WORKING AT THE 2010 CENSUS AS AN ENUMERATOR
In 2010 I worked for the Census Bureau as an enumerator. We were tasked with going to residences where the respondents (occupants) did not fill out the required census forms and return them. The instructions we received were to either have the person read and respond to the questionnaire or if appropriate read the questions aloud to the respondent and write down their responses verbatim. We were instructed no to argue, explain, or interfere or inject other interpretations of any sort.
So one evening I rang the door bell and a gentleman of African American descent answered the door and invited me in. We proceeded to go page by page, question by question, reading the questions and writing down the responses exactly as stated. When we got to the “Race question” the man responded “Marathon” and explained he is in it for the “Long Run”. Looking back on that event, I think that this may be the best answer for that question and most compelling.
