The U.S. Census Bureau is visiting the Bay Area to drum up participation in its once a decade population count but not without controversy.
The bureau's decision to allow people to identify themselves as "negro" is shockingly (to the bureau) upsetting some participants.
Respondents can check a box that identifies them as "negro," "African Am." and "black." All three terms show up next to the same box and the bureau says it was no mistake.
Officials told CBS that "negro" was added -- and approved by Congress -- after some participants in the 2000 Census wrote the word on the form.
The negative press is not what the U.S. Census Bureau needs as it kicked off a road tour of more than 800 cities, to encourage participation in this year's census, in the always politically correct San Francisco on Jan. 4. The bus returns to the Bay Area with a stop in San Jose in March.
