Dear Director Mulvaney:
I write today on behalf of the 12,000 members of the American Sociological Association, the nation’s largest professional association for teachers, scholars, and practitioners of sociology, to express deep concern about a request the Department of Commerce recently received from the Department of Justice to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census.
Should such a proposal be approved, the integrity of the 2020 Census data will be fundamentally compromised. Including a citizenship question is likely to keep some people from responding to the questionnaire and others from responding truthfully, thereby undermining the accuracy of the data. In addition, the creation of the questionnaire is a complex process that requires years of evaluation. With little time left before the 2020 launch, a new question could not be subject to standard rigorous testing, which would further erode the quality of the data. The cost of the census will rise significantly with the addition of a new question this late in the process, especially when that question is controversial and will likely create the need for expanded field operations. The Census Bureau is already working with inadequate funding. This would further stretch the already limited resources.
The import of an accurate census cannot be overstated. An accurate census allows policy-makers in public, private, and non-profit sectors to make evidence-based decisions. We implore you to investigate this issue and ensure that every effort is made to undertake the census process with integrity. That means ensuring that a citizenship question is not added to the 2020 Census.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
President, American Sociological Association
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