The potential effects of legal and unauthorized international migration on the census and other data sources in the United States: Methodological and policy issues in 2010 and beyond

Issue title: Special issue on The United States Census at the Dawn of the 21st Century

Guest editors: Charles G. Renfro

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Murdock, Steve H.^a

Affiliations: [a] Department of Demography and Organization Studies, The University of Texas at San Antonio | 601 West 113th Street, #12G New York, NY 10025, USA | Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Center for Population Research, University of Mississippi, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677-1848, USA

Abstract: This article considers the accurate measurement of international migration to and from the United States, both legal and unauthorized, and how these measurement characteristics might affect the accuracy and utility of the 2010 census and other data sources. It provides a brief overview of the recent magnitude and impacts of US immigration. It delineates the role of immigration in determining an accurate census and discusses specific parameters that must be accurately measured in order to adequately assess immigration, both legal and unauthorized. It makes specific recommendations for addressing the effects of such factors.

DOI: 10.3233/JEM-2006-0275

Journal: Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, vol. 31, no. 3-4, pp. 207-220, 2006