Robert Santos
Director, U.S. Census Bureau
Robert Luis Santos was born in San Antonio, Texas. He attended San Antonio College, earned an undergraduate degree from Trinity University, and an M.A. from the University of Michigan.
He worked at the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center, the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, and the Institute for Survey Research at Temple University. He was president of the American Statistical Association and a member of the National Center for Health Statistics board of counselors.
He was nominated to be the Director of the U.S. Census Bureau by President Joe Biden, confirmed by the Senate, and began his tenure in January 2022.
In the News…
U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Santos suggested changes the agency may make to the next decennial census after undercounting in minority communities worsened in the 2020 count due to the coronavirus pandemic and growing mistrust in government.
To deal with those issues before the 2030 census, “we need to grab that by the horns,” Santos told the agency’s Scientific Advisory Committee. A report released last week showed the agency missed almost one in 20 Latinos in the country, as part of the decennial count that guides more than $1.5 trillion in federal spending annually. The report states the 2020 census also missed about 3 percent of the black population and estimates it overcounted the Asian population by 2.6 percent, the white population by 1.6 percent, and homeowners by 0.4 percent.
Director Santos said the Census Bureau is looking at more ways to engage minority communities and address mistrust they may have of the federal government. The agency may also consider taking on so-called easier-to-count communities, such as homeowners, through cheaper methods like administrative records to free up funds for in-person counting efforts in minority groups.
“Unless we fundamentally change things, we’re gonna end up in a similar place, not necessarily exactly as we were last time, because our big country’s becoming more diverse,” Director Santos said.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Director Santos today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Robert Santos, Director
U.S. Census Bureau
4600 Silver Hill Road
Washington, DC 20233
