The census is a count of everyone living in the United States. This includes people of all ages, races, and ethnic groups, as well as both citizens and non-citizens. Like many ethnic groups, Iranian Americans have traditionally been undercounted; the 2000 Census count of our community was only 338,000. This is a problem as it undermines our access to a variety of social services. The only solution is for us to register our Iranian origin, and to be counted by the Census Bureau.

The Iranian American 2010 Census Coalition is taking a proactive role to try and ensure that our community's statistics are accurately reflected and that it has access to key services and an enhanced political voice.  With that in mind, the coalition has assembled an informational and instructional pamphlet, available both in English and Persian, to answer questions about the U.S. Census. 
 
Simultaneously, the coalition is developing customized messaging and communication tools specific to the Iranian American population to be rolled out nationally over the coming weeks, to help raise awareness about the U.S. 2010 Census campaign among all of the Iranian American households and communities nationwide.

Stand Up and Be Counted
 
The Iranian American 2010 Census Coalition includes both national and regional Iranian American organizations that have united under the common objective of educating Iranian Americans about the 2010 Census. Specific goals of this project include reaching every Iranian American household in the country to educate them about the importance of participating in the 2010 Census, to assure them that the information provided to the Census Bureau will by law be confidential, and to urge them to respond to questions relating to race, ethnicity, and national origin in a consistent manner.  In order to assure maximum outreach, the Census Coalition has hired full-time consultants to both reach out to the Iranian American community and coordinate with the U.S. Census.

For more information or to join the Iranian American 2010 Census Project please contact any of the coalition partners:

Andisheh Center: www.andisheh.org
Association of Iranian American Professionals (AIAP): www.aiap.orgindex.shtml
Bay Area Iranian-American Democrats (BAIAD): www.baiad.org
Bay Area Iranian-American Voter Association (BAIVOTER): www.baivoter.org
Empowered Women United: empoweredwomenunited.com
Farhang Foundation: www.farhang.org
Iranican: www.iranican.com
Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB): www.iranianalliances.org
Iranian American Bar Association (IABA): www.iaba.us
Iranian Psychological Association of America (IPAA): www.myipaa.org
Iranian Studies Group at MIT: www.isgmit.org
National Iranian American Council (NIAC): www.niacouncil.org
Network of Iranian American Professionals of Orange County (NIPOC): www.nipoc.org
PARSA Community Foundation: www.parsacf.org
Persian Center www.persiancenter.org
Persian Cultural Club www.persianculturalclub.net  
Persianesque Magazine: www.persianesquemagazine.com
Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA): www.paaia.org
Shabeh Jomeh: www.shabehjomeh.com
U.S. Census Bureau: www.census.gov

... Payvand News - 02/05/10 ... --