A CENSUS FOR ALL SEASONS--PLANNING FOR THE NON-STATESIDE 1990 HOUSING CENSUSES

Carmina F. Young, U.S. Bureau of the Census Rm. 302- Iverson Mall, Washington, D.C. 20233

KEY WORDS: Decennial Census, Outlying Inclusion of other areas over Areas which the exercises jurisdiction or Introduction control shall be subject to the The largest statistical project of concurrence of the Secretary of the United States is the decennial State. 4 census. The 1990 Census will account This expanded scope reflects the for every person and every housing Nation's recognition of its responsi- unit in the 50 States and the District bilities towards the peoples of the non- of Columbia as of April i, 1990. state areas over which the United States Included as part of the Decennial exercises some type of control. In Census, at least 5 more censuses also order to establish efficient policies are taken in exotic, lush, tropical and programs aimed to the specific areas located on the oceans flanking areas, lawmakers recognized the need for the continent -- the Pacific and the knowledge of the size of the population, Atlantic Oceans. their socio-economic characteristics, The following paragraphs discuss their housing, and their living condi- the planning for the censuses of those tions. areas, particularly for the census of The Bureau of the Census' mandate was housing, and some of the issues clear; how to best comply with it, was addressed during the planning. Data not. A mere count of the population and users involved in statistical analysis of their living quarters and their may find it useful to know some of geographical distribution was not the decisions taken during this enough. The census was to provide data planning and their affect in terms of on the characteristics of the people and comparability of the census data for their housing! While basic demographic those areas and the states' data. characteristics such as sex, age, etc. Historical Background are common to all people regardless of The Constitution of the United where in the world they live, on the States specifies that a census subject of housing there is no such counting the population shall be taken communality. Where people live, and every ten years. The first enumera- the characteristics of their living tion began on the first Monday in quarters, are a function of cultural August 1790. patterns, geography, climate, and From 1790 to 1930 the housing data economic conditions. collected were generally limited to one It was evident that the Bureau needed or two items. A Public Law in 1939 to establish a policy on the taking of authorized the Bureau of the Census, I in the decennial censuses of these non- connection with the 1940 Census, "to state areas. Should the Bureau inter- obtain data on characteristics of the pret the law literally and impose on Nation's housing supply and occupancy. these areas the same questionnaires, This became the first census on operations, and procedures as those housing. ''2 Further legislation was used for the census of the States? This required for the 1950 Census and approach would have been the easiest, subsequent censuses. and most economical, while complying In August 13, 1954, the various with the letter of the law. However, it Census statutes were consolidated and would also have been very insensitive of codified into the U.S.Code as a separate the Bureau to take that approach. The title--Title 13. Since then, under the Census Bureau's mission is to ably and provisions of this Title 13, as amended, objectively "chronicle the Nation's the Census Bureau takes, compiles, and past, describe its present, and illum- publishes the various censuses inate its future. ''s To fulfill this authorized by the Title. mission, the Census Bureau decided that Title 133 identifies the geographic consideration needed to be given to the scope of the censuses to comprise: specific data needs and to the cultural, ... each State, the District of linguistic, climatic, political, and Columbia, the , developmental differences between these , the Commonwealth of the non-state areas, (otherwise referred to , and as and the Outlying Areas) 6 the Commonwealth of Puerto and the States. Rico, and as may be determined This decision, while the only correct by the Secretary [of Commerce], one from the points of view of the areas such other possessions and and the Bureau's mission, engendered areas over which the United planning for a number of separate States exercises jurisdiction, censuses as part of the decennial census. control, or sovereignty. Thus it is that, for censuses since the

