We are excited to announce that we have finalized our June 2010 Ballot Propositions 1-pagers for you to distribute among your members and allies!!  They include MIV’s analysis as well as recommendations for stances on the California June 2010 Statewide Ballot Propositions.  These 1-pagers are also available to be downloaded from our website, www.mivcalifornia.org.

• Prop. 13: Limits on Property Tax Assessment
• Prop. 14: Top Two Primaries
• Prop. 15: Fair Elections
• Prop. 16: Two-Thirds Requirement for Local Public Electricity Providers
• Prop. 17: Auto Insurance Surcharges

We are very proud to be able to provide you with such in-depth analysis on all of the propositions for the first time in a June election cycle.  This year, in order to have the capacity to take stances on the propositions, we went through an abbreviated process of collecting feedback from MIV’s Steering Committee, partners, and allies.  Thanks to all of you who provided feedback, and we look forward to seeing you at the November 2010 Ballot MIV Issue Analysis Forums!!  Good luck in your June outreach and mobilization efforts!!

Sincerely,

Mobilize the Immigrant Vote California Collaborative

Census Day has passed, but for many of us, the hard work continues! Census workers will be visiting households who have not filled out the survey through July 2010, and trusted community organizations have the opportunity to increase the reporting of our communities! Below are key resources available to you. Please spread the word to your communities and partners. If there are resources, particularly translated materials, you need, please contact Mari at mari@mivcalifornia.org. MIV’s resources are limited, but we may be able to support your efforts!

Make Sure Our Communities Count! It’s Not Too Late!
Census Resources for Immigrant Families and Organizations

Access simple Census talking points for immigrant families in seven languages now!
Materials are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog and French.

Map your organization’s efforts and learn about Census activities in your local region!
The Advancement Project and Healthy City Project have developed a website that will allow you to report the work of your organization and for you to see the latest reports on undercounting across California and what other groups are doing in your community. Click here to register your organization at the website. For more information or with technical questions, contact census2010@healthycity.org

See which zip codes in California have the lowest Census return rates to date! Many communities with poor and working class families, immigrants, and people of color have some of the lowest rates of return for the survey to date, according to Census non-participation rate reports. The Healthy City Project has prepared an initial “Top 100 Urban and Top 100 Rural ZIP Codes” that have some of the lowest Census return rates and most urgently need California’s attention. The ranking is based on a combination of non-participation rates and population density/total population. This document is an extremely beneficial tool to organizations because it can help us see how our communities are doing in terms of filling out the Census survey, it can help us see what groups are working in these regions, and it can help make the case with grassroots leaders and funders that we have to invest in these areas. If you are working in these areas, but are not currently listed as an outreach organization, upload your work into the Health City Project system today! If you send your name, organization, contact information, and what zip codes your organization is working in to mari@mivcalifornia.org by this Tuesday, April 20, she will include that information in MIV’s efforts to ensure that the mapping and coordinating system includes as man of our organizations as possible.

The Census Bureau also published an interactive map that tracks mail return rates by Census tract on a daily basis.

Gain access to materials tailored for Latino and Spanish-speaking communities!

• Become a partner of the NALEO ¡HAGASE CONTAR! Campaign and have access to their Census toolkit and the latest updates on their campaign!
• Use fliers and talking points produced by California Rural Legal Assistance in English and Spanish!

Gain access to materials tailored for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities!
Spearheaded by the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, the California Asian and Pacific Islander 2010 Census Network, also known as API Count, is a network of Asian and Pacific Islander organizations that have come together to promote Asian and Pacific Islander involvement in Census 2010. Click here now to learn more about API Count. Click on to Languages/Resources on the website to gain AAPI language-specific resources.

Census resources in indigenous languages!
California Rural Legal Assistance has teamed up with New America Media to produce informational DVDs on the Census in indigenous languages including Mixteco, Triqui, Zapoteco, Chatino. To receive a copy of these DVDs, contact Rachel Hoerger at rhoerger@crla.org !

Youth media campaign to promote the Census!
New America media has launched a campaign for youth to write letters to their families and communities about the importance of filling out the Census. Read a the recent San Francisco Chronicle coverage of this campaign! (Article 1, Article 2) Contact Jacob Simas at jsimas@newamericamedia.org to learn more about the project.

Learn how to avoid Census scams!
Click here to gain resources on helping our communities avoid people seeking to commit Census scams and fraud.

Other Key Resources!

