The Census Bureau generally has been responsive to the needs of Asian Americans, but AALDEF identified some problem areas that should be addressed. Key findings from AALDEF's report include:A copy of the report can be downloaded from the AALDEF's website here. AALDEF will continue advocating for stronger enforcement of the census confidentiality provisions and seek a moratorium on immigration enforcement actions during the census enumeration period.
Insufficient Partnership Specialist staff in Chicago, Northern Virginia, and Detroit to meet community needs. In those regions, specific communities, such as Korean Americans and Bangladeshi Americans, may be overlooked. One community leader in Chicago noted that the staff does not resemble or understand the communities they are assigned to serve.
Complaints about partnership specialists in Silicon Valley and Chicago. Census Bureau outreach staff were unresponsive to inquiries or provided insufficient information about census operations. One community leader in Silicon Valley noted that some specialists were unprofessional and dismissive of community concerns.
More detailed assurances about confidentiality needed. Despite the Bureau's numerous statements about the confidentiality of census data, community groups still want further assurances. They seek more details on the privacy protections and a legal opinion from the Attorney General that the USA Patriot Act does not compromise confidentiality. AALDEF is still awaiting responses to outstanding Freedom of Information Act requests.
Difficulty in obtaining translated educational materials. One group in Chicago requested materials in Vietnamese, but only received posters and fact sheets in English.
Translation errors in the Bureau's Vietnamese-language materials. The Bureau has occasionally used the Vietnamese word for census as which refers to a communist government investigation. After community complaints, the Bureau recently fixed these errors in its online materials, but those corrections will not appear in the printed census forms.
Lack of transparency of paid media campaign. Almost no community groups were able to preview draft advertisements. Many groups are concerned that the final advertisements will not resonate with particular hard-to-count communities. AALDEF observed such problems with census advertisements in the 2000 Census.
Groups are unaware of important census programs, such as the Questionnaire Assistance Centers (QAC) and Be Counted sites. Many community leaders did not know how to sign up or did not understand that they had to be QACs or Be Counted sites in order to receive blank census forms.
In addition, beginning in late February, individuals will be able to report problems and potential violations of law to AALDEF through a multilingual telephone hotline and an online form to an attorney. For more information, read the full press release here.