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CONNECTICUT LATINO CONFERENCE LAUNCHES STATE-WIDE CENSUS OUTREACH EFFORT

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Waterbury, Connecticut – The Connecticut Latino Leadership Council (CLLC) today convened local and state elected officials, community, business and civic leaders and representatives from the US Census Bureau to discuss the importance of an accurate count of Latinos. The CLLC partnered with the NALEO Educational Fund and the national ya es hora ¡HAGASE CONTAR! to launch a state-wide campaign to reduce the undercount of Latinos in Connecticut. The ya es hora campaign is the largest and most comprehensive non-partisan effort to incorportate Latinos as full participants in the American political process. The campaign hed a dramatic impact on naturalization rates and spurred record Latino turnout in the 2008 presidential election. For more information, please visit www.yaeshora.info.

The Census Bureau estimates that as of 2008, Latinos constitute 12% of Connecticut’s overall population. Latino community leaders recognize that in the past their community has been grossly undercounted and that the 2010 Census will be the “Latino Census.” CLLC views an accurate count as critical factor in the empowerment of the Latino community. The Connecticut Latino Leadership Council advocates for Latino nonprofit organizations and the Latino community to ensure shared equity of access to resources in order to serve and meet the needs of Connecticut’s Latino Residents.

As a partner of the ya es hora ¡HAGASE CONTAR! campaign, CLLC members will focus on promoting the importance of the Census, informing the community about filling out their Census forms and encouraging Latino households to mail back their form by April 1, 2010. The U.S Constitution requires all residents of the United States, including immigrants, to participate in the decennial Census.

In order to assist the census process CLLC members Yanil Teron, executive director of the Connecticut Puerto Rican Forum (Hartford), Ingrid Alvarez-DiMarzo, executive director of the Hispanic Center of Danbury, Doreen Deery, executive director of La Via Latina of Torrington, Yvette Bello, executive director of the Hartford-based Latino Community Services and Carmen Rodriguez, director of the ASPIRA AmeriCorps project and a large contingent of her AmeriCorps members participated in a 3-hour Train-the-Trainer session to become thoroughly familiar with the Census questionnaire and better assist constituents in answering the census questions.

Census statistics determine reapportionment and political representation, and are also used to distribute $440 billion annually in federal funding for scores of social and economic programs that benefit the states and localities. “The census is about money and power” said Jose Cruz, Senior Director of Civic Engagement, NALEO Educational Fund. “We have to keep pushing to make sure we get it [a full count]” added Alma Maya, Town Clerk, City of Bridgeport. Maya continued by adding that the census is beneficial not only to Latinos but all of Connecticut.

“It’s about time the Latino community gets its equitable share of political representation and resources. To achieve this, we must mobilize our community resources so that everyone is counted in the 2010 Census,” said Vincent Siberon, Executive Director, Aspira of Connecticut and Chairman of the CLLC.

Juan Figueroa, President of the Universal Health Care Foundation, encouraged the conference participants to promote the importance of the Census to the Latino community with the motto, “Llegamos, nos quedamos y ahora nos contamos” (We came, we stayed and now we must be counted).

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CONNECTICUT LATINO CONFERENCE LAUNCHES STATE-WIDE CENSUS OUTREACH EFFORT