Being conducted at the turn of the millennium, Census 2000 is already drawing a lot of attention. Since the official census count is used by marketers and media alike, the results of the census have widespread implications if the way minorities are counted and identified influence the outcome. The top issues, according to our experts:

1. The Issue Of Sampling Versus Total Counting - The New York Times reported that according to studies by the Census Bureau and the National Research Council, "the 1990 effort missed 10 million people and double-counted 6 million." About five percent of the Hispanic population, or 1 million Hispanics, was not counted in the last census, according to Hispanic Magazine (March 1998). "This time they estimate the undercount will be five million," said Andrew Erlich, president, Erlich Transcultural Consultants. "The majority of (the undercounted) are urban and ethnic so this is key to the issue of political representation," Erlich said. "The debate about sampling has become both political and scientific," said Carlos Arce, President NuStats International. Statistical sampling will likely improve the numbers in certain categories, predicts Arce. If the minority population is counted more completely that could mean redistricting of Congressional districts, he added. "Because part of the Hispanic population is migratory and changes addresses, there is no universal way to count that population," said Isabel Valdés, president of The Market Connections Group of Cultural Access Worldwide. "New enclaves may not be tracked and represented, new pockets of populations may not be included or measured, or may be underrepresented," Valdés said.

2. The Order Of The Census Questions On Race - For the last three censuses, the question asking a person to identify their race as White, Black or Other was asked before the question of whether or not the person was of Hispanic origin. "This caused confusion," Arce said. "In fact, half of the Hispanics mark ŒOther' and half mark ŒWhite.' In the Census 2000, the order of the two questions has been reversed and it is expected that it will be clearer for Hispanics and you will get a higher quality of answer," he said.

3. The Interracial Question - "There are probably more interracial marriages today than in the past. Data supports what I'm saying," said Arce. "Some people argued that the categories did not provide adequately for children of interracial couples. They pushed for one additional category of 'Interracial.' The Census Bureau didn't allow that but now people can check more than one category," Arce explained.

4. When is a Hispanic household a bilingual household, a Spanish-preferred household or a Spanish-dominant household? According to the census, language dependency is based on the capability of completing the census form. So if a child fills the form out for the non-English speaking parents it will not be considered a Spanish-dominant household. "If an 8-year old can complete the form, it is considered a non-isolated household," said Valdés. "For our purposes, this is not how we define a Hispanic household. If the parents depend exclusively on Spanish language communications, that is a Hispanic household. This is particularly important for those products where the adult is the key in the decision-making process, such as insurance or travel. The kids are not going to be buying a car."

5. When is a household considered a Hispanic household? The census defines a household based on the ethnic background of the head of the household. So if the head of household is Anglo and his wife is Hispanic, it is considered an Anglo household by the census. But for marketers, it is more important to know the background of the person who does the purchasing. An undercount would result in a missed opportunity for an advertising agency and its clients.

Indeed, the results of the upcoming Census 2000 will have an impact on marketing over the next decade and beyond.

For more information, please contact Lisa Skriloff, 212-242-3351, infobrokr1@aol.com.

A longer version of this article originally appeared in Conexiónahaa, the newsletter of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies. To find out more about AHAA, contact Claudia Pérez 703-610-9014