Border Communities Count
April 1, 2010 is Census Day.
The 2010 Census is a count of everyone residing in the United States. Everyone living in the U.S. must be counted—regardless of immigrant status. It’s important, it’s easy, it’s safe. Be counted.
- Mail Back Census Forms
- The Next Phase
- Being Counted is Important!
- What You Can Do to Help
- Important Reasons to Count Your Community Accurately
- Everyone Needs to be Counted
- Being Counted is Easy
Knowing the importance of a full and accurate count in their communities, nonprofit advocates must now work doubly hard to get people to mail back completed Census forms. The most important message right now is:
"It's not too late to mail back your form."
Encourage all clients and constituents to mail back the forms they received as soon as possible. The sooner they mail back their completed Census forms, the more likely they will not receive a visit from a census worker.
One of the most important reasons for mailed back forms is that information provided these by forms is far more accurate than information collected later in the field by census workers.
Use the Take 10 Map and a zip code to see mail back rates for specific communities.
The Census Bureau is using the following methods to count those who haven't mailed forms back or who are harder-to-count:
- Update/Enumerate is a door-to-door count in areas with inconsistent addresses - very prevalent in the Southwest Border - and includes colonias, American Indian reservations and other remote areas are counted using this method. Census takers will walk every road and street, updating the address list, and collecting responses from residents on the spot. March 22 - May 29. For more information download this fact sheet on Update/Enumerate
- Enumeration at transitory locations is a count of people living in transient locations, also prevalent in many Southwest Border areas, including migrant migrant worker encampments, RV parks and motels. Census takers will be visiting these locations from March 22 - April 16.
- Group quarter's enumeration is a count of group facilities such as prisons, military barracks, long-term nursing homes and juvenile detention centers. Conducted with assistance from facility administrators, Mar 30 - May 14. Residents can fill out individual census forms, if able; otherwise, administrative records are used.
For additional and up-to-date information on this next phase of counting in Census 2010 visit The Census Project.
Being Counted is Important!
Counting every resident in the 2010 US Census is vital for communities in the Border region. The Border Communities Count Campaign has been launched by FABN to ensure a complete, accurate and just count in Southwest Border communities.
The region is home to several groups that are more likely to be missed or undercounted. The consequences of undercounting are significant for Border communities. Census counts have a direct impact on the distribution of federal funds as well as political power, civil rights and private and public investment.
An accurate count is directly tied to the federal dollars communities receive for important services such as education funding, affordable housing support, job training, social services, roads, bridges, and other community development opportunities. Census counts also inform voting districts and determine how communities are represented. That’s why it is essential to make sure that everyone is counted!
FABN is working in the Border region to ensure a complete, accurate and just count. FABN is working with nonprofit, public and other groups in the region to reach as many residents as possible. FABN and partners will specifically reach out to those at high risk of undercounting to make sure that they understand the importance of being counted and to overcome their reluctance to participating.
Join our Border Communities Count Campaign today and learn how you can help ensure your community counts!
What You Can Do to Help
- Join the movement to count in your community. Click here.
- Become a U.S. Census partner
- Join or help form a local Complete Count Committee with the US Census.
- Attend one of FABN’s to discuss ways to increase the Census count in your community.
- Apply for a FABN Census Outreach Small Grant
- Visit our Census resources page for more information, technical assistance and links to partners’ resources.
- Learn more - download the Border Communities Count Fact Sheet (pdf)
- Stay informed – sign up for E-news
4 Important Reasons to Count Your Community Accurately
You Need to Know…
4:1 - rate at which Latinos were more likely to be missed in Census 2000.
$478 million - the estimated amount of net federal funds lost to states from 2002-2012 due to undercounting in the 2000 Census.
$1,200 to $2,200 – approximate amount of federal funding Southwest Border communities receive per person related to Census counts.
- Federal funds: Census 2010 will influence federal funding that flows to your community for 10-12 years.
- Community infrastructure: The government uses Census numbers to allocate critical needs like schools, transportation, health centers and affordable housing.
- Voting rights: Census numbers are used to draw voting districts and to figure out state representation.
- Economic development: Businesses and other entities use census numbers to plan for investment and business development.
Everyone Needs to be Counted
Everyone, regardless of immigration status, needs to be counted to ensure that Border communities have access to future resources. Many populations at high risk of not being counted live along the Border including:
- Immigrants and/or undocumented persons;
- Families with young children;
- Families with mixed legal status;
- Transient and/or displaced families, such as homeless people, foreclosure victims, and migrant workers; and
- Isolated communities including rural, colonias and Native American reservations
These populations require special attention for accurate counting. FABN is specifically interested in organizations working directly with these hard-to-count groups. To contact us and partner to make sure your community is counted .
Being Counted is Easy
The 2010 Census form is simple with only a few easy questions. The form is in Spanish as well as English. There are 10 questions and each household needs only 10 minutes to fill the form out.
The process is confidential and individual information is safe and strongly protected by law.
April 1, 2010 is Census Day. Households will receive questionnaires in March 2010 either by U.S. mail or hand delivery. Households complete and mail back their questionnaires when they get it. Some people in remote areas will be counted in person.