528 1960 Census, the Bureau has worked Table 2 - Total Housing Units in the closely with the Governors of the areas United States, Puerto Rico and the agency identified by each area and the Outlying Areas: 1980 as liaison for census purposes. This relationship has proved to be beneficial to the areas as well as to the Bureau. AREA HOUSING UNITS We have become more sensitive and responsive to the individual program- matic data needs and to the culture of Total ...... 9.0,054,421 each area. Working directly with the people native of the areas has enabled United States ...... 88,411,263 us to plan more efficiently a census Puerto Rico ...... 1,570,907 that accounts for the specific living Outlying Areas: conditions found in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands 33,548 Outlying Areas. Guam ...... 28,249 The Areas ..... 4,728 To better understand the challenges Northern Mariana in planning for the decennial housing Islands ...... 3,432 census of the non-state areas, we need Palau* ...... 2,294 to identify some basic facts about them. It is not possible to reflect in this discussion the vast diversity among * Included as part of the Census of these fascinating areas. All the areas the Trust Territory of the Pacific being islands, possibly their flora and Islands, excluding the Northern fauna are the basic common character- Mariana Islands. istics. However, the following dis- cussion will give an idea of some of the SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of the Census, factors that guided our planning. 1980 Census of Housing, General Tables 1 and 2 present 1980 Census Housing Characteristics - HC80-I-AI, data on the number of housing units, the HC80-I-A53, HC80-I-A54, HC80-I-A55, number of persons, and the land area for HC80-I-A56, HC80-I-A57A, and HC80-1- the United States, Puerto Rico, and the A57B. Outlying Areas. Table 1. Population, 1960 to 1980, and Area, 1980, of the United States, Puerto Rico, and Outlying Areas [For meaning of symbols, see Introduction]

Population 1980 area Areas Total Land

1980 1970 1960 Square miles Squarekilometers Square miles Square kilometers , ,,

Total ...... 231 106 727 "208 066 557 2183 285 009 3 623 461 9 384 764 3 543 924 9 178 764 United States ...... 226 545 805 *203 302 031 179 323 175 3 618 770 9 372 614 3 539 289 9 166 759

Puerto Rico' ...... 3 196 520 2 712 033 2 349 544 3 515 9 104 3 459 8 959

Outlying areas under United States jurisdiction ...... 368 856 '314 657 2237 869 I 176 3 046 ! 176 3 046 Territories ...... 235 927 ' 179 519 +123 15 I 459 1 188 459 1 188 Guam ...... 105 979 84 996 67 044 209 541 209 541 Virgin Islands of the United States ...... 96 569 62 468 32 099 132 342 132 342 American Samoa ...... 32 297 27 159 20 051 77 199 77 199 Midway Islands...... 453 2 220 2 356 2 5 2 5 302 1 647 1 097 3 8 3 8 Canton Island and Enderbury Islands 320 27 70 27 70 6 ...... a2; i oo; ,s+ (') (') (') (') Other ...... '9 '23 '9 823 Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, excluding Northern Mariana Islanc/s~-~._" ,o11+1.; 81 ao~ ,,+2 .a~ 533 I 381 533 1 381 Northern Mariana Islands __ 16 780 9 640 "8 290 184 477 184 477

U.S. population abroad': 995 546 "1 737 836 '31 374 421 ...... Federal employees 562 962 1 !14 224 647 730 ...... Armed Forces'4 515 408 1 057 776 609 720 ...... Civilians 's 47 554 56448 38 010 ...... Dependents of Federal employees" 432 584 371 366 506 393 ......

