The US Census Bureau has ramped up efforts to communicate with ethnic minorities facing language barriers.
To promote this year's Census, the Bureau published posters in over 20 different languages. It also launched Questionnaire Assistance Centers (QAC) for the first time, where non-English speakers can call a toll-free number and receive help from bilingual personnel.
The Bureau has also made Language Assistance Guides available in 59 languages.
Speaking at Carnegie Mellon University recently, new Census Chief Robert M Groves said, "We are a nation of immigrants. If you studied the history of the country, the census has played a big role in defining the role and presence of new immigrant groups. One benefit to ethnic minorities is you get to see your place in the portrait of America. If you participate, your part of the picture is more accurately drawn."
Guides are downloadable from the Census website, which also includes video information in American Sign Language.
The Census Bureau urged local government to take advantage of federal funding to reach out to communities of different languages and cultures. They also recommended other resources, such as Polish language materials from the Piast Institute in Chicago, and information in Arabic from the Arabic-American Institute (AAI).
The Bureau is also relying on local areas to encourage their residents to fill out the forms.
"A lot of people need help filling out the form," Melissa Gieras of Radio Fiesta in Woodbridge, Virginia, told InsideNoVA. "Sometimes it's a language barrier. A lot of times it's fear and not knowing what the census is."
04 April 2010
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