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By Kyle B. Hansen (contact) 
Saturday, July 25, 2009 | 6:43 p.m.
Related story
- Senate confirms Obama’s pick to lead 2010 census (7-13-2009)
Beyond the Sun
The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity has teamed up with the United States Census Bureau to raise awareness among minorities about the importance of participating in the 2010 count.
The fraternity and bureau held a news conference at the Las Vegas Hilton on Saturday as part of the fraternity’s annual leadership conference.
“Our goal is to partner with the Census and educate the African-American community about the importance of the count,” said Warren Lee Jr., the international president of the fraternity.
“We know there is a special concern about minority group participation, which are traditionally hard to count. Omega men will encourage our friends, colleagues, neighbors and families to make sure they are counted,” Lee said.
The historically black organization has 750 chapters with approximately 20,000 active members. Locally, two chapters are active in Las Vegas and the surrounding area.
“The work right now is in the field preparing our local communities to be counted,” said U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla., at the conference.
“It’s important that they (minorities) are counted so that we’ll know who’s in the household,” he said. “But it goes far beyond that. It goes toward federal appropriations, state appropriations and statistical data.”
Dorsey Miller, a former president of the fraternity who served on the minority advisory board to the Census Bureau until last year, said some people don’t understand the role of the Census Bureau and distrust it.
“Many people, especially the many immigrants ... feel that the Census Bureau is tied to the customs office and they don’t see it as a help, but they see it as a tool that’s used to send them back from where they came from.”
Those people still need to be counted, Miller said, because they receive benefits from being included.
“Anything that you can think of where money’s involved, the census is involved. It determines how much money comes in to help in your community and in your state. It controls how much money comes in for education. And so when we hide our numbers, we’re only hurting our communities.”
The partnership between the fraternity and the Census Bureau began in Cleveland, Ohio.
Bureau employee Ben Holbert approached a local chapter there about working together to promote awareness of the importance of being counted. The program quickly spread to the state and was then selected to be one of three focus areas of the national leadership conference.
“The census needs minority organizations to reach minorities,” Holbert said.
“One of the big challenges that the census has currently is that they have to reach populations that don’t necessarily want to be counted,” he said. “So, therefore, they need people to be advocates, and Omega Psi Phi can be an advocate by putting together programs, putting together awareness campaigns and just carrying the message that everyone needs to be counted in the census.”
count them as you load them on the bus to ship them back to from where they came from.
Hey, 70aarcuda, 1950 called.
The article's heading {Fraternity.minorities} appears to be an admirable effort. As an American, I'm compelled to scrutinize the effort relating to illegal aliens in our country.
The CB reported it's printing 120 million questionnaires to deliver. First ever that 13 million bilingual questionnaires (in English and Spanish) will be distributed in areas populated by Spanish speakers.]
Does printing in Spanish seem right or wrong? Heck, I'm trilingual (Spanish & Italian), but is it right to have bureau workers out in the streets of the United States of America collecting this important data in Spanish?
Some say that providing the questionnaire in another language is fair, friendly. Others, like myself, say that it's plain wrong!
What really happens when Census information is gathered from everyone? Not the actual physicality of the collection of data, but after it's tabulated and processed in Washington.
Aside from the enormous chunk of tax dollars that are doled out for schools, libraries, community centers, there is the issue of Congressional seats. When illegal immigrants take part in the Census their numbers disproportionately take away dollars from areas in our country with few or no illegal immigrants. States like California, Texas, New Mexico, and even Florida have an ever-increasing number of illegal immigrants. Inner states may have the trickling affect of these immigrants spreading out to their states for a variety of reasons, but for the most part lose on much needed dollars to improve their local areas.
Regarding Congressional seats, when the total Census numbers are counted, which include illegal immigrants, these numbers dictate how many seats will be in the U.S. House. Article I Section II defines the provisions in the House of Representatives.
No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.
