Community partners work to get word out about 2010 count,
encourage residents to return forms
Census forms won’t be mailed out to the residents of San Benito
County until March, but a movement is already afoot to educate
people about the count and the importance of getting accurate
numbers.
The National Association of Latino Elected Officials is working
on a campaign (ya es hora
¡HAGASE CONTAR!) to promote the census with segments of the
population that may not be familiar with it or may be uncomfortable
filling out the form. The census is conducted once every
decade.
Community partners work to get word out about 2010 count, encourage residents to return forms
Census forms won’t be mailed out to the residents of San Benito County until March, but a movement is already afoot to educate people about the count and the importance of getting accurate numbers.
The National Association of Latino Elected Officials is working on a campaign (ya es hora ¡HAGASE CONTAR!) to promote the census with segments of the population that may not be familiar with it or may be uncomfortable filling out the form. The census is conducted once every decade.
Lydia Zendejas, of NALEO, is working in Central Coast communities to get the word out about the census.
“My role is two-fold – to educate and inform the community about the census via the campaign – and the other role is to bring in local community partners,” she said.
Zendejas, who has an office space at the Community and Workforce Development office on San Felipe Road, said she has already made connections with San Benito Health and Human Services staff, Community Food Bank of San Benito County and Hollister City Manager Clint Quilter.
“Everyone has been really gracious,” she said.
Training sessions start
Zendejas, with community partners, will be planning training workshops and other events leading up to the March mailing of the census forms. A training session was scheduled for Feb. 4 at the Veterans Memorial Building, after the Pinnacle’s press time.
“This is just one of the trainings,” she said. “We will have events and get out there. March 22-27 is Census week, so people will start receiving the census forms March 15-22. Our intention is to create awareness, but also to help people fill them out.”
In Salinas, the U.S. Census Bureau office for San Benito and Monterey counties held a ribbon cutting ceremony Jan. 29.
The office is focused on getting the word out about the census through radio and TV campaigns, and on recruiting census takers who will go door-to-door to finish the count for households that do not return the mail form.
Robert Banuelos, the local census office manager for San Benito and Monterey counties, said they would not know how many census takers are needed in San Benito County until after the first wave of forms have been returned.
“Once they get the form, they need to sit down and it takes five or six minutes to fill it out and send it right back,” he said.
The goal of the census is to count every person living in the United States, and the outcome of the count can have a direct impact on funding in San Benito County.
Count determines federal funding
“It really is about making sure we are financially prepared for people who are living within the county, with sufficient resources such as hospitals and clinics, making sure the schools and county offices have sufficient funding,” Zendejas said. “We are already in a huge economic crisis as it is, and if we don’t have close to complete information in San Benito County, we will be in a much worse situation over the next years.”
Banuelos agreed
“One of the most important things is that this is the data we will be referring back to for the next 10 years, with the federal funding coming out of Washington [D.C.],” he said. “The $400 billion schools need, that city governments need to continue emergency services. Every organization depends on these funds. It is important to know how many people live in each county – rural areas, in the city – so they will have adequate funding for those services.”
There are some challenges to getting a complete count in San Benito County, such as unique housing situations, according to Zendejas. Anyone without a mailing address will not receive a census form.
“We have to think of the nontraditional or unique housing situations for people whether in migrant camps or people renting a shack on someone’s farm,” she said. “Owners who live there may wonder ‘Should I include them on my form?’ That’s the way it is supposed to work.”
Zendejas added that there can be some fear around the census as well, such as people who are renting a home who have told the owner there are only four people living in it, but there are really more people living there. Others may be concerned about being counted because of their immigration status.
“It is in the constitution that we have to do a count of everyone who lives in the U.S. regardless of residency status, race or age,” she said.
The information collected by the census is kept confidential, and no other government agency can have access to the data, including the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“There is a $250,000 fine for anyone who violates that [policy],” Zendejas said. “And they actually say for 72 years, it is kept secret.”
The only person outside the Census Bureau to see the data in an aggregate form is the president, who will be given a report in December 2010.
The census form has 10 questions, though Zendejas said some of the questions may be confusing to some people.
“It is supposed to be 10 questions in 10 minutes and they have simplified it from years past,” she said.
The census form asks for information about all residents living in a household, such as their relation to the person completing the form, age, sex and ethnicity.
Outcome influences electoral districts
The census count is especially important in Hollister, as it may influence the boundaries of city council districts. In 2008, the city council hired a consultant to review the possibility of making the mayor’s position an at-large elected office, meaning that all voters would be able to chose the mayor. Currently, the city council members appoint a mayor from among the five council members.
To make the mayor’s position an at-large elected position, it would be necessary to redraw the city council boundaries into four equal districts.
In July 2008, city council members directed Jeanne Gobalet, of Lapkoff and Gobalet Demographic Research, Inc., to come up with four districts from the five existing ones.
The problem Gobalet encountered at the time with creating a district map was that 2000 census data had to be used, and the districts cannot be gerrymandered – or oddly shaped – based just on racial or ethnic guidelines.
“Latinos make up 55 percent of the population in Hollister, but only 39 percent of the registered voter population, which added to the difficulty in drawing the boundaries. The Latino population is a bit younger,” Gobalet said, at a council meeting that July. “Because of the age mix and at the time [of the 2000 census] there were lower citizenship rates and voter registration.”
Gobalet drew up three draft plans for redistricting, but said each map had some problems that could open the city up to legal actions.
“These raise serious problems,” Gobalet said. “It would be very expensive. Any change at this point using data from 2000, you could face serious legal action even if everyone loved it and voters approved it.”
The city council tabled the discussion for the time being, with the understanding that the district boundaries would be required by law to be redrawn in 2011 based on the census outcome.
In the meantime, Zendejas is continuing her work to get the word out about the census. There is even a bilingual hotline set up for anyone with questions about it at 877-352-3676.
“This is a national campaign, but on the grass roots we want them to hear it, see it in the news, read it in print and hear it from the agencies,” Zendejas said.
