The Leadership Conference is working diligently to see that Tom Perez is confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Labor. Perez is an eminently qualified public servant and consensus builder who has dedicated his career to ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly and have the opportunity to succeed. He has served with integrity and distinction at the local, state and national level, compiling an outstanding record of achievement. Census 2010
New Report: The Hard Count: A Community Perspective on 2010 Census Operations in the Gulf Coast and Texas Colonias
During the last two censuses, the Census Bureau missed counting millions of people — mostly minorities and low-income people. Undercounting certain populations may reduce federal funding for hospitals, education, child care, and disaster preparation — as well as fair representation in Congress. To address these concerns in the 2010 Census, The Leadership Conference Education Fund partnered with four national civil rights organizations to encourage census participation among hard-to-count populations in 13 key areas around the country.
Census Bureau Faces Challenges in Ensuring Minority Groups Are Counted
March 27, 2009 - Posted by Tyler Lewis
This week, NPR ran a short piece on the challenges the Census Bureau will face with next year's census, particularly with minorities who have been historically missed in previous censuses.
Terry Ao, director of the census and voting programs for the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) and LCCR coalition member, talks about how the recession and the foreclosure crisis, which have been particularly hard on minorities, will make the census even harder.
Ao also participated in a LCCREF census 2010 conference call this week that addressed the challenges of getting an accurate count of underrepresented communities.
Census Bureau to Launch Ad Campaign Targeting Minority and Low-Income Communities
March 24, 2009 - Posted by The Leadership Conference
The Census Bureau announced plans today to launch a $250 million advertising campaign aimed at encouraging minorities in urban areas to fill out their census forms for the 2010 Census. Nearly a quarter of the funding will go towards minority news outlets.
Since minorities and low-income people have been less likely to be counted in past censuses, the bureau uses tools like this ad campaign to reach members of those groups. Traditionally, minorities have been less likely to participate in the census than Whites due to distrust of the government. Latinos, in particular, may be afraid because of the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment and raids in the U.S.
In addition, the 2010 Census presents several challenges that will make it difficult to count minorities, like the displacement of millions of people after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the foreclosure crisis.
Census data is used to determine voting representation in the House of Representatives and the distribution of federal funding for services like education, housing, and transportation.
Commerce Secretary Nominee Wants to Get the 2010 Census Right
March 23, 2009 - Posted by The Leadership Conference
Gary Locke
Gary Locke, President Obama's nominee for Secretary of Commerce, has vowed to make the 2010 Census a priority.
The Census Bureau is facing serious challenges that may affect the accuracy of the 2010 census. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the foreclosure crisis displaced millions of people, which will make the count difficult. In addition, many people are concerned about their privacy and confidentiality and are reluctant to share any information with the federal government.
At his March 18 confirmation hearing, Locke underscored the importance of the census while outlining the plan to overcome these challenges: "The census only happens once every ten years and we need to get it right – no exceptions, no excuses. That is why it will be run out of the Department of Commerce and by a director who will work with the Congress, the administration and our state and local leaders to make sure you and they are involved every step of the way in making this a successful count."
Census Funding in the Economic Recovery Package
February 19, 2009 - Posted by The Leadership Conference
The recently enacted economic recovery package includes an additional $1 billion in funding for the 2010 Census, which will enable the Census Bureau to run the census more effectively.
Fully Counting Latinos in the 2010 Census Presents Some Challenges
February 12, 2009 - Posted by The Leadership Conference
The recent rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric and raids over the past few years has made Latinos fearful of giving information to the government, which creates challenges for civil rights organizations that are working to ensure that Latinos are fully counted in the 2010 census.
Census Bureau Hiring for 2010 Census
January 6, 2009 - Posted by Tyler Lewis
The 2010 census will take place on April 1, 2010. But the U.S. Census Bureau is already getting ready by hiring part-time employees to help with the census.
