AP finds census counts of Latino, Black communities below estimates
A sign advertising a new elementary school stands along a main street in Somerton, Ariz., Aug. 19, 2021. The overwhelmingly Hispanic community has grown enough over the last decade that it’s building a new elementary school, and the city manager cited 853 new homes over the past decade as evidence of growth. But the Census Bureau says Somerton actually lost 90 residents during the that time, putting its official population at 14,197 people, not the 20,000 that the mayor expected. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)
By Astrid Galvan, Mike Schneider, Jae C. Hong, Eugene Garcia and Francois Duckett
Keeping the AP in the forefront of 2020 census coverage, Astrid Galvan of the Race and Ethnicity Team and census reporter Mike Schneider joined forces to explore the crucial undercount question for the first in-depth national story on the subject since demographic data was released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Aug. 12.
By comparing the new numbers to earlier estimates, Schneider revealed a pattern in which the numbers consistently came in below what had been projected for both Hispanic and Black populations, suggesting that some areas were overlooked. The official numbers have implications for the distribution of federal funds and congressional representation.
Children play in the yard of a community boxing club in Somerton, Ariz., Aug. 19, 2021. An AP analysis of 2020 census data shows the count of Latino population consistently below estimates in the U.S. Southwest, suggesting an undercount. – AP Photo / Jae C. Hong
Electricians install wires at a newly constructed home in Somerton, Ariz., Aug. 19, 2021. – AP Photo / Jae C. Hong
Middle school wrestlers are greeted by coach Chris Polanco, right, as they enter the gym for wrestling matches at Somerton Middle School in Somerton, Ariz., Aug. 19, 2021. – AP Photo / Jae C. Hong
Somerton Mayor Gerardo Anaya, center, greets well-wishers while attending a wrestling match at Somerton Middle School in Somerton, Ariz., Aug. 19, 2021. The 2020 census put the community’s official population at 14,197 people, not the 20,000 that the mayor expected. – AP Photo / Jae C. Hong
People chat in a bar in Somerton, Ariz., Aug. 19, 2021. In Somerton, a small city near the U.S.-Mexico border that is overwhelmingly Hispanic, leaders say the 2020 census results make no sense. They’ve seen new housing developments pop up and the town is building two new schools. But the census found fewer residents than in 2010. – AP Photo / Jae C. Hong
Maricela Figueroa, a retired teacher, receives Holy Communion from a priest during a Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Somerton, Ariz., Aug. 20, 2021. – AP Photo / Jae C. Hong
A girl is silhouetted as she walks her dog in a park in Somerton, Ariz., Aug. 19, 2021. – AP Photo / Jae C. Hong
Phoenix-based Galvan uncovered Somerton, Arizona, a Latino community building new schools and taking other steps to accommodate its growing population — although the official census numbers showed 90 fewer people than a decade earlier. In a vivid example of show-don’t-tell reporting, Galvan teamed up with Los Angeles photographer Jae Hong and videographer Eugene Garcia to convey the texture of the community, capturing voices of outrage and disbelief among local officials that their population numbers were so low.
Schneider,meanwhile,worked with graphic artist Francois Duckett to put together national maps showing that the biggest shortfalls among Latino people came in the Southwest,while the count of Black individuals fared worst in the South. The highly visual presentation complemented the data, helping AP once again set the pace for national coverage of the 2020 headcount.