'Includes population of Swan Islands (22) and Canal Zone (44,198). Pursuant to treaty (1972), jurisdiction of the Swan Islands was transferred to the Republic of Honduras. Due to the treaty of 1978, the census iS no longer conducted in the Canal Zone. 2Includes population of Swan Islands (28), Canal Zone (42,122), and Corn Islands (1,872). Lease (1914) of the Corn Islands from the Republic of has been terminated. 'Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States by Spain in 1898. On July 25, 1952, pursuant to acts of Congress, it achieved the political status of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 'Includes population of Swan Islands (22 in 1970. 28 in 19601. • sUninhabited in 1980 and 1970: Enderburv Island uninhabited in 1960. +Formerly listed as Johnston Island ancl Sand Island. Sand Island uninhabited at time of enumeratiofi. 'Less than 0.5 square mile (1.3 square kilometers). eArea is for Navassa (2 square miles, 5.2 square kilometers); Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, Kingrnan Reef (3 square miles, 7.8 square kilometers); and (4 square miles, 10.4 square kilometers); uninhabited at time of enumeration. ~Administered by the United States since July 18, 1947, under the United Nations Trusteeship system. '°Census conducted September 15, 1980. "From census of 1958 conducted by the Office of the High Commissioner, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. '2Excludes U.S. citizens temporarily abroad on private business, travel, etc. Such persons were enumerated at their usual place of residence in the United States as absent members of their own households. "Includes U.S. citizens abroad for long periods of time who were not affiliated with the Federal government (1970, 236,336; 1960, 187,834) and crews of U.S. merchant vessels (1970, 15,910; 1960, 32,464). '4Based on tabulations provided by Deportment of Defense. 'SBased on tabulations provided by the Office of Personnel Management and the Deportments of Defense and State in 1980 and on enumeration and tabulations from the Departments of Defense and State in 1970 and 1960.

SOURCE" U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1980 Census..of P.o.pulat.ion, .General Population Cha.racteristics, U. S. Summary (Washington, DC" 19B2)

529 - Table 1 above shows that Puerto fuels would not be needed, but Rico had a population size which data on air-conditioning and on was the equivalent to 1.4% the the presence of a refrigerator stateside population. American should be considered. Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana 3. The warm weather also may Islands, and the Virgin Islands preclude the requirement of the had a population size equivalent presence of piped hot water as to 0.1% the stateside population. one of the criterion for complete

- Table 2 shows that the number of plumbing facilities. housing units in Puerto Rico was 4. The need for adequate protection equivalent to about i.7% the against hurricanes and typhoons number of housing units state- may necessitate data on the type side, and the total housing units of construction materials for in the Outlying Areas corres- roof, walls and foundation. ponded to 0.08% the States' 5. Data may be required on adequate total. means of communication to alert Other important particulars of the the population of the eventuality areas include" of a natural disaster such as a

- All areas have a warm, moist, typhoon. tropical climate. Typhoons and 6. Cultural differences may negate hurricanes are frequent natural the need for data on living occurrences. arrangements such as congregate

- While English is widely spoken in housing. all areas, there are language 7. Because of language differences differences among all areas. interpreters may be needed in the

- Samoans "cling steadfastly to the enumeration of some of the areas. Samoan culture and traditions"7; While no specific housing data Puerto Ricans and Guamanians have are required because of this much of the Spanish culture; the factor, not all English words are Chamorro culture is in much translatable in other languages; evidence in the Northern Mariana thus, the wording of the Islands and in Guam; and the questions and the categories Virgin Islanders, while dis- should be clear and simple to tinctly American, reflect the facilitate their translation and seven different cultures that ensure a correct interpretation. ruled the islands throughout 8. The prevalence of extended their history. families in the Pacific Areas may

- The extended family is prevalent have particular implications on in the Pacific Areas. the data.

- In American Samoa "over 96% of 9. The social structure of the the land is owned communally and Samoans -- as reflected by their is regulated as to occupancy and living arrangements -- may use by Samoan custom. ''8 necessitate a different

