This week, the U.S. Census to count everyone who lives in the country started in a small Alaska town called Toksook Bay. The count starts in Alaska for several reasons. Traveling to some of the places there is difficult. In the winter, when the ground is very cold, census workers can travel more easily. Census workers are also more likely to find people at home in the winter. In the spring and summer, Alaskans may be away from home fishing, hunting or doing warm-weather jobs. The U.S. government has done a census every ten years, beginning in 1790. This year’s has some new ways to answer the survey, and new questions about one’s ancestors. In the past, the census had only had one choice for ethnicity, such as “White,” “Black,” “Indian” or "Other." The 2020 form allows people to claim more than one ethnicity.