Well, if it's appropriate that a prospective member of the House adhere to these rules of age, citizenship and residency, why would it be appropriate to allow illegal immigrants to even cast their "indirect vote" by participating in the Census and ultimately dictating the composition of the U.S. House of Representatives?
They are illegal!
They cannot vote!!
Join my Blog at www.proenglishusa.blogspot.com
to make English our official language and to voice your opinion on why illegal aliens shouldn't be counted in the Census.
Thanks
Eddie
congress wants to know where they are so went they make them legal, congress will know how to remake the house of representatives...
70aarcuda
That reply is ludicrous. Illegal aliens should not be participating in the census. Their mere presence in the US is illegal.
Liberals in Congress just want to be able to throw more government help and subsidies to illegals so if and when they become legal, those spineless politicians can attempt to stake their claim for a vote.
Weak!
I am not against some type of immigration reform that is meaningful, but am against letting illegals participate in the census that dictates dollars and congressional seats for the United States. Moreover, illegals and legals need to make a stronger effort to learn English.
An interview conducted between Wilson Hernandez, VP of the Ecaudorian Civic Center of Greater Danbury, and Councilor Tom Saadi, both of Danbury, Conn., disagree about a proposed agreement between their city's police department and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).
One of the questions asked:
Do you think the proposal would lead to racial profiling?
Wilson Hernandez: Of course, because some police officers will assume somebody who looks like an Hispanic, who speaks broken English, who doesn't understand what he's telling him, it's an illegal immigrant.
And it may happen that this person is a legal resident of the United States. He (or she) has immigrated recently because parents, brothers or sisters, a wife or husband, have sponsored him, so he came here legally.
"But it takes time for us immigrants to learn the language, to get used to the system." If we are not able to communicate with the police officers, they will assume that we are illegal!
Excuse me Mr. Hernandez, but how much time is sufficient for an immigrant to learn the English language?
Take this situation in Virginia as an example.
Manassas woman alleges police discrimination
http://www.wtop.com/?sid=1593302&nid...
Ok, I don't know all the details, but to me it is a bit perplexing that after 11 years, possessing a work permit, and a driver's license, why this person
(1) doens't speak any English
(2) isn't a US citizen already (after 11 years)
Councilor Saadi: Racial profiling is brought up always in context of law enforcement.
If an officer engages in it, that is improper conduct. That officer or agent will be dealt with accordingly. Racial profiling will not be tolerated in this program -- or in our current police department.
And in fact, Danbury now records the ethnicity or race of those who are detained. So those records will be available to determine whether or not there's profiling going on.
http://www.ethnicnewz.org/en/should-poli...
70aarcuda
That reply is ludicrous. Illegal aliens should not be participating in the census. Their mere presence in the US is illegal.
Liberals in Congress just want to be able to throw more government help and subsidies to illegals so if and when they become legal, those spineless politicians can attempt to stake their claim for a vote.
Weak!
I am not against some type of immigration reform that is meaningful, but am against letting illegals participate in the census that dictates dollars and congressional seats for the United States. Moreover, illegals and legals need to make a stronger effort to learn English.
An interview conducted between Wilson Hernandez, VP of the Ecaudorian Civic Center of Greater Danbury, and Councilor Tom Saadi, both of Danbury, Conn., disagree about a proposed agreement between their city's police department and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).
One of the questions asked:
Do you think the proposal would lead to racial profiling?
Wilson Hernandez: Of course, because some police officers will assume somebody who looks like an Hispanic, who speaks broken English, who doesn't understand what he's telling him, it's an illegal immigrant.
And it may happen that this person is a legal resident of the United States. He (or she) has immigrated recently because parents, brothers or sisters, a wife or husband, have sponsored him, so he came here legally.
"But it takes time for us immigrants to learn the language, to get used to the system." If we are not able to communicate with the police officers, they will assume that we are illegal!
