Census 2010:
Return by April 1, 2010 to Avoid a Call/Visit by a U.S. Census Rep

 U.S. CENSUS VIDEO

• Census Bureau Director Robert Groves explains how people can view 2010 Census mail participation rates of their communities and compare them with the rates of other areas around the country. (CLICK HERE)

 NEWS FROM THE ALHAMBRA "COMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEE"

By now all Alhambra households (regardless of their resident status) should have received a 2010 U.S. Census form. With April 1 now past, residents who have not yet mailed back their census form are advised to do so as soon as possible. A replacement form will be mailed to those who do not return their initial form. After that, failing to respond will result in a phone call and even possibly a home visit from a census worker. Filling out the census form is a requirement mandated by the U.S. Constitution.

The 2010 Census form is comprised of just 10 questions, which should take only about 10 minutes to complete. General questions are concerned with (1) whether your housing unit is owned or rented; (2) your telephone number; (3) how many people live in the residence; and (4) if any additional people were not included, who lived at the residence on April 1, 2010. Additionally, for each household member there is a question pertaining to name, sex, age and date of birth, relationship to the person who owns or rents the residence; whether the person is of Hispanic origin; race; and if the person sometimes lives or stays elsewhere. As in the 2000 Census, more than one racial category may be marked to indicate mixed racial heritage. Tabulations will be available for 63 race categories — six single race categories and 57 different combinations of two or more races.

The census is confidential. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share an individual’s census questionnaire with anyone, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Typically, forms are to be filled out by the individual who owns or rents the housing unit on behalf of every person living with him or her in the residence, including relatives and non-relatives. 

For those requiring assistance to fill out their form, information is available on the U.S. CENSUS WEBSITE, or there are several Questionnaire Assistance Centers located in the City of Alhambra. They include:

• Alhambra Civic Center Library, 101 S. First St.    
• Alhambra Unified School District, Scanlon Center, 15 W. Alhambra Rd.  
• First Baptist Church of Alhambra, 101 S. Atlantic Blvd.    
• Mandarin Baptist Church of L.A., 101 W. Woodward Ave.    
• Joslyn Adult Center, 210 N. Chapel Ave.      
• YMCA West San Gabriel, 401 E. Corto St.       
• Plaza Printing, 126 E. Valley Blvd.      
• U2 Café, 1200 E. Valley Blvd.     

The Assistance Centers provide language assistance guides in 59 languages to help non-native English-speaking residents. Large print questionnaires are also available for the visually-impaired upon request, and a Teletext Device for the Deaf (TDD) program is available help the hearing-impaired. In addition, Census Bureau workers will undertake extensive operations to take in-person counts of people living in group quarters, such as college dormitories, military barracks, nursing homes and shelters, as well as those who have been displaced by natural disasters.

When a household fails to return their questionnaire, they will be contacted by a census taker. If a census taker comes knocking on your door, ask to see their ID for your security. All census workers carry official government badges marked with their name; they may also carry a “U.S. Census Bureau” bag. A census taker will never ask to enter your home. If you’re still not certain about their identity, call the L.A. Regional Census Center at 1-818-717-6700.

Census takers will have a flashcard containing a sentence about the 2010 Census written in approximately 50 languages. If a resident doesn't speak English, the census taker shows the flashcard to the resident, and the resident points to the language he/she speaks. A census crew leader will then reassign the case to a person who speaks that language.

The Census Bureau also offers "Be Counted" sites where copies of the Census form in five non-English languages can be picked up. The languages are Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Spanish and Russian. In Alhambra, all Questionnaire Assistance Centers will also be "Be Counted" sites, and there will also be an additional "Be Counted" site at U2 Café, 1200 E. Valley Blvd.

 WHY THE CENSUS IS IMPORTANT 
 
Participation in the census process is important because the data collected from census questionnaires is used to allocate more than $300 million per year in federal and state funding to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation, and much more. That’s more than $3 trillion over a 10-year period! Census data is also used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and to redistrict state legislatures. Spending a few minutes to fill out the census form will help ensure that Alhambra gets its fair share of federal and state funding.

Because participation is required by law, all residents must be counted in the census including people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, citizens and non-citizens (even those without lawful documentation must participate and will not be prosecuted or deported as a result of doing so). Confidentiality is ensured by law under Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 9. All Census Bureau employees must take an oath to protect confidentiality and are subject to a jail term, fine – or both – for disclosing information that could identify a respondent or household.

To help ensure that the nation’s increasingly diverse population is accurately reflected in the census data, language guides will be available in 59 languages – with census questionnaires available in Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, Vietnamese, and Russian.

 APPLYING FOR A CENSUS JOB
 
Because the U.S. population is more diverse than ever before, the Census Bureau will need to hire people who are bilingual. Most positions require U.S. citizenship, a driver’s license and use of a vehicle. Each applicant for a Census job will undergo a background check. Every worker must also take an oath for life to protect the confidentiality of census responses. Violation would result in a jail term of up to five years and/or fine of up to $250,000. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share an individual’s answers with anyone, including welfare and immigration agencies. For additional information, call 866-861-2010. A practice test and more information are available online at www.2010censusjobs.gov.

To find out additional information about the 2010 U.S. Census, visit www.census.gov. To view a brief video clip, entitled "2010 Census: A New Portrait of America," click here.