• New America media has several articles posted on their website related to the Census and immigrants.
• State of California Coordinating Website with unique interactive resources and new tools and events being posted daily
• Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Tools (PDF) & Resources
• Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network “Nonprofits Count!” Campaign
• Sample Successful E-messages from Santa Clara County that you can tailor for your local region created by Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN).
• Download copies of letters from U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Justice confirming the confidentiality of Census responses. These official documents can be useful for conversations with several stakeholders including media outlets and new partner organizations.
• Learn what people should know if the addresses on their surveys are incorrect.

March 16,2010

The Honorable Nydia Velazquez
Chairwoman Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairwoman Velazquez:

I am writing as follow-up to your meeting with the President on March 11, 2010, where I understand the issue ofthe decennial census was discussed. As you know, all of the information the Census Bureau collects, including from people residing in the United States without lawful immigration status, is confidential and protected by law. This information will not be shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and may not be used for immigration enforcement purposes. Please feel free to share this information with your constituents.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) fully supports a thorough and accurate count of the U.S. population and we are committed to working with the Census Bureau to ensure our enforcement responsibilities do not interfere with this process. As the Commerce Department has made clear, neither the Commerce Department nor the Census Bureau will ask ICE to refrain from exercising its lawful authority, However, DHS and ICE will ensure that our actions are well coordinated and do not affect their ability to collect accurate and comprehensive data for the census.

We look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure the public is well informed about our Department’s work during the Census and throughout the year. An identical letter has been sent to the other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the concerns you raised with President Obama.

Yours very truly,

Janet Napolitano
www.dhs.gov

Census forms are delivered directly to each household, either by the U.S. Postal Service or U.S. Census Bureau’s employees. About 90% of households in the United States received the census forms in the mail, the remaining 10% rural households had their forms hand-delivered. Each census form contains a unique barcode and the 20-digit identification number for each household. The information embedded in the barcode and the 20-digit identification number allow the Census Bureau to precisely allocate the count to the cities and counties where these households are located.

Opportunists and scammers may want to take advantage of this once-a-decade national effort. To ensure that the count is safe and confidential, the following information will help residents avoid census fraud and scams:

• The unique barcode and the 20-digit ID number are on the back of each 2010 Census form.
• None of the questions on the 2010 Census form asks for Social Security number, driver’s license number, bank account or PIN number, immigration or citizenship status.
• The Census Bureau NEVER asks for donations or money.
• The Census Bureau NEVER requests for information via e-mail.
• The Census Bureau does not conduct surveys or censuses on behalf of political parties or organizations.

If you are unsure that the 2010 Census form you received is authentic, please visit a Questionnaire Assistance Center (QAC) near you for help or call the Seattle Regional Census Center at 425-908-3000. QAC locations can be found on the Internet at www.2010census.gov .

Toll-free telephone assistance hotlines are available 7 days a week, from 8 am to 9 pm, in English and 5 other languages: English (1-866-872-6868), Spanish (1-866-928-2010), Chinese (1-866-935-2010), Vietnamese (1-866-945-2010), Korean (1-866-955-2010) and Russian (1-866-965-2010). Deaf and hard-of-hearing persons can call the TDD number: 1-866-783-2010.

Beginning in May, census workers will be visiting households that fail to mail back the 2010 Census form to collect information. To help residents avoid fraud and scams, here are ways how census workers can be identified:

• The 2010 Census workers will present residents a notice titled “Your Answers Are Confidential,” which explains the U.S. Code, Title 13, which guarantees the safeguarding and confidentiality of information collected by the Census Bureau.
• Questions asked by 2010 Census workers will be the same questions on the 2010 Census form.
• The 2010 Census workers will NEVER ask to come into your home.
• The 2010 Census workers will NEVER ask for money or donations, Social Security number, driver’s license number, bank account or PIN number, immigration or citizenship status.
• The 2010 Census workers wear a white ID badge with blue and red lettering.
• The 2010 Census workers may carry a black and white canvas bag that bears the Census Bureau’s name and logo.

In the event residents want to verify that the census takers at their doors are legitimate employees of the US Census Bureau, they are encouraged to call the Seattle Regional Census Center at 1-877-471-5432. Residents also can ask census workers to provide them with a Local Census Office’s telephone number, which they can call to verify employment status. If residents feel threatened, they should call local law enforcement or 911.

Mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the census takes place every 10 years. Census Day is April 1, 2010. Census data determine boundaries for state and local legislative and congressional districts. More than $400 billion in federal funds are distributed annually based on census data to pay for local programs and services, such as schools, highways, vocational training, emergency services, hospitals, unemployment benefits and much more. Learn more about the 2010 Census at www.2010.census.gov.

-X-

Editor’s note: News releases, reports and data tables are available on the Census Bureau’s home page. Go to www.2010census.gov/ and click on “Press & Media.” The Census Bureau’s Newsroom is at www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/news/.

