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The Census is Coming: Are you ready?

 “Hazte Contar!”

            Representatives* from the Latino community in the Greater Pittsburgh area got together with Census2010 representatives to discuss issues that may affect their community’s participation in the upcoming census including: access to Spanish promotional information and forms; ensuring that Latinos are accurately counted and perhaps the most difficult, finding ways to encourage the Latino community to participate in the Census.

            In a couple of weeks the 2010 Census forms will arrive at homes across the country and Latino representatives want to make sure their community in the Pittsburgh area is ready for a complete count.

Strict confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the information they provide; however, it will be difficult to obtain an accurate count of all of the region’s immigrant and/or refugee groups.

Gaps of language and literacy are the most obvious obstacles to securing immigrant participation in the census, but there are many more: limited experience with, and sense of belonging to, the civic process; economic hardship and dislocation, from which immigrants suffer more than the general population. If even a single household member believes participation in the census may jeopardize his or her immigration status, the entire household may refuse to be enumerated.

            “A direct example of the need for total count is my work in social services with the Latino and other immigrant communities in the Pittsburgh area. I have witnessed the barriers that these populations with limited English ability face every day. If we had a reliable count of the numbers of persons with limited English proficient, then we would have more reliable data to advocate for translation and interpretation services from 911 to health care, education and human service institutions and agencies” expressed Sister Janice Vanderneck, CSJ, Sisters of St. Joseph and member of St. Regis bilingual parish.

Norman Bristol Colon, Executive Director of the Governor’s, Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, sums up the importance of participation: “Ensuring that every Latino is accurately counted in the 2010 Census is an integral part of a greater agenda for social justice, political representation and community empowerment. Data collected in the U.S. Census affects how billions of dollars in federal and state funding is given to communities for neighborhood improvement, public health, education and transportation… and the apportioning of seats in the United States House of Representatives, and the redistricting of state legislatures. Data collected is also used to define school district assignment areas.”**

Above all Latino community leaders feel optimistic the Latino population will participate in the census. Victor H Díaz, CEO, PGH Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and member of the City-County Complete Count Committee; mentioned that nationwide data shows “1 out of 6 people in our country are Hispanic yet only 1.7% of all people in Pittsburgh are Hispanic. We look forward for this number to increase after the 2010census as a confirmation of the growing number of Latinos in the area.”

For more information on Census 2010--Pittsburgh: Carrie Kelso, Partnership Assistant: 412-508-9962 Habla Español

The Pittsburgh Local Census office is working to promote employment opportunities in Allegheny County. Our goal is to recruit applications 2,000 potential applicants. Census Takers will earn 15.00 per hour, work flexible hours and are reimbursed for travel related expenses.

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