LYNWOOD — The U.S. Census Bureau’s operation to count every person living within Los Angeles County is officially under way in the region, after state and local officials Monday marked the countdown to the 2010 Census with the grand opening of a local census offices here.

Called the South Gate Local Census Office, despite being located at 12150 S. Alameda St., Lynwood, it will be the hub of census operations for South Gate, Lynwood, Compton, Watts, Willowbrook, and parts of South Los Angeles, Huntington Park, Carson, Gardena and North Long Beach.

The Census Bureau is trying to duplicate the success of President Barack Obama’s grassroots election campaign of going into the communities that he was seeking to represent.

And just as swarms of people turned out to vote in that historic election in 2008, the Census Bureau is hoping to get a similar reaction from people in regards to the 2010 Census.

Historically, said Albert E. Fontenot Jr., area manager for the Bureau of the Census, people — especially in African-American and Hispanic communities — have mistrusted the government, and see no difference in dealing with the U.S. Census.

“People just don’t know how important it is to be counted in this census,” he said. “One of the things people are afraid of is that their information will be shared with other government agencies, be it local agencies, tax agencies. … That is the biggest misconception and we’re here in the middle of these communities to make sure the word gets across, that their information is confidential.”

The 2010 Census has been operating on a timeline since early 2009, already canvassing the country last year to update addresses and maps from the previous census. In between mailing out 130 million census forms in March this year, the bureau has been working on hiring individuals for local census offices to educate people about the census. Census officials are targeting churches, community centers, group homes, and have formed partnerships with school districts with a program called Census in the Schools.

“There is so much at stake here,” said Miriam Galicia Duarte, a census partnership specialist, when asked why the bureau selected this area for a regional office. “We’re here because these communities, in the past, have historically been undercounted,” she said. “These are communities that have been inaccurately counted in the past for different reasons, because they fear government, because they may be undocumented, because they’re scared, because they live in converted garage situations, or because they’re non-English speakers. … The Census isn’t looking at any of that … our job is to make sure that every single person is counted, regardless of immigration status.”

Duarte said the amount of money local cities receive from the federal government for hospitals, schools, streets, after-school programs, free lunch programs, law enforcement agencies, is based on the amount of people counted.

“We know people are a little skeptical about the census,” she said. “But that’s why we’re here — to make sure everyone is comfortable, but at the same time, know what will happen if they don’t participate.”

The U.S. Census Bureau also has translated its 2010 Census form into 59 different languages to make sure everyone knows exactly what the questionnaire is asking, Fontenot said.

Lynwood Mayor Maria Santillan was among the guest speakers at Monday’s grand opening. Adding that she will make sure Lynwood does its part in eradicating misconceptions of the 2010 Census, Santillan said that being in office she has learned how important federal funds are for communities like Lynwood.

“An actual count determines how much cities get every year from the federal government,” she said. “It determines how much school districts get, all of these funds that we greatly need to pave our streets, for parks — much of those funds have gone to paying for some of the new technology the Sheriff’s Department uses in combating crime — all of that money depends on how many people live in these communities.”

It’s imperative that every single person is counted, she added. People think that the U.S. Census is tied to other government agencies, but it isn’t, she said. “It’s not tied to code enforcement agencies, it’s not tied to the Sheriff’s Department, it’s not tied to the immigration department. … It’s only going to count you.”

Still, the bureau recognizes the challenge to rid people of the fear will be a great one, Fontenot said.

Specifically in this area, he said, adding that there are high concentrations of areas the bureau has designated as “Hard to Count” sites.

“A hard to count site is a site that has had low response in previous census efforts for reasons of language, isolation, income, or people just being afraid of government initiatives,” he said. “That’s why it has been very important for us to be in the middle of these communities, so we could hire from within the community, so that people can trust the census effort, to know that their next door neighbors trust the census, and make them confident that they could fill out the form and be OK.”

The South Gate Local Census Office, which is one of 39 offices in the Southern California and Hawaii areas, is currently working on hiring approximately 1,400 employees, most of which will be field workers.

While a recent survey said the number of people responding to the 2010 Census will be similar to the last count, this year’s census efforts will be backed by the biggest advertising campaign in the U.S. Census Bureau’s history, said Fontenot. “We’ll even be present during the Super Bowl,” he said referring to possible televised efforts.

The 2010 Census timeline is currently on schedule, Fontenot said, adding that the president expects the final numbers to be on his desk by Dec. 31.

“It’s very important that we be on time. … We are on a schedule, if one thing falls behind, then everything falls behind. … We want to make sure that doesn’t happen,” he said. “The state of California can’t afford to lose any more federal money because the state is already taking money from local communities. … A full count of the census determines a lot.”

The 2010 Census is the 23rd count of the nation’s residents.

Patricia Hawkins, interim office manager of the South Gate/Lynwood office, said her first priority is to make sure communities know that “we do care.”
“You matter,” she said, referring to people. “The community matters, how better way to send that message to them than being right here in their communities. We understand people are concerned with confidentiality issues, and it’s going to be a tough sale, but we have to ensure that everyone is counted. We don’t care about your immigration status, about your living situation, we care about you, and we need you to be counted.”

Themed “It’s In Our Hands,” the census count is a count of everyone residing in the United States. All residents must be counted — both citizens and non-citizens.

People will receive their questionnaires in March. The U.S. Constitution requires a national census once every 10 years to count the population to determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives.

California gained a seat in the House after the 2000 Census. The bureau fears that depending on the response the census gets, the Golden State could lose a seat this time around.

With only 10 questions, the 2010 Census questionnaire takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Households are asked to provide key demographic information, including: Whether a housing unit is rented or owned; the address of the residence; and the names, genders, ages and races of others living in the household.

By law, the Census Bureau cannot share an individuals responses with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities.

For people who don’t respond to the first questionnaire, a second will be sent
out on April 1, which is being called Census Day.

If the second questionnaire isn’t mailed back by May 1, the Census Bureau will begin its largest field operation, where census numerators will span out throughout the entire country.

“Our communities have been undercounted and underserved for far too long,” Duarte said. “It’s time to change that.”