Get prepared! The Census form will be mailed to your home around March 15 in a large envelope, and legally everyone in the United States must fill it out! To prepare you, your family and your household:
1) Save the envelope and fill out the form. Do not throw the envelope away!
2) Collect the first and last name of everyone in your household now (including family and non-family members living in granny units, garages, extra bedrooms, etc.)
3) Collect the dates of birth of each and every person in the household now, before your receive the Census form.

Remember that the Census is completely confidential and really easy to fill out. If we don’t all participate in Santa Clara County we stand to lose 1 billion dollars for such essential public services as schools, hospitals, roads, senior programs, child care, and public transportation in the next 10 years. Every person living in the United States needs to be counted.

You will receive your Census form in an envelope very similar to this:

The Census form is blue with black writing and it looks like this:

Please fill your Census form and return in the envelope that looks like the following:

Remember: WE ALL MOVE FORWARD WHEN YOU SEND IT BACK!
If you need any assistance please contact SIREN at 408-453-3003 ext.111.

Census 2010: You Are Worth $20,000 to Your Community

We are all worth at least 20,000 dollars for our community.
There is a lot at stake with the 2010 Census. The Census decides the distribution of more than 440 billion dollars annually to state and local governments. The undercount of the immigrant community in the 2000 Census cost billions of dollars in lost funding for our communities. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LET THAT HAPPEN IN 2010!

In Santa Clara County only 70% of our community was counted in the 2000 Census. This means about 540,000 people were not counted in the 2000 census! For every person that is not counted our community loses about $2,000 each year for ten years, totaling about $20,000 per person this decade. The Census 2000 undercount of our local community cost Santa Clara County more than one billion dollars!

What is at stake when we are not all counted?
• For everyone: access to better jobs
• For our elders: better access to health clinics and senior centers
• For our children: new schools and daycare centers
• For low-income people: food, housing, job training, health care
• For our political power: stronger political representation & a stronger voice for our community

Around March 15 you will receive your 2010 Census form in the mail. Please take 10 minutes to fill it out remembering to include everyone in your household, because we can’t move forward until you mail it back!

For more information please contact SIREN at 408-453-3003 Ext 111, or via email at efrain@siren-bayarea.org

What is the Census?
The Census is a complete count of everyone living in the U.S. The Census takes place every 10 years and serves as a mirror of our community, reflecting who and how many we are and what our communities look like. The information gathered during the Census is used to make decisions that can benefit your family and community and affect your everyday lives, including in the following ways:

- Distribute over $400 billion in federal funding each year to local communities
- Make local planning decisions regarding social services and infrastructure
- Enforce civil rights and prevent discrimination

Why does it matter?
Participating in the Census means that you are reflected in the mirror of America, and your family’s needs are taken into consideration by the people who make decisions about your community. Census data is used to provide important services in the community, such as:

Schools *Hospitals *Roads *Job training
Affordable housing *School lunches *Public transportation
Bilingual education *Emergency services

Census data also is used to prevent discrimination and enforce civil rights in education, employment, fair housing and social service. When everyone is counted, your community can receive the resources it needs and deserves.

Who is counted in the Census?
The Census counts EVERYONE who is living in the United States around Census Day, April 1. The Census counts everyone regardless of citizenship or immigration status. The Census counts people of all ages, including newborn babies and senior citizens. When completing your Census questionnaire, be sure to count everyone living in your home at the time, even they are not related to you and/or are living with you temporarily. Complete participation in the Census is the first step toward gaining equal rights and resources for everyone in the community.

What happens if I am not counted?
Your community could lose $1600 per person every year, for the next 10 years for every person who does not complete and return a Census questionnaire. You may lose access to important services and programs that your family depends on, and remain invisible to the people who make important decisions that affect the well-being of your family. The Census only happens once every 10 years, so these losses and inequalities can last until 2020.

How do I participate?
Census questionnaires will be mailed out in March, and many people will receive their Census questionnaire in the mail at home. You should complete and return a mailed form as soon as possible, and make sure to include every person who is currently staying in the home, even if they are not related to you or are living there temporarily. If you do not receive a questionnaire by mail, or if someone in the house was not included on your form, additional Be Counted questionnaires and Questionnaire Assistance Centers will be available in various locations throughout the community. People who do not have a home and have not been counted can complete a Be Counted form and indicate the location where they usually stay. A Census taker may come to the house in some areas where questionnaires do not get mailed out and/or when a household doesn’t return the Census questionnaire. The Census Bureau also does a special count for people in shelters and outdoor locations in the end of March.

