MIAMI: March 12, 2000. THE ASSOCIATION OF INDIANS IN AMERICA (AIA) TODAY LAUNCHED ITS 'BE COUNTED' CAMPAIGN FOR CENSUS 2000. THE AIA REQUESTS ALL PEOPLE OF (ASIAN)INDIAN ANCESTORY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EXERCISE.

DR. PIYUSH C. AGRAWAL, NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF AIA SAID "WE ALL MUST UNDERSTAND THAT IN A DEMOCRACY NUMBERS COUNT, ESPECIALLY IF WE ARE INTERESTED IN INFLUENCING THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS. PARTICIPATION IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IS NOT ONLY OUR CIVIC DUTY BUT EMPOWERS US TO GET THINGS DONE RIGHT. WE HAVE NO POWER IF WE DO NOT HAVE NUMBERS."

THE CENSUS FORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MAILED TOMORROW, MARCH 13, 2000 BY THE BUREAU OF THE CENSUS TO ABOUT 115 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS IN THE COUNTRY. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF CENSUS FORMS: SHORT FORM & LONG FORM. EVERY 5 HOUSEHOLDS OUT OF 6 WILL RECEIVE THE SHORT FORM AND EVERY 1 HOUSEHOLD OUT OF THE 6 WILL RECEIVE THE LONG FORM. HOUSEHOLDS WILL BE SELECTED ON A RANDOM BASIS TO RECIVE SHORT OR LONG FORM.

THE CENSUS 2000 FORMS ARE AVAILABLE IN SIX LANGUAGES: ENGLISH, SPANISH, CHINESE, KOREAN, VIETNAMESE, & TAGALOG. FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN THESE SIX LANGUAGES, THERE ARE ASSISTANCE GUIDES IN OVER 40 LANGUAGES INCLUDING HINDI, URDU AND BENGALI. ACCORDING TO DR. AGRAWAL, CHAIRMAN OF US 2000 CENSUS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ASIAN POPULATION "THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DONE ITS BEST TO REACH OUT AND TOUCH EVERY ONE BY BREAKING THE LANGUAGE BARRIER TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE. STILL, IF WE FAIL TO SHOULDER OUR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY WHILE ENJOYING THE PRIVILEGE OF LIVING IN THIS COUNTRY, IT IS OUR FAULT."

REMEMBER THAT ABOUT 185 BILLION FEDERAL DOLLARS ARE SPENT EVERY YEAR ON VARIOUS PROGRAMS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE CENSUS DATA. THEREFORE CENSUS HAS A TWO TRILLION-DOLLAR WORTH OF IMPORTANCE.

THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF (ASIAN) INDIANS IN THE UNITED STATES FOR THE YEAR 2000 IS 1.7 MILLION IF WE ALL COOPERATE; IF WE DO NOT, THE NUMBER MIGHT BE AS SMALL AS 1.3 MILLION, AN UNDERCOUNT OF MORE THAN 30%. SOME OF US MAY RECALL THAT THERE WAS AN UNDERCOUNT OF MINORITIES (INCLUDING ASIAN INDIANS) IN 1990.

SOME OF THE STEPS THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO ENSURE AN ACCURATE COUNT OF US (ASIAN INDIANS) ARE:

1. PLEASE FILL OUT AND MAIL THE CENSUS FORM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. DO NOT DELAY.
   
2. PLACE THE CHECK MARK ON "ASIAN INDIAN" CATEGORY. THERE IS NO CATEGORY FOR "INDIANS". AND DO NOT USE THE BLANK SPACE FOR WRITE-IN TO WRITE "INDIAN." The "ASIAN INDIAN" CATEGORY HAD TO BE CREATED TO AVOID THE CONFUSION BETWEEN 'AMERICAN INDIANS' AND 'INDIAN INDIANS.'
   
3. IN 1990, SOME OF US MARKED THE 'AMERICAN INDIAN' CATEGORY BELIEVING THAT WE ARE AMERICANS AND ALSO INDIANS. FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE 'INDIAN AMERICANS' AND NOT 'AMERICAN INDIANS.'
   
4. THE "ASIAN INDIAN" CATEGORY APPLIES TO ALL WHOSE ANCESTORS ORIGINATED FROM INDIA. THAT MEANS "ASIAN INDIAN" CATEGORY INCLUDES PEOPLE OF INDIAN ORIGIN WHETHER THEY CAME TO THIS COUNTRY VIA FIJI, EAST AFRICA, WEST INDIES, MAURITIOUS,OR ANY WHERE ELSE.
   
5. PLEASE ENCOURAGE EVERY BODY, CITIZENS, RESIDENTS, VISA HOLDERS OF ANY TYPE OR EVEN UNDOCUMENTED TO FILL THE CENSUS FORM. THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS GUARENTEED THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THE FORM. THIS INFORMATION SHALL NOT BE SHARED WITH ANY AGENCY (FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL)

WE ALL NEED TO BE COUNTED.

THIS IS YOUR FUTURE. DON'T LEAVE IT BLANK!

For more information, contact Dr. Piyush C. Agrawal at the numbers/address given below.