Border Communities Count
April 1, 2010 is Census Day.
The 2010 Census is a count of everyone residing in the United States. Everyone living in the U.S. must be counted—regardless of immigrant status. It’s important, it’s easy, it’s safe. Be counted.
- Being Counted is Important!
- What You Can Do to Help
- Important Reasons to Count Your Community Accurately
- Everyone Needs to be Counted
- Being Counted is Easy
Being Counted is Important!
Counting every resident in the 2010 US Census is vital for communities in the Border region. The Border Communities Count Campaign has been launched by FABN to ensure a complete, accurate and just count in Southwest Border communities.
The region is home to several groups that are more likely to be missed or undercounted. The consequences of undercounting are significant for Border communities. Census counts have a direct impact on the distribution of federal funds as well as political power, civil rights and private and public investment.
An accurate count is directly tied to the federal dollars communities receive for important services such as education funding, affordable housing support, job training, social services, roads, bridges, and other community development opportunities. Census counts also inform voting districts and determine how communities are represented. That’s why it is essential to make sure that everyone is counted!
FABN is working in the Border region to ensure a complete, accurate and just count. FABN is working with nonprofit, public and other groups in the region to reach as many residents as possible. FABN and partners will specifically reach out to those at high risk of undercounting to make sure that they understand the importance of being counted and to overcome their reluctance to participating.
Join our Border Communities Count Campaign today and learn how you can help ensure your community counts!
What You Can Do to Help
- Join the movement to count in your community. Click here.
- Become a U.S. Census partner
- Join or help form a local Complete Count Committee with the US Census.
- Attend one of FABN’s to discuss ways to increase the Census count in your community.
- Apply for a FABN Census Outreach Small Grant
- Visit our Census resources page for more information, technical assistance and links to partners’ resources.
- Learn more - download the Border Communities Count Fact Sheet (pdf)
- Stay informed – sign up for E-news
4 Important Reasons to Count Your Community Accurately
You Need to Know…
4:1 - rate at which Latinos were more likely to be missed in Census 2000.
$478 million - the estimated amount of net federal funds lost to states from 2002-2012 due to undercounting in the 2000 Census.
$1,200 to $2,200 – approximate amount of federal funding Southwest Border communities receive per person related to Census counts.
- Federal funds: Census 2010 will influence federal funding that flows to your community for 10-12 years.
- Community infrastructure: The government uses Census numbers to allocate critical needs like schools, transportation, health centers and affordable housing.
- Voting rights: Census numbers are used to draw voting districts and to figure out state representation.
- Economic development: Businesses and other entities use census numbers to plan for investment and business development.
Everyone Needs to be Counted
Everyone, regardless of immigration status, needs to be counted to ensure that Border communities have access to future resources. Many populations at high risk of not being counted live along the Border including:
- Immigrants and/or undocumented persons;
- Families with young children;
- Families with mixed legal status;
- Transient and/or displaced families, such as homeless people, foreclosure victims, and migrant workers; and
- Isolated communities including rural, colonias and Native American reservations
These populations require special attention for accurate counting. FABN is specifically interested in organizations working directly with these hard-to-count groups. To contact us and partner to make sure your community is counted .
Being Counted is Easy
The 2010 Census form is simple with only a few easy questions. The form is in Spanish as well as English. There are 10 questions and each household needs only 10 minutes to fill the form out.
The process is confidential and individual information is safe and strongly protected by law.
April 1, 2010 is Census Day. Households will receive questionnaires in March 2010 either by U.S. mail or hand delivery. Households complete and mail back their questionnaires when they get it. Some people in remote areas will be counted in person.