What if I do not understand the questionnaire or need help in completing it?
Completing the questionnaire can still be a challenge, especially for people who do not speak English or who do not read and write well. Anyone who does not understand the questionnaire and/or needs assistance in filling it out can call the Telephone Questionnaire Assistance line (1-866-872-6868 for English or 1-866-928-2010 for Spanish, beginning February 25) or take it to a Questionnaire Assistance Center once they open in the neighborhood (February 25 – April 19) and someone can assist you in filling out the form in your own language.

Are my answers safe?
Any information that you provide to the Census Bureau is completely safe and confidential. The Census Bureau is prohibited by federal law from giving your information to any other person or branch of government, including Immigration & Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security, the IRS, the police, your boss or landlord, or anyone else. Information is used to gain an accurate count of the population, respond to the needs of your community, and produce general statistics. Your personal information is protected by law and cannot be used to identify you or be used against you in any way. All Census employees are prohibited by law from revealing any information and they face harsh penalties (fines of up to $250,000 and/or 5 years in prison) for any violation. Any Census employee who visits you at home will have a badge to identify him/herself and a notice of confidentiality.

1 KEY CENSUS TALKING POINTS – CRLA Census 2010 1. WHY THE CENSUS IS IMPORTANT FOR… Rights, Resources, Representation

INDIVIDUAL – The Census is the most effective way of guaranteeing equal rights, resources, and representation. Participation in the Census can bring essential programs to the community (such as housing, education, medical and emergency services, job training and bilingual programming, among others) by making the community’s needs known to decision makers.

The Census is a mirror of America, and everyone in the community, in California and in the nation should be reflected in that mirror, in all of our rich diversity. Political representation and civil rights enforcement depend on participation in the Census. The Census data are used for apportionment (the number of seats in the House of Representatives), redistricting at the state and local level, and enforcement of voting rights and other laws that protect civil rights and prohibit discrimination.

LOCAL COMMUNITY – Census data is used to allocate over $400 billion per year in federal funds to local communities, to make local planning decisions regarding social services and infrastructure, and to determine political representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Census data is used in planning where to building new schools, hospitals and clinics, roads, bridges and other public works; as well as in providing job training, social and medical services for women and children, bilingual education and voting programs, affordable housing programs, public transportation services, veterans’ benefits, welfare programs, and emergency services. Census data is also used to prevent discrimination and enforce civil rights in education, employment, fair housing, social services, and voting.

When everyone is counted, the community receives the resources and representation that it truly needs and deserves.

INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY – [See Question 3]

2. WHO IS COUNTED IN THE CENSUS

The Census counts EVERYONE who is living in the United States around Census Day, April 1. The Census counts citizens, non-citizens, and undocumented immigrants, and does NOT ask about your immigration status. The Census counts people of all ages, including newborn babies and senior citizens. When completing your Census questionnaire, be sure to count everyone living in your home at the time, even they are not related to you and/or are living with you temporarily.

3. WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE COUNTED AS INDIGENOUS

Indigenous communities should have the right to equal access to essential services that meet their specific needs – such as programs in their own languages, for example – and to be recognized and counted as indigenous. Participating in the Census is the first step toward ensuring equal rights, resources and representation for indigenous communities, and in important for gaining accurate information about your community.

The Census questionnaire can be complicated and the questions do not accurately represent indigenous communities. There are specific ways to answer the questions on race and Hispanic origin in order to be counted indigenous communities. When the Census asks whether you are of “Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin” (Question 8 for Person 1; Question 5 for others), you should check the box “Yes, Mexican, Mexican Am., Chicano,” even if you consider yourself to be, for example, Mixteco, Triqui, Purepecha, Nahuatl or Zapoteco, rather than Mexican. When the Census asks about your race (Question 9 for Person 1; Question 6 for others), you should check the box “American Indian or Alaska Native,” and then write in the name of your ethnic group in the boxes (eg, Mixteco, Triqui, Purepecha, Nahuatl, Zapoteco). This is not completely accurate and might not seem right, but it is the best way to ensure that the Census Bureau properly counts you as indigenous and gain complete information about the indigenous communities. The Census Bureau is going to consider a new question that might better reflect indigenous communities.

4. WHAT QUESTIONS WILL THE CENSUS ASK

The Census will ask several questions that relate to the entire household, including everyone who is currently staying in the house. It will also ask questions about each individual person living there. It is important to include accurate information about every person who is staying in the house (including babies and children, and all people living there, even if only temporarily), and to remember that all of this information is completely safe and confidential.
Questions for the entire household:
• How many people live in this house?
• Is the house owned or rented?
• Home phone number, in case the Census Bureau doesn’t understand your answer

Questions for each person living in the house:
• Name
• Sex
• Age and date of birth
• Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin
• Race
• Relationship
• Does this person sometimes live somewhere else?

5. CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION

The information provided to the Census Bureau is completely safe and confidential. The Census Bureau is prohibited by federal law from giving your information to any other person or branch of government, including Immigration & Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security, the IRS, the police, your boss or landlord, or anyone else. Information is used to produce statistics and to gain an accurate count of everyone who lives in the U.S. and respond to the specific needs of your community. Your personal information is protected by law and cannot be used to identify you or be used against you in any way. All Census employees swear an oath that they will not reveal your information, and they face harsh penalties (fines of up to $250,000 and/or 5 years in prison) if they violate this. Any Census employee who visits people at home will have a badge and notice of confidentiality to identify him/herself.

6. RISK OF NOT PARTICIPATING

The risk of not completing and returning a Census questionnaire is that your community loses out on important benefits, funding and programs, including almost $1200 per year in federal funding for every person who is not counted. Undercounted communities remain invisible to the people who make important decisions that affect the well-being of families and the community, and they can lose political power and the chance to make their heard on other important issues. The Census only happens once every 10 years, so losses and inequalities can last for the next 10 years. Participating in the Census is the first step toward attaining equal rights, resources and representation for the community, but this cannot happen as long as it remains invisible.

7. HOW TO PARTICIPATE

MAILED FORM – The Census is a mail-out/mail-back survey. Many people will receive their Census questionnaire in the mail at home, and some people will receive a bilingual questionnaire in Spanish and English. A questionnaire received by mail should be completed to include every person who is currently staying in the home, even if they are not related to you or are living there temporarily. Anyone who does not understand the questionnaire or needs assistance in filling it out can call the Telephone Questionnaire Assistance line (1-866-872-6868 for English or 1- 866-928-2010 for Spanish) or take it to a Questionnaire Assistance Center in the neighborhood where someone can assist you in filling out the form in your own language. The official questionnaire is available in the following languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Russian. There are also language guides in 59 languages available on the census website, 2010.census.gov/partners/materials/inlanguage.php to assist in filling out the questionnaire. Once the questionnaire is completed it should be returned through the mail, but it does not need a stamp.

BE COUNTED FORM – If no Census form arrives in the mail, or if someone was not included in the form, Be Counted Census questionnaires are available in various locations throughout the community. People who do not have a home and have not been counted can complete a Be Counted form and indicate the location where they usually stay. Someone who lives in a trailer in a backyard, or rents a shed, or lives under the porch or in the garage, can complete a Be Counted form and indicate a sub-address, like “apartment A” or “separate garage”. It is very important to describe every address accurately so that the Census can understand where everyone lives.

QUESTIONNAIRE ASSISTANCE CENTERS (QACs) – The Census questionnaire is simpler this year than in previous years and asks fewer questions. Completing the questionnaire can still be a challenge, especially for people who do not speak English or who do not read and write well. There will be Telephone Questionnaire Assistance and various places in the community where the Census Bureau will assist people in filling out the questionnaire in the available languages or by using language assistance guides. There will be a list of QACs available in every area.

CENSUS TAKERS – Census takers will come to the door in some areas where questionnaires do not get mailed out and/or when a household does not return the Census questionnaire.

P.O. BOXES – Census forms are not mailed to post office boxes. Some P.O. Box communities will have questionnaires delivered and some will have enumerators come to the door. P.O. Box communities should contact the Local Census Office (LCO) to make sure that the Census Bureau staff knows where they are.

HARD-TO-LOCATE HOUSING UNITS AND COMPLEX HOUSEHOLDS – Low income individuals and families, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, families displaced by foreclosures, people who are homeless, and others, often live in housing that is difficult to locate, and/or in crowded or unconventional housing. It is very important to ensure that people in hard-tolocate housing and complex households are counted. The Census Bureau needs to know the locations of hidden housing, farm labor camps, areas with hard-to-locate housing units and where complex households reside. Working in partnership with the LCO can help to ensure that people in these households are counted. Giving people the message that everyone in the household needs to be identified, if only by number, is essential to having a complete Census.

8. HISTORIC UNDERCOUNT

Racial and ethnic groups, indigenous people, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, renters, children, recent immigrants, historically are differentially undercounted in the Census. In the 2000 Census, 25-30% of all indigenous people and migrant and seasonal farmworkers did not get counted. That means that their communities lost out on millions of dollars in funding, programs and services that could have benefited their families and their future. Communities have continued to grow and become more diverse in their needs, so this year it is even more critical to ensure that everyone is counted in the Census and that communities do not continue to lose out over the next 10 years.

