MIAMI: March 29, 2000. THE ASSOCIATION OF INDIANS IN AMERICA (AIA) IS ENCOURAGING ALL (ASIAN) INDIANS WHETHER THEY ARE CITIZENS, OR RESIDENT ALIENS (GREEN CARD HOLDERS), OR ARE HOLDERS OF H-1 VISA, STUDENT VISA, OR ANY OTHER VISA TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CENSUS 2000.

EVEN IF SOMEONE DOES NOT HAVE ANY VISA, THAT IS IF HE/SHE IS AN UNDOCUMENTED (ILLEGAL) ALIEN, SHOULD ALSO COMPLETE AND RETURN 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, EVEN IMMIGRATION & NATURALIZATION SERVICE, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE OR POLICE.

THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF CENSUS FORMS: SHORT FORM & LONG FORM. ABOUT 83% OF THE HOUSEHOLDS WILL RECEIVE THE SHORT FORM AND REMAINING 17% WILL RECEIVE THE LONG FORM. IT IS THE LONG FORM THAT HAS ALL THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING EDUCATION, INCOME, & LIFESTYLE. FOR MOST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE INDIAN COMMUNITY THESE ARE SIGNIFICANT INDICATORS OF ITS WELL-BEING. BUT, IF THE LONG FORMS ARE NOT COMPLETED AND MAILED BACK, THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF THE INDIAN COMMUNITY MAY NOT BE FULLY KNOWN.

DR. PIYUSH C. AGRAWAL, NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF AIA SAID "PARTICIPATION IN THE CENSUS 2000 IS NOT ONLY OUR CIVIC DUTY BUT IT EMPOWERS THE COMMUNITY WITH ITS NUMBERS, AND ITS LEVEL OF EDUCATION, INCOME AND LIFESTYLE. THAT'S WHERE THE CLOUT IS."

AN INFORMAL SURVEY OF THE (ASIAN) INDIAN COMMUNITY INDICATES THAT THE RATE OF RETURN OF THE LONG FORMS IS VERY LOW. THE LONG FORM DOES TAKE ABOUT 30-45 MINUTES OF TIME, AND UNDERSTANDABLY THE BUSY COMMUNITY IS PLANNING TO COMPLETE THE FORM "TOMORROW." AND THAT IS WHERE THE DANGER LIES Ð QUITE OFTEN TOMORROW IS TOO LATE.

THAT IS WHY THE AIA LAUNCHED ITS "BE COUNTED" CAMPAIGN MORE THAN TWO WEEKS AGO TO REQUEST ALL PEOPLE OF (ASIAN) INDIAN ANCESTORY TO CHECK MARK THE 'ASIAN INDIAN' CATEGORY IN THE RACE QUESTION, COMPLETE THE FORM AND MAIL IT BACK. IT MUST BE REITERETED HERE THAT THE 'ASIAN INDIAN' CATEGORY APPLIES TO ALL THOSE WHOSE ANCESTORS ORIGINATED FROM INDIA IRRESPECTIVE OF THE FACT WHETHER THEY CAME HERE VIA WEST INDIES, EAST AFRICA, FIJI, MAURITIOUS, OR ANY WHERE ELSE.

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.

IF YOU CARE TO GENERATE CLOUT; PARTICIPATE IN THE CENSUS 2000 EXERCISE.

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.