Caribbean nationals urged to participate in US census

Caribbean nationals were again encouraged to impact the next census by simply writing down their ancestry or nationality on census forms, according to a report on www.gleanerextra.com.



Speaking at the West Indian American Carnival kick-off breakfast last Monday, September 7, CaribID founder and CaribWorld News publisher, Felicia Persaud, urged persons to take the issue seriously.



Before a roomful of dignitaries, including former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell, Persaud reminded the audience that while Labour Day or Caribbean Carnival Day in Brooklyn is celebrated with much support, the community will go back to being dismissed and ignored as unimportant for the rest of the year, if it failed to ensure an accurate count in 2010.



The CaribID head insisted that an accurate count is important for the community not only to secure the necessary social and economic funding it needs, but for private-sector companies to take the market seriously.



Census numbers, she reminded, were used to determine many facets of life in America, including advertising dollars, investment in new business and also political seats.



Persaud told the audience that Caribbean nationals, too, need their own origin category on the census form.



She urged them to fill out the form come April 2010 and write in their ancestry or nationality under the \'some other race\' section so the community can truly count for the multiplicity of cultures with which it is blessed. \"The power,\" ended Persaud, \"is really in our hands.\"



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