Changing Face of America

The ethnic and racial composition of the United States has changed dramatically since 2000. The 2010 Census results are projected to show this trend continuing. Therefore, the U.S. Census Bureau is placing special emphasis on securing a complete and accurate count for those sectors of the United States population that have historically been undercounted. This includes Russian speakers.

For the first time in the history of the Census, Questionnaire Assistance Centers (QAC) will be opened to aid Russian speakers. Russian-language forms will be available to order over the phone through a toll-free number. Bilingual Census personnel at QAC’s also can help Russian-speakers to fill out English forms that they receive in the mail.

In addition to providing access to Russian-speaking employees at the Questionnaire Assistance Centers, the Census Bureau is hiring bilingual census workers. These census workers will visit areas with high concentrations of Russian speakers. A Census Bureau employee will visit the respondent at their home and collect the answers in person if this respondent does not fill out and mail back the census form on time.

Another way that the Census Bureau hopes to increase participation within Russian community is through in-language 2010 Census brochures, fact sheets, and frequently asked questions that are available for download on the census Web site, 2010.census.gov. Russian-American organizations and community leaders across the country are encouraging participation in their communities through distribution of these in-language materials.

The 2010 Census form will be the shortest in history. This simple form consists of 10 easy questions and takes just a few minutes to complete and send back via mail. The questions ask for information such as name, gender, age, date of birth, race, and whether respondents own or rent their home. There are no questions about immigration status, Social Security Numbers, political or religious affiliation. All responses are used for statistical purposes only, are strictly confidential, and are not shared with anyone, including any other federal agency.

The results obtained from the 2010 Census data will determine how $400 billion in funds are allocated to states for the development of hospitals, schools, police stations, roads and other critical community services.

Over the last 10 years, the face of our nation has changed dramatically, but in order to know precisely how much it has changed, the U.S. Census Bureau encourages every person residing in the United States to participate in the upcoming census.

For more information about the 2010 Census, visit 2010.census.gov