- All the areas are islands in interpretation of the housing transition, with different unit concept. degrees of economic development. I0. The communal control of lands and - The principal resources of the property in American Samoa may areas are their beauty and their require revisions to the people. questions on property value as Initial Considerations well as to questions on real The above facts pinpointed some estate taxes. specific issues in the basic concepts ii. The differences in degree of of census taking, including use of economic development among the samples, and specific questions to be areas may dictate the need for asked. different questions and/or i. On the basis of the population answer categories for the areas. and housing size, it is evident 12. The political expectations of that use of sampling in the each area may affect their data census would provide housing data needs. with an acceptable degree of The issues identified above set reliability only in Puerto Rico. the stage for a dialogue with data The number of housing units in users aimed at responding to their each of the other areas is too expressed programmatic data needs small to obtain data from a while also providing some degree of sample of housing units with a comparability with 1990 States' data small sampling error. Thus, we and the areas' data from previous would plan to obtain 100% and censuses. Separate meetings were held sample data for Puerto Rico and in each area with Interagency Working 100% data for the Outlying Areas. Groups established, at the suggestion 2. Because of the tropical climate, of the Bureau, to advise the Census data on heating equipment and Bureau on various aspects of the

530 census. While the meetings served unit. their purpose well, they resulted in a Our census liaison in American large number of issues and recommen- Samoa advises us that the revisions dations, many of them contradictory or made to the housing unit definition in not feasible of implementation. 1980 may have resulted in an under- Issues and Decisions count of housing units. This was I. The very first issue was the discussed at meetings in American definition of a "housing Samoa and an analysis of the data I° unit"_ At the beginning of seems to support this assumption. the 1980 enumeration of For the 1990 Census of American American Samoa, we received Samoa, we propose to apply the a telephone call from our definition of a housing unit Census Advisor in American differently from 1980. If the meals Samoa. Our established are prepared in the fale that has the census definition for a cooking facilities but the family housing unit could not be members eat most of their meals at applied to all of American their own fale, each fale would be Samoa's housing. We had considered as a separate housing unit. defined a housing unit as a On the other hand, if the family house, an apartment, a members eat most of their meals group of rooms, or a single together, then all the fales combined room occupied, or intended would be considered as one housing to be occupied, as separate unit, and each individual fale as one living quarters. Separate room. Fales used by the matai to living quarters are those in accommodate guests (guest fales) would which the occupants live also be considered to be rooms of the and eat separately from any matai's housing unit, regardless of other persons in the whether they are vacant or occupied at building and which have the time of the enumeration. This is direct access from the consistent with the housing unit outside of the building or definition to be applied stateside in through a common hall. 1990 which is based on whether the Extended families in American Samoa occupants live and eat separately. made use of different types of living 2. The next important issue was how arrangements. One type consisted of a many of the specific data needs number of structures called "fales". of the areas could be provided. Margaret Mead described these fales as Many different questions may a "mere circle of pillars, with require different questionnaires, floors of coral rubble, no wall except different editing procedures, and perishable woven blinds which are different programs for the pro- lowered in bad weather, and a roof of cessing and tabulation of the sugar-cane thatch over which it is data. All of these differences necessary to bind palm branches in would result in higher costs for every storm. ''9 One of these fales, the operations and delays on the usually the one in which the "matai" - availability of census data - the head of the extended family -- products. lived, had cooking facilities. The The Census Bureau had made a meals were prepared in the matai's commitment to provide 1990 data fale by the members of the extended products earlier than for 1980. family. The family members either ate To fulfill this goal, we would their meals at their own fale or have to use the least possible together. The extended family members number of different census lived at separate fales close to the questionnaires that would matai's fale. Under this arrangement, provide as much of the areas' we decided to treat each individual data needs as possible. We had fale as a room, and all the fales the various recommendations from occupied by the extended family the areas; our job now was to use constituted one housing unit. our knowledge of specific facts Another type of living arrangement about each area, together with had separate cooking facilities in what the 1980 data told us about each fale, but the family members the housing of each area at that shared a common outdoor oven .... umu". time, to find ways in which some The family members picked up the of the different data needs cooked food from the umu and finished could be provided with a common preparing and eating their meals at question. their individual fales. As the This was not an easy task. occupants of each fale used their own Various considerations guided our cooking facilities to finish preparing decisions. Foremost was the fact their meals and they ate separately that, for many of these areas, from other family members, each fale the decennial census is THE data was considered a separate housing source on which planning for the

