2010 Census and Redistricting

The Montagnard Dega Association (MDA), an SCSJ community partner located in Greensboro, N.C., is using new media to make sure that their “hard-to-count” group will have the resources they need in the upcoming decade.

The MDA is a North Carolina Refugee Service Provider that is now focusing on making sure that the Montagnard population gets counted in the 2010 Census. North Carolina’s Montagnard population is the largest outside Southeast Asia. However, this community has been counted as Vietnamese or Cambodian for more than 20 years and has been provided with information in languages they often do not understand, effectively denying this group the resources it needs for day-to-day life.

In an effort to change this, the MDA is encouraging all Montagnards to check “Asian-American” on the census questionnaire and fill in “Montagnard.” In order to make sure individuals understand how to do this, the MDA is producing a series of YouTube videos in each language spoken by this growing section of the community. Already posted are instructional videos in Rhade and Bunong, with three more in Koho, Bahnar, and Jarai coming soon.

The videos go through the questionnaire and translate each question with an audio guide and in written form. The MDA hopes that this will give a more accurate count of the Montagnard population and improve the quality of life of this group overall.

Finding ways to engage both youth and adults can be difficult, but two Georgia organizations came together and found a way to do just that. The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO), is dedicated to working for the Latino/Hispanic community and is a recipient of a mini-grant from the Southern Coalition for Social Justice to create a census outreach program. GALEO’s mission is to “increase representation of Latino/Hispanic elected and appointed officials, to proactively address the issues and needs of the Latino community, and to engage the Latino/Hispanic community in the democratic and policy process across the State of Georgia.” In order to ensure that their constituents make their voices heard, GALEO has been working in conjunction with the Georgia Latino Complete Count Committee (GLCCC) to encourage participation in the 2010 Census. As part of their campaign, "Si Te Cuentan, Tu Cuentas!" they are hosting a Census art and essay contest for all interested students and adults in the state of Georgia. While the contest is open to all residents, the campaign aims in particular to educate the Latino community, a group that has been historically underrepresented in previous counts. It is estimated that the Latino community may account for half of the population growth in the last decade, and an accurate count in 2010 would mean more resources allocated to this rapidly growing group. Participation in the Census is crucial in order to create change that will last for the next ten years. GALEO and the GLCCC are hoping that the “Si Te Cuentan, Tu Cuentas!” contest will draw attention to the Census and make community members active participants in the enumeration process. Members of the GLCCC will judge the contest entries along with votes from the general public, further increasing the reach of this program. For more information, check out www.latino2010.org