U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes. (File photo: RGG/Steve Taylor)

EDINBURG, April 15 - U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa says he has been assured there will be enough Census workers to count the tens of thousands of colonia residents in the Rio Grande Valley who did not receive Census forms.

Hinojosa spoke Tuesday with Tom Mesenbourg, deputy director of the U.S. Census Bureau about what must be done to ensure a proper 2010 Census count in the Valley.

“I let Deputy Director Mesenbourg know that we have more than a quarter of a million residents, at least, who did not receive Census forms in the mail,” said Hinojosa, D-Mercedes. “I asked Mr. Mesenbourg to make certain that there are enough enumerators, or census counters, who will go door to door in the next few weeks to make sure we count every resident. I can say that he assured me there will be enough enumerators hired to cover the entire border from Brownsville, Texas to San Diego, California.”

Hinojosa is one of a number of elected officials in the Valley who have voiced concerns about the Census Bureau’s policy in counting colonia residents. Others include Hidalgo County Judge Rene Ramirez and Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos.

To the amazement of local elected officials and community groups, the Census Bureau announced two weeks ago that 95 percent of colonia residents would not be receiving census questionnaires, either in the mail or in person. Instead, the Bureau said, they would receive personal visits by Census workers, under an operation called Update/Enumerate. Under the plan, Census workers are asked to get a verbal response from colonia residents to the ten questions on the Census questionnaire.

The Census Bureau has defended its decision not to send Census forms to Rio Grande Valley colonias, saying Update/Enumerate is the “Cadillac” version of its Census 2010 outreach operation.

“The Census Bureau has used Update/Enumerate methods in the colonias for several decades and, similar to efforts on American Indian reservations, believes the methodology offers the greatest likelihood of an accurate count in these important communities,” the Bureau said, in a statement issued on April 5.

To promote their message, the Census Bureau is taking its “Take 10” bus on a tour of the Valley. It is targeting areas where Census participation is low, such as La Joya.

Numerous non-profit groups that work in Valley colonias have expressed concern about the “mixed messages” the Census Bureau is putting out in promoting full participation in the Census. Although large swathes of the Valley have not and will not receive Census forms in the mail, the Bureau is still running TV spots calling on residents to mail back the forms.

“What we are seeing when we turn on the TV are commercials from the Census Bureau saying everything is perfect. Send your census forms back. It is almost like a fairytale,” Southwest Workers Union spokeswoman Anayanse Garza told the Guardian. “The reality, what we are hearing on the ground from the people when they call us, is that people are afraid they are not going to be counted because they did not get their census forms.”

Garza said that after April 12, Valley residents can call a free hotline to request a Census questionnaire. The number to call for Spanish-speaking residents is 866-928-2010. The number to call for English-speaking residents is 866-872-6868.

In his meeting with Mesenbourg, Hinojosa was joined by other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Hinojosa said they also discussed the problems of “mixed messaging” by the Census Bureau.

“I asked Mr. Mesenbourg if the Census would invest more in advertising to explain the method of counting,” Hinojosa said. “Mr. Mesenbourg said the Census Bureau will begin an aggressive advertising campaign in Spanish letting residents know, that if they did not send in a Census form, an enumerator will be coming to your door.”

Hinojosa said he will hold the Census Bureau accountable for its colonia count strategy. Hinojosa’s Valley District Director, Salomon Torres, has been working closely with the Equal Voice for America’s Families network to make sure complaints from residents who do not receive Census forms or visits from enumerators are documented.

“I will continue to monitor this situation and I am looking forward to a positive outcome from my conversation with Deputy Director Mesenbourg,” Hinojosa added. “We must make sure that every resident is counted, so that our area does not lose out on important federal funding.”

Write Steve Taylor

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