heard and make a difference in the future of your community.
But I’m not gonna lie, there is a second, slightly more “selfish” reason I want you to fill out a 2020 census form.
I mean, this is a genealogy newsletter after all.
The federal census is one of the — if not THE — most valuable resources available to people who are researching their family history.
We get a snapshot in time, every 10 years(*), of how are ancestors lived. Did great-grandpa and great-grandma live out in the boonies on farm or did they have a house in town? Were they literate, and were their kids getting an education? What did they do for a living? Where were they born and which language did they speak? What were their lives really like???
(*) More or less, depending on whether they actually participated and whether there was a state census in between the federal ones. And let’s not dwell too much on 1890, OK?
If you’re worried about privacy because you don’t want some random forgotten second-cousin-twice-removed to come knocking at your door — don’t be. (At least not because of this.) Those federal census records aren’t released to the public until at least 72 years after they’re taken. We won’t even have access to the 1950 census for another coupla years. And this 2020 census? Locked away in the National Archives until your own descendants can get their grubby little hands on it well over seven decades from now.
By taking part in the census, you’re not “just” having an impact on your community right now. You’re doing something really valuable for the future, too.
So, if you haven’t already, please please please: Take the 2020 Census