Excuse me Mr. Hernandez, but how much time is sufficient for an immigrant to learn the English language?
Take this situation in Virginia as an example.
Manassas woman alleges police discrimination
http://www.wtop.com/?sid=1593302&nid...
Ok, I don't know all the details, but to me it is a bit perplexing that after 11 years, possessing a work permit, and a driver's license, why this person
(1) doesn't speak any English
(2) isn't a US citizen already (after 11 years)
Councilor Saadi: Racial profiling is brought up always in context of law enforcement.
If an officer engages in it, that is improper conduct. That officer or agent will be dealt with accordingly. Racial profiling will not be tolerated in this program -- or in our current police department.
And in fact, Danbury now records the ethnicity or race of those who are detained. So those records will be available to determine whether or not there's profiling going on.
http://www.ethnicnewz.org/en/should-poli...
You guys are a bunch of morons. The census is aimed at counting the people in this country regardless of ragardless of whether they are legal or not. I understand your points in regards to the political effects but that is not brought into consideration when you really take a look at the purpose of the census. The point is to count the people in the country. Period. Everthing else is a side effect.
What is funny to me is that whether you decide to make English the "official language" of this country or not, things will not change. You all forget that every nationality that is here except for the Native Americans that originally inhabited this land were all foreigners at one point. So really, every foreign race was persecuted at one point becaues of their nationality. Anyone remember the pursuit of the irish? Japanese?
You all crack me up. Next time you go to Taco Bell or Panda Express remember who brought those foreign foods which are a staple of our American culture. And by the way, if they have an accent when they take your order, please go ahead and tell them that they don't belong here. You all have the audacity to bitch and complain behind a computer but if you are really concerned, you should go and get involved politically. I dare you.
My point exactly rebnum3, but the reality is that people are too scared or too wimpy to stand up.
I choose to say that (1) English needs to be our official language; (2) English needs to be the language when taking the drivers' exam; (3) English needs to be the sole language when voting in our country; (4) English needs to be the language when conducting business with all levels of government.
With all due respect, you are wrong. If we make English our official language, it will ensure that all public business be done in the language of our country. If you want to speak your native tongue at the local restaurant or local store, then fine. However, when one walks into a government agency in the United States of America, be prepared to speak English.
If you disagree, then write out your points as to why you disagree.
Regarding rebnumm3's comment, if Americans don't get involved then we are susceptible to whatever comes our way.
As Americans, we need to stand up and either vote out or in those politicians who have the BALL* to stand up and say what is important for our country.
True politicians must ignore getting re-elected and acting for the re-vote. They have to vote on what is right regardless of the consequences. Elected office CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be a career!!!!
Forget the politically correct thing to do. We must support and vote for politicians who will stand up and say America needs leaders with BALL* who will say our language needs to be preserved; voting in our country must be done in English; the licenses issued to drive on our roads must be given after passing an exam in English and a non negotiable stance on illegal immigration.
That is what the United States of America needs!!!
I was remiss in stating my points about the census. Illegal aliens/immigrants have NO place in participating in the census.
Why don't we just let Europeans, Russians, and the Chinese partake in our census as well. It has the same affect.
Illegal aliens participating in the US census take away tax dollars from much needed areas, they egregiously add seats to the U.S. House of Representatives.
If you support that act, then voluntarily write your congressional representative and ask that they resign because another representative is taking a seat on the floor of the House under false pretenses.
Illegal aliens have no say and no position to add or subtract from the composition in the US House of Representatives much less a say in allocating federal tax dollars.
Eddie
Join my Blog at www.proenglishusa.blogspot.com and support making English our official language. If you choose not to support it, then you are deserving of whatever happens.
Preserving the English language when dealing with levels of government ensures that there is no confusion, there is a direct understanding when dealing with law enforcement, the courts, and hospitals.
Becoming dependent on translators, goes against what America is all about. I don't want to rely on someone else to stand up for me!!!
Eddie