YOUR COUNT IS NEEDED FOR CENSUS 2000!

Chinese Newcomers Service Center was in the forefront working to help the Census Bureau reach an accurate Census 2000 count by assisting residents to complete their census forms. Recently some members of Congress said they didn't complete the census long form because it was intrusive on their privacy and even told the public that no one has to answer all the questions. This was a very irresponsible statement to make because the effect of not completing the census forms hurts the poor, the most vulnerable and the most needy in our community. Did these congressmen also explain that your community will receive less monies or none at all because you did not complete your census form?

Therefore Chinese Newcomers Service Center is committed to educating our community and encouraging everyone to fill out the census form - whether the short or long version - as well as cooperating with census enumerators who are currently working in your communities. In particular we are reaching out to the undocumented and residents living in illegal units (with no addresses) or sharing flats or apartments with many many other people. Some residents may not want to be counted as they think they may get their landlords into trouble. The undocumented do not want to disclose their address for fear of deportation. Chinese Newcomers Service Center wants to emphasize that the Census Bureau has no interest in your rental arrangement nor would they ask if you are undocumented or not. The information received from your forms would indicate that there is a need for more affordable housing programs and more resources for non-citizens to complete their naturalization process.

San Francisco is a city that takes care of its residents, no matter who you are and where you come from. In addition to needing monies for schools, hospitals, highways, transportation, bridges and social programs, the Chinese Community has its special needs. More bilingual and ESL classes for limited English speaking children and adults are essential to become self sufficient and contributing members of the community. San Francisco has become a city of many immigrants so that city departments should provide multilingual services and develop more job training programs.

All these services and programs require extensive federal funding to state and local governments. The government needs information to determine the allocation of monies for services needed in a community. The information required is through the census count. You may fill out your census form by calling the Chinese line, 1-800-471-9401; the Vietnamese line, 1-800-471-7913 by June 8, 2000 or cooperating with the census enumerators who visit your household. Even though you may have completed your census forms, enumerators may still visit you if some questions were left blank, if your form was not received by the cutoff date, if the form was filled out incorrectly and if you had filled out a Be Counted form, they will have to verify your address.

For those residents who do not feel comfortable in talking with a census enumerator, who do not want to fill the census form by telephone or if there are questions about your special circumstances, please call Isabel Huie at Chinese Newcomers Service Center, 415-249-4694 and she will try to address your concerns.