The Census Isn't Over Yet

The first phase of the 2010 Census was focused on getting everyone to mail back their questionnaires. While this phase was highly successful, we know many people still have not filled out a census form, including a high percentage of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians.

The campaign's second phase focuses on the roughly 30 percent of households that did not mail back forms. The Census Bureau and advocates will employ messaging, advertising and outreach efforts to earn the public's full cooperation as the Census Bureau begins its door-to-door enumeration. Part of this process includes having census takers verify that homes, apartments, condos, etc. reported vacant are indeed so. The Census Bureau is locally hiring more than 700,000 temporary workers to carry out these tasks.

New ads about this phase were released last week. Most of the paid advertising budget will be spent locally. The Census Bureau studied census-tract data closely to identify those areas with the lowest mail-back rates and, therefore, most in need of follow up visits. That information drives the bureau's advertising buys. The print, radio, television and digital media ads are in 22 languages. The messages demonstrate how to recognize a Census employee and stress both the benefits of cooperation, and the certainty of confidentiality.

But that will not be enough. The Census Bureau still needs assistance from the media, community partners, local elected officials and those who understand the census' importance. Help us spread the word that the census is safe, easy and important. More than ever, it is local, trusted voices such as yours that will be most influential in meeting this challenge.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO: Door-to-Door Census Taking 2010 MMC!

Is the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community Being Counted?

SAN FRANCISCO- The Asian Pacific Islander community's 2010 Census participation rate is markedly improving compared to 2000's. Daily updates about the number of completed Census forms received reveals that certain high-density Asian neighborhoods have already matched last decade's return rate, and many are on track to surpass it.

"We are optimistic about the numbers because they come from neighborhoods where our partners have been doing outreach," said Carlo De La Cruz, the Census Project Coordinator for the Asian Law Caucus, an anchor organization for API census outreach in the region. "But these tracts are in areas that are still lagging behind the overall response rate, so we are working hard to ensure that everyone is counted." (Read More)

What if Someone Needs Language Assistance? How Can I Help?

People may answer their questionnaires over the phone in any one of six languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Russian). You do not need the barcode from the Census form you received in the mail.

The Phone numbers are as follows:
English: 1-866-872-6868
Spanish: 1-866-928-2010
Mandarin Chinese: 1-866-935-2010
Korean: 1-866-955-2010
Russian: 1-866-965-2010
Vietnamese: 1-866-945-2010
Hearing impaired: 1-866-783-2010

These hot lines are active until July 30. Also, someone other than the head of household, such as a neighbor or staff from a community based organization, may help anyone who speaks a language other than those six respond by phone.

How Do I Identify a Legitimate Census Taker?

The Census Bureau hires people from your community, know as census takers or enumerators, to go door-to-door to ensure that your neighborhood is accurately represented in the Census. The census taker's primary responsibility is collecting census information from households that did not return their 2010 Census forms.

The census taker does NOT request detailed personal information, such as PIN codes, passwords, Social Security numbers or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts. They will only ask questions from the Census form.

If you are visited by someone from the United States Census Bureau, here are some RECOGNITION TIPS to assure the validity of the field representative:

Will ALWAYS have an ID badge that contains a Department of Commerce watermark and expiration date.
The census taker may also be carrying a black canvass bag with a Census Bureau logo.
Will NEVER ask to enter your home.
Will ONLY ask the ten questions that appear on the census form.
Will NEVER ask for your Social Security number or any other financial information.
Will NEVER ask or suggest that you submit information to the census online. There is no legitimated Web site for entering census information.