Latino Community Services

Latino Community Services hosts Community Assistance Forum for 2010 Census

Date: 
Friday, February 26, 2010

With Census Day quickly approaching, Latino Community Services hosted a community assistance workshop on how to fill out the 2010 Census form. This event was part of a series of similar forums occurring across the country this week under the ya es hora, ¡HAGASE CONTAR! Campaign. This national coordinated effort seeks to ensure that all Latinos participate in the 2010 Census.

 
The forum provided participants with information on the importance of the Census, and direct assistance with filling out the form. The U.S Constitution requires all residents of the United States, including immigrants, to be counted in a census held every ten years. Census statistics determine reapportionment and political representation, and are also used for allocating $440 billion annually in federal funding for many social and economic programs that benefit the states, cities, and towns.
 
“We want everyone in the community to know how important it is to fill out their census form and mail it back by April 1st,” said Yvette Bello, Executive Director of Latino Community Services. “The information you give on the Census form is confidential and can be filled out in ten minutes. The Census Bureau does not share your personal information with the courts, the police, landlords, or federal departments such as the Internal Revenue Service or the Department of Homeland Security. A full count is essential for our community to move forward toward the path of political empowerment, parity, and prosperity. Everyone needs to be counted.”
 
Latino Community Services will serve as a “Be Counted” site from March 19 to April 19 and will be open from 8am – 4pm. A drop box will be available for submitting Census forms.
 
This phase of the coalition work builds on the success of the ya es hora ¡Ciudadania! Campaign of 2007, which helped mobilize 1.4 million Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) to apply for U.S. citizenship, and the success of the ya es hora ¡Ve y Vota! Campaign of 2008 which helped motivate a record 9.7 million Latinos to vote in the presidential election.
 
About the ya es hora Campaign
The ya es hora campaign is the largest and most comprehensive non-partisan effort to incorporate Latinos as full participants in the American political process. The campaign had a dramatic impact on naturalization rates and spurred record Latino turnout in the 2008 presidential election. For more information, please visit www.yaeshora.info.
 
To view a pdf version of the press release, click here