• Census 2010 Info for the Taiwanese American community
• Census 2010 Info for the Asian American community
• Be Counted

The Census is a snapshot of the American public. It gives a quick overview of the age, income, and ethnicity of the people who live here.

Taken every 10 years, the information from this snapshot helps the government decide how to distribute $400 billion dollars (or the equivalent of 57 million students' yearly college tuition) yearly to schools, hospitals, and local development projects. Everything from how we buy houses to how we vote is determined by the data that you provide the Census with. The Census form is secure and is easy to fill out. The form comes in through snail mail, and takes only 10 minutes to fill out and send back. And it does not ask about immigration status. In fact, there's a penalty if anyone shares your information with other government agencies.

10 minutes is all it takes to improve the next 10 years.

Understanding the Census Form

1. This question is used to get an accurate count of the number of people in the household on Census Day, April 1, 2010. This information is used to ensure accuracy and completeness.
2. This question has appeared on census forms since 1880. This is used to help identify people who may have been excluded in the count provided on question 1.
3. The data gathered with this question is used to administer housing programs and to inform planning decisions.
4. The Census Bureau asks for a phone number in case they need to contact you if a form is returned incomplete or with missing information. As always, this number as well as the rest of the information on the form is kept confidential and protected by federal law.
5. Listing the name of each person in the household is a way of including all members of the household. This information is also requested if additional information may be obtained to complete the census form. As always, the names as well as the rest of the information on the form is kept confidential and protected by federal law.
6. Due to the fact that many federal programs must differentiate between males and females for funding, this question serves to support laws that promote equal employment opportunities.
7. The date of birth (DOB) of respondents is used to forecast social and economic characteristics including predicting the number of people that will be eligible for Social Security and Medicare benefits.
8. This is an important question on the census for Latinos. By identifying as Latino, Hispanic, or of Hispanic origin, data is used to fund state and local governments for special programs such as bilingual education.
9. This is the most important question for the Taiwanese Community. Race is used to implement many federal laws such as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. It is used to map out congressional districts, and also used to assess the fairness of employment practices, monitor racial disparities in health and education, and plan accordingly. It's important to understand that the Census will count Taiwanese by someone checking "Other Asian" and writing in "Taiwanese."
   
   
   But however you self-identify, you can add additional racial data here by checking all boxes that apply to you. You can check multiple boxes or one box. For example, if you identify as Japanese-Taiwanese, you can check "Japanese" and also check "Other Asian" and write in "Taiwanese."
10. This question is asked to ensure accuracy so that no one has been counted twice.

For more information regarding US Census, please visit the following:

• US Census Bureau
• Asian American Justice Center
• Asian American Pacific Legal Center
• TACL Census 2010
• Census 2010 Public Service Announcement