Texas Excludes Low-Income Latinos from Census

"Newly released census figures show that the Latino population in the United States surged by 43 percent in the last 10 years, comprising 50 million people. According to New America Media’s Nina Martin, this marks the first decade since the 1960s when the number of Latino births exceeded the number of immigrants. But, the increase notwithstanding, it seems that a sizable portion of the Latino population may not have been counted at all ...Though community organizers spent months preparing families to participate in the census, the federal government failed to mail census forms to 95 percent of colonia residents—allegedly deeming them 'hard to count'."

What does failing to count as many as 300,000 Texas residents living along the U.S.-Mexico border mean? Less money for the state going toward social services funding over the next decade, new congressional districts that will not include the increased Latino population, and redistricting plans that will reduce the political power of under-counted Latino voters.

Read more about this issue on the Campus Progress and New American Media sites. Campus Progress is a national organization that works with and for young people to promote progressive solutions to key political and social challenges. New America Media is the country's first and largest national collaboration and advocate of 2000 ethnic news organizations.