Chicagoland

Being counted in the U.S. Census is a justice issue — Archdiocese encourages everyone to participate

By Joyce Duriga | Editor
Sunday, March 28, 2010

The white envelopes bearing the U.S. Census logo have already hit area homes and the Archdiocese of Chicago encourages you to complete and return the forms inside.

It is a simple justice issue that everyone deserves to be counted, said Carol Fowler, archdiocesan director of personnel services, who is overseeing the archdiocese’s census-participation effort.

“There are many areas of the city that are severely under counted,” Fowler said. “Representation, resources and services are often allocated on the basis of census information. These areas that are under counted tend to be in the poorer areas of the city and it is poor people who are not accurately counted.”

If more people participate in the census, this lack of representation and resources can be alleviated, she said, adding that “accurate census data brings empowerment and visibility to under represented and under counted communities.”

Cardinal George and the auxiliary bishops made public-service announcements to support participation in the census and administrative offices, such as the offices for Peace and Justice, Black Catholics, Asian Catholics and Immigrant Affairs and Immigrant Education, reached out to their communities to raise awareness, Fowler said.

Information and resources also went out to parishes to encourage parishioners to participate.

“There have been excellent grassroots efforts to work toward full participation in the census,” Fowler said.

National effort

On a national level, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops — through the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church — is partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to encourage participation in Census 2010, in order to reach hardto- count communities.

Archbishop José Gomez of San Antonio, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Cultural Diversity, urged parishes and dioceses to encourage local people to participate.

“It is important to get the word out because some of the populations we serve tend to normally be under counted,” Archbishop Gomez said in a statement from the USCCB. “The U.S. Census is a useful tool for learning about God’s people, who and where they are, and many other facts that shed light on their lives, possibilities and struggles. A church that seeks to evangelize is characterized by outreach. The U.S. Census gives us important information to do that.”

It is all confidential

The information gathered by the Census is confidential and only shared in aggregate numbers (statistics) once the surveys are completed.

Required once every 10 years by the U.S. Constitution, the census aims to count every person residing in the United States on April 1, 2010. This includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Jesuit Father Allan Deck, executive director of the Cultural Diversity Secretariat stressed the social and political urgency of being counted.

“It is in people’s best interest to be counted,” Deck said. “This is how our country makes decisions about allocation of resources and local representation, regardless of race or immigration status. Your participation is vital to insure that your community gets its fair share of federal funds for schools, roads, parks and other services.”

CNS contributed to this story.

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