Participation key in 2010 census for NYC

With the next census to be conducted in 2010, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has created the New York City 2010 Census Office to raise awareness and encourage participation of New Yorkers in the upcoming census. According to recent data, in July 2008 there were 8,363,710 people living in New York City, which is a four percent more people as recorded in 2000. The United States census, which is distributed nationwide every 10 years, allows for government documentation of the population. The data obtained helps reflect an accurate count on the current population, affecting not only federal funding amounts cities and states receive but also how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. "Census data determines our representation in Washington and Albany and the level of funding we receive from the State and Federal government, yet New York City's Census response rate has historically lagged far behind the national average," Bloomberg said. "We are kicking off a new effort to get the message out that there's nothing to fear from filling out a Census survey, and that we need every New York City resident counted. We're targeting the low response rate areas and hard-to-count groups and will be working with community groups across the City to break down the barriers that prevent participation in the Census," as quoted by Fernanda Santos in The New York Times article "Be Counted in 2010, New Yorkers Are Told." Appointed to lead this effort is City Census Coordinator Stacey Cumberbatch. The New York City 2010 Census Office will work alongside the Regional U.S Census Bureau to begin efforts for full participation in 2010 by cooperating with organizations and institutes across the city. From immigrant advocacy groups to faith-based organizations, full participation by everyone in the city is key to successfully complete the upcoming census. Participating in the census is law. Title 13 of the United States Code requires not only for citizens to participate and respond but that the answers obtained through the surveys remain confidential. About 500,000 illegal immigrants are living in the city. Many do not fill out census surveys, believing that their life is at stake. These individuals should have no fear of deportation because the census survey is anonymous, strictly numbers and statistics. "Knowing someone who had worked on the National Census before, they said many people are reluctant to answer questions due to personal reasons like religion or invasion of privacy. People can have these personal reasons, but it makes it harder to collect proper data," English adjunct professor Tom Breidenbach said. The census is not only anonymous but also accommodates several languages other than English, including Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, Russian and Vietnamese. Individual census records are not shared with anyone, including government agencies or private organizations. "It is unlawful for the Census Bureau to give personally identifiable information about an individual to any other individual or agency until 72 years after it is collected for the decennial census. After 72 years, the individual census records are sent to the National Archives where they are made public primarily for genealogical research," according to the Census2010 Government Web site. "From personal experience and research I know that many people from the Dominican Republic are not illegal immigrants. The process they go through is rather intense but is worth it if the individual can gain full citizenship rather than living in shadows or fear. The census is no burden for anyone with citizenship but I can't imagine what others and illegal immigrants are thinking when dealing with the census," communications major Demi Alburquerque said. With hopes of full participation in the city, there is also an organization called Service-Based Enumeration (SBE). Providing the opportunity for those experiencing homelessness to participate in the survey, the organization plans to conduct these census' at serviced-based locations such as soup kitchens and emergency shelters. Also working with Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Census Office is City Council speaker Christine C. Quinn who wrote to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke asking to count legally married same-sex couples as "married" in the 2010 census. As of now the bureau plans to count these couples as "unmarried partners," since federal law does not recognize same sex marriages. "The efforts being made by the city are a positive step towards awareness. I think that the census is important to participate in, especially given the factors of state funding and representation," political science major Alex Koletas said. With the New York City 2010 Census Office and group efforts around the city, there is still one year until the next government census is to be conducted but it is never too soon to raise awareness and promote full participation.