Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 2, 1 Pepeluali 2000 — Census 2000: counting on you [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Census 2000: counting on you

By Paula Durbln WHEN IT comes to federal money, "we don't count unless we are counted," said Lynn Choy Uyeda. a Los Angeles-based media speciahst with Census 2000. here for the Jan. 7 kick-off of this year"s census for five counties in Hawai'i and 19 counties in Califor-

. nia - and to help get the word out about the importance of an accurate record of the United States population. Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Haunani Apohona, also at the kiekoff, shares that eoneem. Recently reappointed by the United States Secretary of Commerce to the Census Bureau's Asian and Paeihe Islander Advisory Committee whieh she chairs, Apohona has always believed Hawaiians ought not just to

be counted, but counted as Hawaiians. Supported by OHA, she spearheaded a drive in 1997 that persuaded the Office of Management and Budget to establish a new census category for Native Hawaiians. Now she also chairs API's Subcommittee on Native Hawaiian

and Other Pacific Islanders. The United States Constimtion requires a census be taken every 10 years, and the Hawai'i offīces are lōoking for help. Hundreds will be hired locally as clerks, recruiting assistants, census-takers and crew leaders. "We want to test everyone who wants to be tested," said Karen Bolles, a recruiting assistant in the 220 South Kine Street office. And the pay? "Very

I competitive," she answered. "Census-tak-9 ers are paid $10.50 and, because this is Hawai'i, an additional 25 percent cost-of-living-differential. For field positions, there is a 39-cents-a- mile reimbursement. Those hired receive paid training." The Honolulu census office expects to be fully staffed by spring. On March 15, five out of six households in the state will receive a short census form and one of those six, chosen randomly, will receive a long form. The short form, whieh takes just 10 minutes to complete, asks abōut only seven subjects: Name, sex, age, relationship, Hispanic origin, race and whether the house is owned or rented. The long fonn contains further questions related to

education, nahonal origin, citizenship, physical disabihties,grandparents as caregivers, military service, employment, ineome, among other subjects. Dozens of federal and loeal agencies rely on this additional information to run their programs. For example, the nation's

roads, highways and bridges are planned according to where people live and work and when they leave for work. "We hope to have the forms haek by April 1 ," said Rhoda Kalauai of the Honolulu office. Households not returning a questionnaire will be visited by Census 2000 staff who are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to count everybody. Census-takers will interview people at campgrounds, marinas, emergency shelters, soup kitchens and regularly scheduled food vans. They will identify Alaska residents before the spring thaw, when many leave their homes to hunt; service people on bases and ships; and maritime workers on floating facSee CENSUS on page 23

Musician Sam Keli'iho'omalu and the Census 2000 Dancers frame the tollfree number to eall from the neighbor islands for job information. On O'ahu, eall 522-3046.

Lynn Choy (Jyeda, Trustee Haunani Apoliona and Rhoda Kalauai, at the Census 2000 kick-off.

CENSUS

From page 13 tories and other vessels. Īhe population count determines the reapportionment of congressional districts, the routes buses take, the location of schools and what languages must be available at disaster relief sites. It also decides where federal dollars go. "The more people we count," said Uyeda, "the more we get in terms of federal funds for the community - senior citizens centers, job training, heakh care facilities, schools and parks. If we are undercounted, we will be short on federal funds."

Both Kalauai and Uyeda stressed the importance of reporting every member of the household. "People often forget to report new-bom babies. The most serious undercount in 1990 was children under 10," said Uyeda. "We have to remember these babies bom today will be in school in five years. What if there are not enough teachers or books or classrooms?" As for the Native Hawaiian count, she said, "The nation has to know how many Native Hawaiians there are in the United States. Native Hawaiian community-based organizations apply for government funding and the federal guys up there giving out checks need to justify the dollars with numbers. They have to know how big the population is and how mueh it has grown since 1990. Otherwise we are invisible." Apoliona agreed. "It's your future," she quoted. "Don't leave it blank." ■