Census 2010: Have you received your Census Questionnaire?

What is the Census questionnaire?
The Census is required by the U.S. Constitution. It counts everyone living in the United States on April 1, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. The information is used to identify and respond to local needs, and to allocate federal funding and political representation. The information is confidential and is not shared with anyone or any government agency.

Who is counted in the Census?
The Census counts everyone. Make sure that you include everyone who is living or staying with you, including babies, the elderly, non-relatives and people staying with you temporarily or renting a space from you. The Census counts you wherever you are living.

Why is it important to return the questionnaire?
Census data helps to distribute over $400 billion in federal funding each year to states and local communities, determines political representation, and helps to plan and fund local programs that serve your community.

What will the questionnaire ask?
The Census asks 10 questions for each person staying where you live: how many people live in the household, whether you own or rent your home, your telephone number, your name, sex, age & date of birth, race and ethnic background, whether you sometimes live or stay elsewhere, and the relationship between occupants. It does NOT ask about citizenship, immigration status or social security number.

When will the questionnaire arrive and when should I send it in?
The questionnaires already have been mailed out. You should return your completed questionnaire as soon as you receive it.

What if I don’t get a questionnaire? What if I need help filling it out?
Some people might not receive a questionnaire, might not be included on a completed form or might need assistance in filling out the questionnaire. There are Questionnaire Assistance Centers in your community where a Census employee can help you complete the questionnaire in your own language. There are places where you can pick up a Be Counted questionnaire. Census questionnaires are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Russian and language Assistance Guides are available in 59 languages to help you complete the form. You can call the Telephone Questionnaire Assistance Line, 1-866-872-6868 in English, 1-866-928-2010 in Spanish. For questions or additional information, please contact us: California Rural Legal Assistance

This is the second in a series of two articles introducing a couple of basic ways of narrowing and refining voter lists (also known as voter targeting) using the California Voter Connect/Voter Activation Network(VAN) system , which can help improve the effectiveness of your organization’s Get Out The Vote (GOTV) and voter education efforts. I use the Korean Resource Center (KRC)’s 2008 electoral campaign experience to illustrate some of the concepts presented.

In this article, it is expected that:

• Your organization has access to VAN or a similar voter database system. (If you are a MIV Impact Partner or formerly a MOVE partner, you have access to VAN. Contact Lolita Roibal of MIV for more information.)
• You have some familiarity using the VAN system.

How to determine voters by language spoken
At KRC we used the voter’s place of birth to guess their preferred language. If they are born in the U.S., they are likely to speak English, and otherwise they may prefer another language. There is no single checkbox in the voter’s database that corresponds to this. Voters write different things in the “Place of birth” box, and the county registrar records the entries as-is. Therefore, you need to check “United States”, and every single state individually.

Adjusting for registration mistakes
Sometimes we encounter Korean American voters who write in their registration form that they were born in California despite being 70 years old. Given most of Korean Americans immigrated to the U.S. over the past 30 years, it’s very unlikely that seniors may be born in the U.S. These voters probably confused “Place of Birth” with “State of Residency”, or something similar. To discard voters who may have erroneously listed themselves as being born in the U.S. and to place them back into the foreign born category, I ran a frequency count of voters born in the U.S. and did an eye based guesstimate of 42 years old as the threshold for cutting off voters.

It’s possible to simply produce this list by running a search with the two criteria (born in the U.S. and under 42 years old). However, by the time I had decided to make these cut offs, we had several different voter lists based on geographic and demographic criteria, so it was a bit of a pain to run this for each and every list. Instead, I made and saved a big list encompassing every Korean American in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas (KRC’s target areas) restricted to those born in the U.S. and under 42 years old. This list consisted of about 13,000 voters. Then, for every list, I intersected the list with the US Born list.

Voters by mail
Another type of targeting done at KRC was identifying voters who are permanently registered to vote by mail and contacting them before the rest of voters, so that we may not reach them late in the process, after they had already cast their vote. When permanent vote by mail status is available in VAN. KRC mails voters 5 weeks before the elections and starts contacting voters by phone 4 weeks before, around the time voters start receiving the mailers. I split the voters’ list so that permanent voters would be called during the first week of calls.

The mixed household problem
For implementing all this in your actual GOTV campaign, some fine tuning is needed. Given standard GOTV practices common to most organizations, splitting your voter lists can cause problems, because the lists can split households.

How it happens
Suppose you just split a list by place of birth – all voters born in the U.S. in one list, and the rest in another. One of the households has two voters in it: one is born in the U.S., and the other is not.

