WASHINGTON — A fair and accurate census is one of the most pressing civil rights issues facing our nation because it directly affects equal representation and equal access to important governmental resources. Because Asian communities are among the most likely to be missed in the census count, it is imperative that the 2010 Census communications campaign include measures to effectively reach our hard to count communities Karen K. Narasaki, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center, told a House committee today.
In evaluating the Census Bureau’s media outreach campaign, Narasaki commended it for undertaking a much more extensive approach aimed at Asian American communities than it did in 2000. The Bureau’s national media buy is augmented with smaller buys in 53 local markets covering 13 Asian languages for 17 Asian subgroup communities and does not follow a “one size fits all” generic campaign. She also discussed the importance of engaging ethnic media when communicating with hard-to-count Asian populations. Almost three out of four Asian Americans are reached by ethnic media, she noted.
Because the Asian American population is comprised of more than several dozen distinct ethnic groups and a multitude of cultures speaking many different languages, the Census Bureau still faces significant challenges in reaching these populations with its media campaign, she testified.
Finally, she recommends investing more to reach several smaller, but growing, AAPI communities, including Indonesians, Malaysians, Burmese, and Sri Lankans, and working harder to reach isolated communities with distinct language needs such as the Montagnards. She also noted that more needs to be done to reach Bengali, Punjabi, and Guajarati-speaking populations.
To supplement the Census Bureau’s efforts, AAJC and its partners launched the Fill in Our Future campaign and Web site, www.fillinourfuture.org, last year to serve as a clearinghouse for census materials aimed at ensuring that Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians are accurately counted come April 1, Census Day.
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The Asian American Justice Center (www.advancingequality.org) is a national organization dedicated to defending and advancing the civil and human rights of Asian Americans. It works closely with three affiliates – the Asian American Institute of Chicago (www.aaichicago.org), the Asian Law Caucus (www.asianlawcaucus.org) in San Francisco and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (www.apalc.org) in Los Angeles – and 102 community partners in 47 cities and 25 states in the country.
The NRFU phase, which stands for “Non-Response Follow-Up,” is the last in the Census process and represents the final push to collect Census information. The NRFU campaign encourages households who have not returned their Census form to welcome and cooperate with the Census taker that may knock on their door. Messaging for the NRFU campaign assures all that Census takers are sworn to secrecy and that they are there to help.
The NRFU phase, which stands for “Non-Response Follow-Up,” is the last in the Census process and represents the final push to collect Census information. The NRFU campaign encourages households who have not returned their Census form to welcome and cooperate with the Census taker that may knock on their door. Messaging for the NRFU campaign assures all that Census takers are sworn to secrecy and that they are there to help.
The NRFU phase, which stands for “Non-Response Follow-Up,” is the last in the Census process and represents the final push to collect Census information. The NRFU campaign encourages households who have not returned their Census form to welcome and cooperate with the Census taker that may knock on their door. Messaging for the NRFU campaign assures all that Census takers are sworn to secrecy and that they are there to help.
The NRFU phase, which stands for “Non-Response Follow-Up,” is the last in the Census process and represents the final push to collect Census information. The NRFU campaign encourages households who have not returned their Census form to welcome and cooperate with the Census taker that may knock on their door. Messaging for the NRFU campaign assures all that Census takers are sworn to secrecy and that they are there to help.
The NRFU phase, which stands for “Non-Response Follow-Up,” is the last in the Census process and represents the final push to collect Census information. The NRFU campaign encourages households who have not returned their Census form to welcome and cooperate with the Census taker that may knock on their door. Messaging for the NRFU campaign assures all that Census takers are sworn to secrecy and that they are there to help.
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