Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 2, 1 Pepeluali 1989 — You Can Be Counted as Hawaiian [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

You Can Be Counted as Hawaiian

1990 Census Needs Everyone's Participation

It's almost time for the nation to count noses again. . .something that happens every ten years, a tally required by the U.S. Constitution. The 1990 Census will be the 21st in our nation's history and the largest and most complex of all. The Census Bureau has been planning the mammoth operation since 1983. Results of the 1990 Census will directly affect every state, city, county and individual in the United States. After mueh pressure from Hawaii's U.S. Rep. Daniel Akaka and community leaders, the U.S. Census Bureau has decided to use its 1980 census checkoff system. This allows Asian and Pacific Islanders to mark whether they are of Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, Asian-lndian, Guamanian or Samoan ancestry.

lt is the census count whieh determines the number of Representatives to whieh eaeh state is entitled in the U.S. Congress. The census results also determine the distribution of federal and state funds among some 39,000 loeal governments for housing, health, human services and other programs. In addition, its social and eeonomie data are used in marketing studies, locating new businesses, academic research, government planning and affirmative action programs. The census tells us who we are, where we live, and provides a variety of information about our communities, state and the nation.

Rhoda Kaluai supervises the U.S. Census Bureau's new outreach program in Hawai'i. As a eommunity awareness specialist, she is responsible for letting people know how important it is for everyone to be counted. In 1980, Kaluai says about 1.4 percent of the total population of the United States, for a variety of reasons, was not represented in the census. That comes to more than two million people. According to Kaluai, $1,000 per year is lost to state and loeal governments for every person not counted. Over a ten-year period that totals $20 biliion. Kaluai is in the process of setting up meetings throughout the state to answer questions about the importance of participating in the 1990 census and to discuss any concerns people may have in eonneehon with the census process. She also is available to speak to community and other groups or organizations anywhere in the state of Hawai'i.

Contact her at 528-0028. Kaluai has arranged two community meetings for Hawai'i island so far. They are on February 16, at Pahoa Community Center, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and on February 17 at Keaukaha Cafeteria from 7 to 8:30 p.m. She also has arranged the following meetings for senior citizens groups: February 17, at the Seven Seas Restaurant in Hilo at 10 a.m.; March 1, at Hale Halawai in Kona at 9 a.m.; March 1, at Yano Hall in Captain Cook at 10:30 a.m.:

March 2, at Hale Hookipa in Kealakekua, Kona at 9 a.m.; March 2, Holualoa Community Center at 10:30 a.m.; March 13, at Kohala Courthouse at 9:30 a.m.; March 14, at the 01d Courthouse in Waimea at 9 a.m.; and March 14, at the Elderly Housing in Honokaa at 10:30 a.m. Although these are senior citizen groups, Kaluai says everyone is weleome. Additional community meetings throughout the state will be announced later. Census Day is April 1, 1990. For most of us, the

census will be conducted by way of a mail-out, mail-back procedure. Census questionnaires will be mailed out by March 20 and must be mailed back by midnight April 1. On the Big Island, except for Kailua-Kona and Hilo, census takers will make a house to house count of the population.

The Census Bureau points out that the eompleteness and accuracy of the count from every section of the country directly affects every citizen's voting strength. "If you're not counted, you're not represented, and if you're not represented, you're not going to have the same clout as others."

Rhoda Kaluai