Why is this bad
Most organizations save money and time by centralizing their GOTV efforts. For example, if multiple voters live in one address, we don’t send one piece of mail to each person – one mailer is sent addressed to the entire family. Similarly, when phonebanking, if there is more than one voter under the phone number, we attempt to talk to all of them in one phone call (as opposed to talking with one voter one night, and then talking to another voter in the same household the next day.)

VAN optimizes the process so that this is automated – it generates a mailing list with only one label per address, addressed to “The Kim Family”, “The Gutierrez Family”, and the like, and for phone banking and precinct walking, the lists will print household members clustered together.

VAN does not do this if multiple household members are spread through multiple lists, because they are, after all, different lists.

As a result, we will find upset voters telling volunteers to not call twice.

How to fix it
This situation can be avoided with a slight compromise. Just lump mixed households together, and forego targeting. You can still decide which list will be joined with the lumped list. For example, if a household has both Korean speaking and English speaking voters, you will have to decide whether that household as a whole would be lumped with the English speaking voters’ list or the Korean speaking voters’ list.

This can be accomplished by 1) splitting the list, 2) doing a “fill by address” with the list to be lumped with the mixed ones, and 3) doing a mutual exclusion to ensure no overlaps. Actual VAN operations consist of the below:
1. List-1: “KA voters who are born in the US, AND below 42 years old”
2. List-2: “from Universe of voters, exclude List-1″
3. Fill List-2 by household voting address and save
4. List-3: “from Universe, exclude List-2″
5. List-4: “from Universe, exclude List-3″
6. English-Only Households = List-3
7. Korean and Mixed Households = List-4

These are some examples of the kind of targeting that can be done for improved efficiency.

For more information about California VoterConnect, contact Dan Ancona.
For more information about MIV’s technology support, contact Lolita Roibal.

The Latino Riverside County population in California, which consists of 43 % of the population, only accounts for about 20% of the registered voters and represents 15% of voter turnout. These low levels of civic participation reflect the inequity that still exists within Riverside and similar counties across the country. Mr. Francisco Solá, a Riverside resident and community leader, recognized that a permanent and local effort was needed in the Riverside area, and he established the Riverside Latino Voter Project (RLVP) in September 1995. Since its founding, RVLP has registered and mobilized approximately 5,000 Latino voters, partnered with 35 local organizations and conducted over 100 voter registration drives.

RVLP’s work is anchored with the student volunteer core at the University of California at Riverside, the most racially diverse university of the entire UC system. An added focus of RLVP is to engage the increasing Asian immigrant community and in particularl the Asian youth. The University of California, Riverside has the largest Asian American student population of all UC campuses who make up 42% of the student population. UCR’s diversity in conjunction with the other Riverside area higher education institutions, provides the opportunity for RLVP to incorporate projects that continue to increase the number of immigrants and youth voter registration and participation.

“There are disturbing levels of hostility against immigrants in Riverside, in particular from some elected official who campaign on anti-immigrant rights platforms” says Mr. Solá, Founder and Chair of the Riverside Latino Voter Project. “This helps fosters an environment where you see a proliferation of anti-immigrant sentiments and the presence of extremist groups like the Minutemen and even public rallies by Neo-Nazis.”

The 2009 Victory: Continuing the Work of 2008

In 2009, one key focus for the work of the Riverside Latino Voter Project was the passage of the DREAM ACT (Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act) to help individuals who meet certain requirements have the opportunity to go to college or join the military and have a path to citizenship, which they otherwise would not have without this legislation.

While the DREAM ACT is no longer an active bill in Congress, the work of the Riverside Latino Voter Project achieved important results in increasing the consciousness and local institutional support of federal immigration reform in Riverside County. The Dream Act Coalition developed with the Riverside Latino Voter conducted local forums on immigration reform at three high schools, three universities, and in two community locations. Students and youth voters, largely based at UC Riverside, conducted lobbying visits with elected officials, higher education administrators, school board members, city council members and prominent community leaders and organizations. They conducted a survey of 150 voters to gauge their support of the Dream Act. RLVP obtained the endorsement of Riverside Community College Chancellor , Dr Gregory Gray, and University of California Riverside Chancellor, Dr. Timothy White.

Profile of a Grassroots Leader: Alejandra Monroy

Alejandra Monroy is a critical student leader with the Riverside Latino Voter Project and the Dream Activist Coalition at UC Riverside. She has been instrumental in the RLVP oral history project and putting on the PODER conference for parents and students. Says Ms. Monroy, “We see the connections between attacks on immigrant families and attacks on working and middle class students with the recent proposed UC fee increases. We know our rights. We know what’s important. The election of Barack Obama gave me the confidence to strengthen my leadership. We’re continuing full steam ahead in 2010!”

