Census participation push

By Jennifer Torres
Record Staff Writer
Recordnet.com
January 15, 2010

Cross-country campaign focuses on Stockton's Southeast Asians

STOCKTON - Southeast Asian residents, many of whom are refugees and wary of government agencies, should be encouraged to participate in this spring's national census to draw attention to their cultures and resources to their communities, advocates said at an outreach event held Thursday at the Wat Dharmararam Cambodian Buddhist Temple.

The event was one of more than 800 stops planned across the country in the U.S. Census Bureau's "Portrait of America Road Tour," an effort aimed at boosting participation in the decennial count. The agency hopes to increase the number of people who complete and return census questionnaires - due to arrive in mailboxes by mid-March - by Census Day, April 1.

Historically, immigrants, minorities and people who are poor have proved difficult to count accurately, and in San Joaquin County, there are large numbers of people representing those populations.

"Our communities are very mistrustful of governments in general," said Sourichanh Chantyasack, who leads the Laotian American National Alliance. "It doesn't matter if you are a citizen, it doesn't matter if you are illegal, ... we all need to be counted."

In the last census, collected in 2000, the statewide response rate was 70 percent. In Stockton, that rate was 66 percent. When people do not return census forms by mail, the bureau dispatches a worker to visit the household in person - as many as six times - to gather information. It is an expensive undertaking.

Phath Teu, who lives at the Park Village Apartment complex along with many other Cambodian refugees and their families, browsed census pamphlets Thursday.

"The truth is, I don't know very much about it," she said. "I came to learn."

Oeun Ly, also of Park Village, said many immigrants are hesitant to participate in the census because they don't understand what is being asked of them and why the information is being collected.

"It's a lot of information," he said. "If you don't understand, it's not easy to fill it out."

But he said he agrees a census should be taken and that it should be as accurate as possible.

"Every country needs to know their people," Ly said.

Locally, several organizations - Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation, Lao Family of Stockton, United Cambodian Families, Lao Khmu Association and Asian Pacific Self-development and Residential Association - have formed Southeast Asians United for a Complete Count to encourage census participation in their communities.

"When the form is sent to you, please fill it out and send it back," said Ger Vang, who leads Lao Family of Stockton as well as the Southeast Asian census committee. "It is very important that we are counted.

Census information is used in deciding how to allocate billions of dollars in federal money for schools, highways and other services. Population counts also determine congressional apportionment.

Nationally, the Census Bureau is embarking on a $133 million advertising campaign in hopes of improving participation rates.

Contact reporter Jennifer Torres at (209) 546-8252 or jtorres@recordnet.com.