Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 2, 1 February 1990 — Hawaiian-speakers neeeleel for 1990 census [ARTICLE]

Hawaiian-speakers neeeleel for 1990 census

The 1990 census will create more than 300,000 temporary jobs across the nation and the Census Bureau has begun a major recruiting campaign to attract minority applicants, including Asians and Pacific Islanders. From April through June 1990, the bureau will need census takers to eall or to visit households whose occupants did not fill out and mail back their census forms by Census Day, April 1, 1990. Hawaiian, Samoan and Tongan speakers are needed Tom Pieo, assistant manager for field operations at the Honolulu census office said the Census Bureau would' weleome applications for eensus work from native Hawaiians who are fluent in Hawaiian, as well as those who speak other Pacific island languages and dialects. "We would love to have Hawaiian, Tongan, and Samoan speakers," he said. In addition, he said, with the wide cultural and language diversity of the Hawaiian Islands, the Census Bureau also needs people who speak Pacific Basin and Asian languages.

The Honolulu office for the Census Bureau will handle the census in the area from Aiea through downtown Honolulu, out to Hawai'i Kai and ending at Kaneohe. The Waipahu office will handle the census on the rest of O'ahu and on all the neighbor islands, he said. "Between 300 and 400 people will be needed," Pieo said. "The majority wouīd start in April and work through June." Full time, 40-hour work is available for two to three months and flextime is available, he said. The Census Bureau is also seeking people with office skills in addition to those who will make foIlowup calls by phone or in person, Pieo said. For information on employment with the Honolulu office of the Census Bureau people may eall 541-3498. For information on census employment on Olahu's Leeward shore or on neighbor islands people are asked to eall the Waipahu office at5413556. Neighbor Island residents may eall collect. Census jobs are open to qualified applicants 18

years of age and older. The bureau hopes to hire Asian and Pacific Islander Americans to work in the communities in whieh they live. Persons who ean speak and write Hawaiian or an Asian language will be particularly important to a complete count in Hawai'i and are encouraged to apply. Most jobs will last from three to eight weeks and in most instances, people will work up to 40 hours a week. Pay will range from $5 to $8 per hour of enumerators and $4.50 to $7 for clerical staff, whieh together will represent almost 90 percent of the temporary staff in the Census Bureau's loeal district offices. Crew leader pay rates will range from $6 to $9 per hour. Applicants are asked to take a 30-minute written test designed to measure clerical skills, numeneal skills, organizational skills, reading and ability to interpret information. For field enumerator jobs people must be able to provide their own transportation. Applicants should have a satisfactory work record. Men aged 18 to 25 need proof of Selective Service registration. Recruiting efforts will ensure that census employment is consistent with equal opportunity principles. Handicapped individuals who qualify will be considered. Persons interested in census jobs ean contact the state employment office or loeal census office. State employment offices ean give guidance to applicants at age 16 who may be hired to work for the census if they meet conditions of employment set by state and loeal laws, are high school graduates (or seniors), or have equivalent education or work experience. The 1990 census will be the 21st conducted in the nation's history. The U.S. Constitution mandates a census every 10 years to apportion eongressional representatives among the states. Census data are used by loeal governments at all levels to allocate public funds, by planners to determine where to build hospitals, schools, and highways, and by businesses to locate commercial ventures that create jobs.