Best Practices

• Making the Connections: one of the first things to observe about the Riverside Latino Riverside Project is their integrated approach – they register local student and resident voters, mobilize them to vote, organize them to engage with their elected officials, and have built a permanent, year-round civic engagement program. Says Mr. Solá, “There is a voting component to all public policy issues that has to be recognized. University fees are approved by Regents who are appointed by elected officials. Elected city council members approve immigration check points in Riverside. When we make these connections, it becomes a lot easier to recruit volunteers to our organization and to convince local residents to vote.”
• Youth Leadership Development: RLVP emphasizes the long-term value of investing in youth leadership, who often become activists for the rest of their lives based on the formative experiences at UC Riverside and with RLVP.
• Organizational Networks: Addressing issues of broad interest such as the Dream Act allows RLVP to expand its organizational networks. For many years Riverside has not had a significant presence of organizations involved with immigrant social justice and political rights. Several labor, religious and immigrant organizations are now partnering with RLVP projects and campaigns. It is common for organizations interesting in expanding to Riverside area to share and network with RLVP members and resources.

What’s Ahead

The Riverside Latino Voter Project is currently working to develop a Riverside-based immigrant civic engagement coalition and preparing for its work on voter engagement and immigration reform advocacy in 2010.

For more information about the Riverside Latino Voting Project, contact Francisco Solá at lvrep@lvrep.org or 951-780-7206.

The Stage
The Chinese population comprises almost 25% of the entire population of the city of San Francisco with Asians at almost 40% of the city’s population. There are prominent Chinese American elected officials, but that does not mean that there has been sufficient changes in the daily lives of low-income Chinese families and other low-income communities of color and immigrant families.
Founded in 1972, the Chinese Progressive Association educates, organizes and empowers the low-income and working class immigrant Chinese community in San Francisco to build collective power with other oppressed communities to demand better living and working conditions and justice for all people.

The 2009 Victory: Continuing the Work of 2008

In 2009, the Chinese Progressive Association united with organizations across the city to form the Budget Justice Coalition to stave off cuts to vital services and programs in the San Francisco City Budget; on a statewide level CPA organized successfully defending resources for the Healthy Families program which provides health care to low-income children. Organizations like CPA successfully brought the working class voter and family perspective to the debates on the municipal budget. “Because we had done the deeper political education with our members and developed a multi-issue platform, it was easy for our leaders to lead with a message that the most vulnerable need to be protected, as opposed to advocating to protect funding to their communities at the expense of other marginalized communities,” shares Alex T. Tom, Executive Director of CPA. “Many of our members had voted in the November 2008 elections or had family members who had, and they wanted to hold elected officials accountable post-elections. The 2008 Presidential Elections brought new people to the process, but it was the hard work in 2009 that developed them. Our platform was critical to ensure that these developing leaders were fighting for a broader social justice agenda.”

Profile of a Grassroots Leader: Tiffany Ng

Tiffany Ng, a youth organizer and Youth MOJO member, was born and raised in San Francisco’s working-class community. Her parents emigrated from Hong Kong and Chaozhou, China. Along with other Chinese Progressive Association youth members, she is currently working on a campaign pushing for single payer healthcare. She lives in Southeast San Francisco and is a senior at Washington High School. Tiffany was active in CPA’s electoral work in 2008 and the Save Healthy Families Campaign in 2009.

Best Practices

• Developing voters and leaders post-elections: in 2009, CPA decided that they wanted to focus on a smaller set of grassroots leaders, but go deeper in terms of political education and leadership development. They worked with the leaders to discuss what they would fund in the budget if they were President, Governor or Mayor. When the time came, the investment paid off, and these leaders were able to share a united and nuanced message in the budget debate.
• Multi-issue platform and “continuous campaigns:” rather than focus on one or two lead issues, CPA decided to develop a platform of principles that could link multiple issues such as the War with budget and tax reform. CPA has identified the continuous “Fight for Our Future” Campaign, or F3, to be a common thread throughout all of their work.
• Cross-generational strategies: one of CPA’s recent achievements has been to develop a separate youth membership structure. In the past, youth and adult membership were combined and it sometimes felt that youth were the “foot soldiers” for the adults. Now, CPA has distinct youth and adult leadership bodies who mutually support each other, but also have autonomy and independence.

What’s Ahead

In 2010, Chinese Progressive Association will continue its Fight for Our Future (F3) campaign and lead a voter engagement campaign in San Francisco. 2010 will build on the strong foundation of organizational development and leadership development achieved in 2009.
For more information about the Chinese Progressive Association, contact Alex T. Tom at alex@cpasf.org or 415-391-6986 x 310.