2010 census filings underway

Census day is April 1 when all questionnaires should be returned by mail. More than 3.8 million job applicants are recruited for the 2010 census.

The U.S. census is a set of statistics that counts every resident in the United States. It is required by the Constitution to take place every 10 years.

"Just like we can't survive without roads and bridges, the country doesn't function well without an updated census to distribute funds to areas that most need them and to support community decisions about their own future," said Robert Groves, director of the United States Census Bureau on the Bureau's Web site.

According to the census Web site, the gathered data is used to determine how $400 billion in federal funds is distributed across the country and will also be used to determine the need for Congressional redistricting across the country.

The census data affects funding for communities throughout the United States. Using a series of 10 questions on the questionnaire, the government will be able to determine where to build hospitals, schools and roads.

Olufemi Adeniji, a Nigerian student and senior multidisciplinary studies major, applied for a position as a UTEP census ambassador at the Center for Civic Engagement. A census ambassador's duties are to make sure their community is counted accurately and to stress the importance of filling out the questionnaire.

"I am a permanent resident, I love America and I am ready to contribute to do whatever it takes to help America promote the census 2010," Adeniji said.

Adeniji said filling out the questionnaire is important because it represents every person that lives in the United States whether they are legal or illegal immigrants.
"UTEP is a community of its own, and students need to know the benefits of what the census brings to individuals and to the community at large," Adeniji said.
From May to July of 2010, census takers will visit households that did not return a questionnaire by mail to help them fill out the form.

The U.S. Census Bureau asks for simple questions such as name, age, date of birth, race, relationship to the person filling out the form and whether the respondent owns or rents his or her home. All the applicants' information is completely confidential under the Freedom of Information Act.

The U.S. Census Bureau is also encouraging students to complete the form to determine where they live rather than where their parents live.

"It's our duty as citizens," said Luis Loweree, graduate instructional specialist in education. "It's not a very invasive process, so we should appreciate that and do our best to comply in order to be counted in the census."

Jose Luis Trejo, senior multimedia major applied to become a census taker and has yet to take the employment test.

"I applied to be a census taker just to have a job and extra money for the moment. The pay is good and we can choose the hours we want," Trejo said.

Approximately 1.4 million people will be hired for the 2010 census according to the U.S. Census Bureau's staffing and planning numbers.

Trejo said he heard about the census takers job offering on the radio and decided to apply via telephone.

"It's something different to do. This is something that will benefit the whole country as well as all the UTEP community to count every student that lives here whatever ethnicity they are," Trejo said.

For more information about becoming a UTEP census taker or about the 2010 census call the Center for Civic Engagement at 747-7969 or visit www.census/gov/2010census.

Beatriz A. Castañeda may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.