WASHINGTON, March 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The U.S. Census Bureautoday delivered to Gov. Paul E. Patton and the majority and minorityleaders of the state legislature the official Census 2000Redistricting Data Summary File for Kentucky that, under Public Law94-171, could be used to redraw federal, state and local legislativedistricts.
The census data allow state officials to realign congressionaland state legislative districts in their states, taking into accountpopulation shifts since the last census (in 1990) and assuring equalrepresentation for their constituents in compliance with the "one-person, one-vote" principle of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Thesedata also are the first population counts for small areas and thefirst race and Hispanic-origin data from Census 2000.
The redistricting file consists of four detailed tables: thefirst shows the population for each of 63 single and multiple racecategories; the second shows the total Hispanic or Latino populationand the population not of Hispanic or Latino origin cross-tabulatedby the 63 race categories. These tabulations are repeated in thethird and fourth tables for the population 18 years and over. Thedata are for the resident population of the United States. (Toaccess the detailed data, go to http://factfinder.census.gov).
The redistricting data were not adjusted to reflect estimates ofcensus coverage error measured in a nationwide, post-census surveyof about 314,000 housing units called the Accuracy and CoverageEvaluation (A.C.E.) Survey.
By April 1, all 50 states and the District of Columbia willreceive these data for the following areas: state, currentcongressional districts (for 106th Congress), counties, minor civildivisions, places, census tracts, block groups and blocks, and, ifapplicable, American Indian and Alaska Native areas and Hawaiianhome lands. States that participated in the Census Bureau'svoluntary Voting District Project also will receive these data forthe voting districts and any state legislative districts whoseboundaries they provided.
Race and Hispanic Data
As the result of revised standards for collecting data on raceand ethnicity issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in1997 (see http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/ombdir15.html),Census 2000 was the first national census in which the instructionsfor respondents said, "Mark one or more races."
Respondents who reported only one race are shown in six groups:the five groups identified in the OMB standard (White; Black orAfrican American; American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; andNative Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander) and a "Some other race"category. (In 1990, Asian and Pacific Islander was a single OMB racegroup.)
Respondents who selected more than one of the six race groups areincluded in the "Two or more races" population. There are more than50 possible combinations of the six race groups.
The Census Bureau included the "Some other race" category forresponses that could not be classified in any of the race categorieson the questionnaire. The vast majority of people who reported as"Some other race" were Hispanic or Latino. Data on Hispanics orLatinos, who may be of any race, were obtained from a separatequestion on ethnicity.
How to Find Assistance
Additional information about the redistricting program, includingnews releases for other states, may be found on the Internet athttp://www.census.gov/clo/www/redistricting.html. Besides being ableto access the detailed tables on the Internet, users may alsopurchase them from the Census Bureau on CD-ROM and later on DVD.
For further information about Kentucky's Census 2000redistricting data, contact:
-- Customer Services Center, U.S. Census Bureau, 301-457-4100;
e-mail: webmaster(At)census.gov;
-- Redistricting Data Office, U.S. Census Bureau,
301-763-0253 or 0254; e-mail: rdo(At)census.gov;
-- Census Bureau Regional Office, Charlotte, 704-344-6144;
e-mail: charlotte.regional.office(At)census.gov;
-- Kentucky State Data Center, 502-852-7990;
e-mail: rtcrou01gwise(At)louisville.edu.
Description of Six Custom Tables
Table 1 shows the population who reported one race added to thepopulation who reported two or more races equals the totalpopulation. All combinations of two races are shown separately inTable 2. Three examples of combinations are: White and Black orAfrican American, White and Asian, and Black or African American andAsian.
Table 3 shows the total number of people who selected aparticular race group whether or not they reported any other race.For example, the Asian "alone or in combination" population consistsof respondents who reported as Asian alone or as Asian incombination with any of the other five race groups. The sameapproach applies to each of the other five race groups.
People who reported more than one race are included in more thanone of the groups. For example, respondents who indicated White andBlack or African American are included both in the White alone or incombination population and in the Black or African American alone orin combination population. Therefore, the total of these six groupsadds to more than the total population because some individualsreported more than one race.
Comparisons with 1990
While allowing respondents to report more than one race adds toour knowledge about the racial diversity of the United States, italso means that data on race from Census 2000 are not directlycomparable with data from 1990 and previous censuses (Table 4).Other factors also affect comparability of 1990 and 2000 data onrace. For example, in Census 2000, the question on Hispanic orLatino origin was placed before the question on race, but in 1990the order of these questions was reversed. This may have affectedreporting on both questions.
Factors such as changes in question wording or format,improvements in the way the Census Bureau counted people and bettermethods to process information also could affect comparability. Moreinformation about concepts underlying Census 2000 data on race andHispanic or Latino origin will be made available in a Census 2000brief scheduled for release in mid-March.
KEYWORDS:
POPULATION, KENTUCKY
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