Census response rate among Latinos across Delaware Valley are alarmingly low

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Nilda Ruiz, CEO of the Asociacion Puertorriquenoes en Marcha, or APM, says there are two very powerful ways of making your voice heard in the United States.

"The only way you get counted is by being counted through the Census and through voting," Ruiz said.

Still, Philadelphia, Camden, and Norristown are among the locations in the Delaware Valley where the Census response rates remain alarmingly low.

And it's no coincidence that those communities have large Latino populations.

Census officials cite language barriers, concerns linked to immigration status, and living in areas commonly referred to as hard-to-reach as reasons for the low response rates.

That's why officials from the Census Bureau are setting up shop outside APM's offices at 9th and Berks streets in Philadelphia Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. to walk people through the process, and breach those barriers, with the intent of counting as many people, from every community, as possible.

Ruiz adds that an accurate count will mean more public money for essential services, and more representation by elected officials at the local and federal levels.

But this happens, she says, only if everyone fills out the Census by mailing in, calling in, or logging on.

"They can log in and just put how many people are living there, at what address, and they don't ask for, like, a social security number and all those other questions. The most important thing right now is for our people to be counted," Ruiz said.

Remember, you have until September 30th to fill out the US Census.

More Details: my2020census.gov