Officials Seek Ways to Gain the Trust of Census Skeptics

Convincing those people who are most skeptical and fearful of the 2000 census to take part in the national count, local officials said, boils down to one key factor: trust.

The census-phobes, the most reluctant segment of the population--whether they are seniors, illegal immigrants, the poor, or anti-government types--will be a tough sell for census takers and political and community leaders who want to prevent an undercount of their constituents.

“I’ve heard people don’t want to be counted because they don’t want to be jurors,” said John Reeder, the Census Bureau’s regional director for the area that includes Southern California.

At a Wednesday meeting organized by Rep. Howard Berman (D-Mission Hills), Reeder said his office has repeatedly explained that by federal law, census data cannot be shared with any government office, including local court officials seeking jurors. That confidentiality is mandated in Title 13 of the U.S. Code of federal laws, he said.

About two dozen San Fernando Valley representatives from social service organizations, minority community groups and business alliances met with Berman and Reeder to brainstorm about ways to boost participation in next year’s census. Berman estimated that the 1990 census missed 22,000 people in his 26th District, leading to a loss of $44 million in services over a 10-year period.

Berman said federally funded services--for health care, Head Start, housing, seniors--are sorely needed in his district, an ethnically diverse area that stretches from Pacoima to North Hollywood.

To prevent his district from taking another financial hit, Berman said, the message that census “information is not shared with the IRS, the INS or the district attorney’s office,” will have to be loud and clear.

But even some local leaders who gathered at the San Fernando Valley Neighborhood Legal Services office seemed edgy about the confidentiality of census data.

“A lot of people are skeptical of the government bureaucracy,” said Ron Johnson, executive director of the Asian and Pacific Islander Council of the San Fernando Valley. “One thing that might help the trust factor is we can show them that we are working together.”

Johnson said a coalition of community groups working to improve participation is more likely to win over reluctant residents than official government types. But Johnson said even he had concerns about staking his reputation on the confidentiality of data without more assurances from federal officials. “It’s not that I don’t trust the government,” he said, “I’m just concerned something will fall through the cracks.”

Relaying the message via churches may be a good way to build trust in the Latino community, said Mike Garcia, director of the San Juan Macias Orientation Immigrant Center in Pacoima.

Illegal immigrants, in particular, are fearful of any government agencies and their possible links to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, he said. Local churches can help relay the message that filling out a survey won’t lead to detection or deportation, Garcia said, “That’s a good way to instill confidence.”

The Census Bureau is already working those contacts, Reeder said. Last week, Director Kenneth Prewitt visited Los Angeles from Washington, D.C., to meet with local leaders such as Cardinal Roger M. Mahony to build support.

A $100-million national advertising campaign, including messages targeting minority groups, will be used for the first time, Reeder said. Depending on its budget, the regional census office in Van Nuys may also use direct mail campaigns with local community groups, he said.