Every ten years, the U.S. Census is conducted from sea to shining sea (and beyond; sorry Hawaii). Its mission statement reads:

The Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy. We honor privacy, protect confidentiality, share our expertise globally, and conduct our work openly. We are guided on this mission by our strong and capable workforce, our readiness to innovate, and our abiding commitment to our customers.

The mission statement is less important than how the data is used. The counts determine congressional House seat apportionment and the way federal dollars are doled out in support of programs administered by local, state and tribal governments. Unfortunately, an ongoing problem is that minority communities are undercounted; therefore reinforcing disproportionate access to resources for services such as education, public health and other community infrastructure needs.

April 1st, 2010, Census Day, is approaching fast. That's why groups like Voto Latino are ramping up efforts to explain the importance of participation among the Latino community. Here's VL's Executive Director, Maria Teresa, explaining the Be Counted. Represent. Campaign:


As part of the campaign, Voto Latino is offering a free 25-song download from Apple's iTunes after Taking the Pledge to participate in the 2010 Census. The incentive is nice, but more importantly, the information they provide at the Be Counted website teaches us why it's crucial to be represented in "perhaps the most important piece of civic action this year."

I encourage you all to check it out, take the pledge, spread the word to your friends and familia about the importance of the Census, and the enjoy this great playlist:

Pitbull “Across the Waters”
Morrissey “When Last I Spoke to Carol (Toy Selectah mix)”
Aventura “Su Veneno”
Mos Def “No Hay Nada Mas”
Los Tigres del Norte “El Emigrante”
Jaguares “Visible”
Rodrigo y Gabriela “Hanuman”
Juan Luis Guerra “La Travesia”
Ozomatli “Believe”
Los Tucanes de Tijuana “Los Illegales”
Paulina Aguirre “Esperando Tu Voz”
Ruben Blades “Las Calles”
Kinto Sol “Voy a Sacudirme”
Os Mutantes “Querida, Querida”
Nortec Collective “Tengo La Voz”
Antibalas “Che Che Cole (Makossa Mix)”
Los Amigos Invisibles “Mentiras”
Ceú “Grains de Beaute”
Maleco Collective “Yo Soy La Voz”
Panda “Solo a Terceros”
Pacha Massive “If You Want It”
Brownout “Ayer y Hoy”
Hip Hop Hoodíos “Agua Pa’ La Gente”
Alvaro Torres “Te Sueno Grande”
Reyes del Bajo Mundo “Cuanto Cuesta”
Mishka “3rd Eye Vision”

Bloggers: here's a resource page with links to Pledge widgets for your site.

¡Adelante!

[Crossposted at Booman Tribune]

Labels: Census, Voto Latino