531 decade is based. Current but that also will provide surveys such as the Current certain data specific to the Population Survey and the Virgin Islands' needs; American Housing Survey are - One basic questionnaire for nonexistent in these areas. the Pacific Areas that Intercensal data are obtained would combine some stateside from very limited locally- questions, revisions to sponsored surveys, and are not stateside questions or accepted by Federal agencies for categories, and specific the allocation of programmatic questions unique to the monies. Pacific Areas. (For Thus, the content of the American Samoa, this form questionnaires should provide also would have some the data on which programs' differences in answer funding would be based, as well categories of the questions as data that would allow as well as the omission of comparability with 1980, the items that do not apply to States' and the other areas' American Samoa.) 11 data. On this aspect of the - A short form and a long form planning we worked closely with questionnaire for Puerto each area's Interagency Working Rico, which will be an Group. In some instances, it was adaptation of the States' a frustrating time for everyone 100% and sample forms, to involved. How could we arrive at reflect Puerto Rico's a questionnaire housing content specific data needs. that was responsive to the areas' Outlook specific concerns and still be With each census, the Census within the constraints imposed on Bureau planners have come to learn the Bureau by the Office of more about the areas and their data Management and Budget (regarding needs. This recognition of the respondent burden and program- individuality of each area and of its matic justification of the data), people has enriched and expanded our and the existing census budget? outlook toward areas whose stages of There was much give-and-take development are different from the one involved to accomplish our stateside. mission. For instance, when two As these areas continue to evolve Pacific Areas identified their and define themselves politically, it need for data on the presence of is possible that for a future census• the individual components of say the year 2020 Census, the Bureau's complete plumbing facilities, and mandate may be different regarding the other area recommended using these areas. In the meantime, we only one question on complete continue to meet the challenges of plumbing facilities (similar to planning for the censuses of Puerto the States' version), we decided Rico and the Outlying Areas, to get to to ask questions on the separate learn about these charming areas, and components for all areas and to work together with their people in tabulate the data to provide making the decennial census a census information on the presence of for all peoples• a census for all each component as well as on the seasons. presence of all the components (complete plumbing facilities). The majority rule was not the Footnotes guiding factor. For example, one Pacific area needed the I. References to "Census Bureau", category "thatch" on the question !! Bureau of the Census i! , and It the Bureau i! , concerning material used for the are used indistinctly throughout this roof of the building, and the document. other two areas recommended its deletion from the question. Our 2. U.S., Congress, House, decision was to keep the category Subcommittee on Housing and Community in order to provide a uniform Development of the Committee on Banking, question for all three areas. Currency and Housing• Evolution of Role With the excellent cooperation of the Federal Government in Housing and of the various Interagency Community Development: A Chronology of Working Groups the decision was Legislative and Selected Executive made to use" Actions, 1892-1974, Committee Print

- One questionnaire for the (Washington, D.C. : Government Printing U.S. Virgin Islands that Office, 1976), p. 13. would resemble the long form stateside version in format 3. Title 13, Section 191, and in most of the content subchapter V.

532 4. U.S. Congress, Senate, Committee 8. Ibid. on Post Office and Civil Service, Title 13, United States Code - Census, 9. Margaret Mead, Coming of Age Committee Print No. 2 (Washington, D.C. : in Samoa, (Morrow Quill Paperbacks, Government Printing Office, 1977), sec. 1961), pp. i0 and 266. 191(a). i0. U.S. Department of Commerce, 5. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Trip Report by Bureau of the Census, Strategic Planning Leonard J. Norry, September 13, 1988, Committee, Strategic Planning for the p. 2. Census Bureau and the Initial Strategic Plan (Washington, D.C. October, 1985). ii. If the Department of State determines that a census should be 6. Also referred to throughout this taken in Palau in 1990, the Guam document as "the areas". questionnaire version also would be used for the enumeration of Palau. 7. U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, American Samoa (Washington, D.C. n.d.).

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