Introduction

Answering even a simple question that uses U.S. Decennial Census data can be complicated. Yet many reference staff do not have the opportunity to become Census experts. By analyzing a typical question and answer, we can identify key elements and essential reference sources.

Question and Answer

How large is the immigrant population in Minnesota and the Twin Cities in particular?

"Immigrants" is a broad term not completely accounted for in Census data.<1> For a presentation on immigration trends in Minnesota by the State Demographic Center, see http://www.demography.state.mn.us/DownloadFiles/immig1210.ppt. <2>

For statistics on the foreign-born population of Minnesota and the Twin Cities <3>, who are now or were at one time immigrants to the U.S., see the table below:

	Total population (P021001)	Total Foreign born Population (P021013) <4>
	Number	Number	Percent of Total
Minnesota <4>	4,919,479	260,463	5.3%
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI MSA (11 counties)	2,968,806	210,344	7.1%
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN Part of MSA (9 counties)	2,868,847	209,291	7.3%
Seven County Metro Area	2,642,056	206,458	7.8%
Minneapolis and St. Paul Cities	669,603	96,613	14.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; 2000 Census of Population and Housing, Summary File 3; table: P21. Place of Birth by Citizenship Status; generated by Amy West; using American FactFinder; (22 May 2003).

Key Elements & Sources

1. Where would I look to see how data on a subject is described in Census products?
American FactFinder Glossary: http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/epss/glossary_i.html - specifically, "I" Section, "F" Section

2. Is any additional information available? From whom?
Minnesota State Demographic Center http://www.mnplan.state.mn.us/demography/index.html > Census 2000 http://www.demography.state.mn.us/Census2000.html.

3. Why are there four rows for Twin Cities?
The Twin Cities could mean just the two cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the state-defined seven county metro area used by the Met Council, the federally defined area, which includes to WI counties or just the Minnesota part of the federal area. Our pretend patron hasn't specified what she means by "Twin Cities", so we gave her all the options. See http://govpubs.lib.umn.edu/census/profile.phtml#msa for a map of the seven county/federal metro area.

4. Is more detailed data available?
4. What will be the lowest level of geography at which the data will appear?
An easy way to find out is to use the AFF Key to the Decennial Census Datasets - http://govpubs.lib.umn.edu/census/affDScensus.phtml. The "About this dataset" links describe the contents, including variables included. The links to functions list all tables and geographies for that dataset. The function pages are very long; use CTRL+F to search on the pages.

Essential Reference Sources

1990 & 2000 Questionnaires

http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/2000quest.html
Value: If they didn't ask about it, they didn't count it...Plus, for 2000 they tell you why the long form questions were asked, e.g. the plumbing question helps public health officials pinpoint likely locations for outbreaks of water-borne diseases and groundwater contamination.

200 Years Of U.S. Census Taking

Bureau of the Census.
Value: Lists the questions asked and instructions to enumerators for 1790-1990 Censuses. Includes images of census forms (some filled) over time.
See also Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses From 1790 to 2000: http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/pol02-ma.pdf, except for
1800: http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/pdf/1800cq.pdf
1810: http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/pdf/1810cq.pdf
1820: http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/pdf/1820cq.pdf
1830: http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/pdf/1830cq.pdf
which are supplied by the University of Michigan.
U of M Location: TC Wilson Library Gov Pub Reference - Call No: C 3.2:T 93
U of M Location: TC Magrath Library Gov Pub - Call No: C 3.2:T 93

{About the} Decennial Census

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/decennialdata.html
Value: Says on one web page what the Census is, lists the 2000 short and long form variables, points to the parts of American FactFinder where they can be found, describes the Census Supplementary Survey, lists long form variables for 1990 and points to the parts of American FactFinder where they can be found.

American FactFinder Glossary

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/epss/glossary_a.html
Value: Concise definitions of geographic levels like "Census Designated Place" and cross-references.

Census Release Schedule 1

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/releaseschedule.html
Value: Specifies where in American FactFinder data will end up. However, it isn't updated as frequently as 2 and doesn't include links to 2000 data that's on the Internet in locations other than American FactFinder.

Census Release Schedule 2

http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/c2kproducts.html
Value: Updated more frequently than 1, points to non-American FactFinder data and has a subject-organized version.

Census Geography Diagram 1

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/epss/census_geography.html

Census Geography Diagram 2

http://govpubs.lib.umn/edu/images/census-geog.gif
Value: One screen graphic showing Census geographies and their relationships.

Dubester's U.S. Census Bibliography With Sudocs Class Numbers And Indexes.

Kevin L. Cook.
Value: Indexes Census Bureau publications from 1790-1945. It can be used many ways, but the simplest one is to look in the index for a given topic, like pulp mills, and then go to the Supplemental Entry with same number as in the index entry. The Supplemental Entry will have the title of the publication in which the topic appears and its Sudoc number.
U of M Location: TC Wilson Library Gov Pub Reference - Call No: HA214 .C66x 1996
U of M Location: TC Magrath Library Gov Pub Reference - Call No: HA214 .C66x 1996

Encyclopedia Of The U.S. Census

Margo J. Anderson, editor in chief.
Value: Comprehensive source for "about" information; doesn't assume prior familiarity with the Census.
U of M Location: TC Wilson Library Gov Pub Reference - Call No: Quarto HA37 .U55 C66 2000

Geographic Areas Reference Manual

http://www.census.gov/geo/www/garm.html.
Value: This is the comprehensive and final word on Census geography.
U of M Location: TC Wilson Library Gov Pub US Desk Ref - Call No: C 3.6/2: G 29/4
U of M Location: TC Magrath Library Gov Pub US Census - Call No: C 3.6/2: G 29/4

Uses for Questions on the Census 2000 Forms - Appendix B

http://www.census.gov/pub/dmd/www/pdf/13appb.pdf
Value: Includes an index of subjects and the first Census in which questions about them appeared.