More data on America's ethnic diveristy needed in next year's census (Rep. Mike Honda)

Next year, the United States will be conducting the decennial census, our constitutionally mandated survey of the nation’s population. The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States, and the results help determine each state’s congressional representation and how much federal funding is allocated to our districts. They also help shape decisions by the national and local governments, such as where to increase services for the elderly, or where to build new roads, schools, or houses. Thus, the decennial count will have a significant impact in investments in our area, and it is important that everyone be counted.

One key element of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that I advocated for was additional funding for the 2010 United States Census. The ARRA provided $1 billion in additional funding to hire new personnel, address operational and program risks, and to increase outreach efforts to hard-to-count communities in the 2010 census.

I recently met with several representatives from the Census Bureau, and was pleased to hear that they are already putting these funds into action by hiring new personnel in the Bay Area and around the country. Recruiting for some field operations staff is still in progress, and recruitment for peak census operations will start this fall, and continue until the spring of 2010. As chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), I have met with Dr. Robert Groves, Director of the Census Bureau to ensure a fair and accurate count of everyone in our country, including Asians and Pacific Islanders. CAPAC has been a strong advocate for census funding, particularly for the partnership and outreach program and paid advertising that are critical to reaching hard-to-count communities, including those with limited English proficiency.

CAPAC is dedicated to:

    * Advocating for increased data collection, analyses, and dissemination of information about AAPIs;
    * Collaborating with the Census Bureau to ensure the availability of disaggregated data within the AAPI community; and
    * Working to ensure that the Census Bureau has the resources necessary to conduct an accurate count of everyone in our country.

Currently there is insufficient information on AAPI communities, making it difficult to assess and adequately address our needs. CAPAC’s goal is to increase the disaggregated data showing the particular needs of our diverse ethnic subgroups.

Here are a few websites that you might find helpful when you and your community participate in the Census in the New Year;

Census Home Page
http://www.census.gov/

Scams & Bogus Web Sites
http://www.census.gov/survey_participants/related_information/phishing_email_scams_bogus_census_web_sites.html

Census Countdown Clock
http://www.census.gov/schools/2010_census/index.html

Are you in the Survey?
http://www.census.gov/survey_participants/

Census in Schools
http://www.census.gov/schools/