Census 2010: Making Sense of US?
I'm now totally addicted to NBC's Friday night genealogy show, Who Do You Think You Are? and have gotten back into the research I began 30 years ago. Much to my surprise, Ancestry.com has allowed me to uncover information about ancestors from the 1800s and early 1900s. Once I got beyond my own amazement at what I found, I took an in-depth look at the information included in the U.S. Census forms from the late 1800s and early 1900s — and was immediately struck with how different the questions are today.
The 2010 Census questions are available online - in 60 languages. Yes, that is correct - sixty languages. The question of ethnicity gives you 14 groups to choose from, some of which have text boxes that allow you to delineate even further if you desire. Meanwhile, on the 1900 census - just 110 years ago, there was a single box for "color or race," and yes/no boxes for "Can speak English," "Able to Read," and "Able to Write."
In 1900, my great-great-grandfather's occupation was listed as "Capitalist" (he owned a brewery) and my great-grandfather, the son-in-law who drove the beer truck, as a "Teamster." One of their coolest neighbors was a Carpet Weaver, and another a Candy Maker. I am not making this up.
The 2010 Census doesn't ask for your occupation, nor does it ask for the value of your home. Both questions were included in the 1930 census, along with your age "at first marriage."
Wafting through all these questions in search of clues to my genealogy, I started thinking about the "Census" of my business, the difference in how I describe my ideal client today as opposed to how I described them a decade ago, when I first started The Write Concept.
Certainly the demographics of the United States and our own neighborhoods have changed in the last decade. But I think our attitudes and viewpoints have changed even more, regardless of where we stand politically or in any other arena.
If you held a "Census" of all your past and present clients and prospects - all the people in your address book, Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections - would you ask different demographic questions than you did just a year ago? I certainly would.
So tell me - what is one question you would ask today that you wouldn't have asked a year ago or five years ago?
And have you done any genealogical research resulting in a big surprise?
Make your Day Magnificent!
Linda
p.s. This article was originally published in Voice & Vision, the monthly newsletter of The Write Concept. To subscribe, go to this link, and scroll down to the subscription form on the bottom of the left column. Read a few of our past issues while you are there!
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Linda - A well written post, enjoyable to read. You are obviously talented.
I don't think I would ask a different question today. Our clients have weathered the economic storm quite well. Not a one went out of business or dropped our IT services. I have been looking at them and wondering what makes this bunch of awesome business owners able to survive when others in their industry did not. Although I would like to think it's because they are my client, I know it is much broader than that. I think it's agility, vision and investment.
So how would that translate into a demographic question? I'm really not sure how to word it but I can definitely say that many of our clients are not in the same business they were in 5 years ago. Kind of the same yes, same industry yes, but really very different businesses.
I do however have one sure fire indicator of whether or not a business might be a good client for us. They need to understand that investment in technology will make their business money. And at first glance I can make a very good inference about the company by the state of the office. It should not be fancy. It doesn't have to be tidy. But it doesn't have to have been updated. If there is still paneling on the walls from 1970, the carpet is worn and the place smells of stale smoke. Then they are not investing in their business and probably therefore won't make technology investments either.
Now to your other question, my biggest surprise came in the form of a letter. My paternal grandfathers brother wanted to join the catholic clergy. A letter of family history was required. His father wrote the letter, and he wrote it in his language old czech. I had it translated and it details out 400 years of lineage, matrilineal (SP?). And says that each on was married to a "pope" the word for priest in the orthodox religion. Fascinating. p.s. I love the show too. How great was Matthew Broderick's story?
Amy
Hi Amy!
What a great testimony to your business, that your clients have weathered the economic climate so well.. and I am impressed with the insight you gain from walking into the physical space, seeing what has/has not been updated. I know a lot of people on Facebook hate the Farmville application, but I find it fascinating to learn about the psychology of the person based on their farms... some have collected so much "stuff" there is no room for plots to grow crops. I suspect their lives are just as cluttered, and seek out ways to determine if I am correct!
Love the story about your grand-uncle and letter in czech. That is priceless, on many levels, particularly having the 400 years of lineage spelled out. I have gone back 4 generations on the paternal side, and many more on the maternal side. It fascinates me, and "the hunt" for new info is almost addictive.
Matthew Broderick's story was great - particularly the part about identifying the one final person in the mass grave. But Lisa Kudrow's story wins the prize in my book (so far). That she was able to find her father's cousin Yuri, and the old woman in Ilya who knew her grandmother, was totally amazing. I cried through that episode!
Thanks for responding, and the wonderful complement.
Make your day Magnificent!
Linda