Sociology of Minority Relations

The decennial census of USA is practice under the mandate of the Constitution to be enumerated after every ten years for purposes of congressional seat allocation and program funding by the government among other reasons. The Bureau of Census is the sole body responsible for carrying out this census. The most recent national census was in 2010 and the following is scheduled for 2020 with estimates from surveys and statistical models of American Community Survey in particular.

The first postcolonial American census was in 1790, suggesting that the population was 3,929,326 and the most recent which took place in 2010 as 308,745,538. The population growth is positive throughout this period. There are minor fluctuations on general rate as a result of such factors as immigration, emigration among others. The population has grown by about 130,000,000 for the immediate last 50 years and about 75,000,000 for the preceding 50 years (DeNavas et al, Pg 100). This suggests that the growth in population has been exponential in the last 100 years as far as the census is concerned.

The growth rate was steeply exponential at first, the rate reduced with time however. This trend may be due to emancipation of women and urbanization among other factors since most people favored migration to the western and southern parts of the country (Craven and Lev, Pg 60).

The ratio of the Hispanic population and Asian American will double in the next 50 years and the African American number will rise a wee. The implication of these projected changes is that, the population of the United States will be more than 440 million in 50 years. This will put strain on natural resources and social amenities. The effect is negative impact on growth by discouraging immigration and encouraging emigration (Craven and Lev, Pg 65). Another reason that accounts for about 80% of the projected increase is mainly immigrants and their children, who will be as a matter of fact from minority ethnicity.