Join Voto Latino as we celebrate the Silicon Valley Be Counted, Represent campaign with a FREE concert by LOS RAKAS, BANG DATA, and MEXIA at The Palladium on Saturday, June 12th (7pm sharp)!

In filling out the Census, Voto Latino’s S.V. members brought in almost 30 million dollars of federal resources to Latino neighborhoods. You hooked up your comunidad, so Voto Latino is hooking you up with a concert.

If you’ve already texted ‘SV’ into 738674, you’re already in. If not, text now to get in! You’ll also get the chance to win an EXCLUSIVE Voto Latino Epiphone Les Paul Special II.

RSVP on Facebook!

Come out to hear:
Music by:
LOS RAKAS
Plena, Reggae & Latin Hip-Hop from Panama
http://www.losrakas.com/

BANG DATA
Latin Alternative/Hip Hop Rock with members of Orixa & Flipsyde
http://www.myspace.com/bangdata

MEXIA
Latin Hip-Hop w/Club Beats
http://www.mexiamusic.com/

Spoken Word by:
Matt Blesse
Asian-American Grand Slam Poet Champion

Christsna Sot
Youth Speaks slam finalist

Hosted by:
ERICK MORALES
La Kalle/Univision Radio

So que esperas, get texting! Send ‘SV’ to 738674, get your friends to do the same, and represent!

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You should receive a text shortly!

CNN’s Rick Sanchez speaks to actor and co-founder Rosario Dawson about the importance of Latino involvement in the census. The video even has some PSA spoilers!

Question 8 is perhaps the most important question on the census for Latinos. By identifying as Hispanic, Latino or of Hispanic origin, data is used to fund state and local governments for special programs such as bilingual education.

It’s important to understand that the Census views Latinos as an ethnic, and not a racial, group. That means even if you self-identify as Hispanic for Question 8, you can also add additional racial data in Question 9. It also means that you can check all boxes that apply to you. You can check “Hispanic” alone, or you can also add additional racial data.

For example, if you identify as Afro-Latino, you can mark “Hispanic” for Question 8 and “Black” for Question 9, which asks about racial identification.

But what if you don’t identify racially as White, Black or Asian?

It’s a complicated issue because although there is a small minority of Caucasians, the vast majority of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, Central Americans and most people of Hispanic ancestry are not white.  Relative to the Indigenous and African populations in Latin America many consider themselves “mestizo.”

What happens is that  because most have never been given the opportunity to make these choices on the census form many have historically checked “other race,” only for census officials to redirect them into the white category.

For the first time, this year’s fill-in-the-blank also allows Latinos to write in more appropriate ways that they identify like “mestizo.”

It is important to understand that race is used to implement many federal laws such as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. It is used to map out congressional districts, and also used to assess the fairness of employment practices, monitor racial disparities in health and education, and plan accordingly.

Click here to view the latest celebrity PSA featuring Rosario Dawson, Wilmer Valderrama, Demi Lovato, and more!

This past Monday, the U.S. Census Bureau mailed out census forms to households across the country. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and New York Secretary of State Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez held a press conference in Manhattan to remind all Latinos that being counted is of utmost importance—and safe.

“Invisible people do not count in this country,” Cortes-Vazquez told reporters at a lower Manhattan news conference.  Simply put, “invisible people do not have a voice,” she added.

The Census form has 10 questions and takes less than 10 minutes to fill out. Remember, unless we stand and be counted hundreds of millions of dollars in federal and state funding will be lost over the next decade.

With the 2010 Census form arriving in the mail this week, U.S. Senator Kristen Gillibrand, Lillian Rodriguez-Lopez, President of the Hispanic federation, Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez, N.Y.S. Secretary of State. explains how to fill out the form.

Click here to view the latest celebrity PSA featuring Rosario Dawson, Wilmer Valderrama, Demi Lovato, and mor

Watch PSA #2 Scroll down or Click here
Watch PSA # 3 Scroll down or Click here

The Census: a Conversation PSA # 1

Starting: Rosario Dawson, Wilmer Valderrama, Demi Lovato, Luis Guzman, Ana Ortiz, Jorge Garcia,
Malverde, Graciela Beltran and Uncle Gustavo.

Don’t forget to take our Census Pledge and get 25 FREE Songs from Voto Latino on iTunes!

The Census: a Conversation PSA # 2

Starting: Rosario Dawson, Wilmer Valderrama, Demi Lovato, Luis Guzman, Ana Ortiz, Jorge Garcia,
Malverde, Graciela Beltran and Uncle Gustavo.

Don’t forget to take our Census Pledge and get 25 FREE Songs from Voto Latino on iTunes!

The Census: a Conversation PSA # 3

Starting: Rosario Dawson, Wilmer Valderrama, Demi Lovato, Luis Guzman, Ana Ortiz, Jorge Garcia,
Malverde, Graciela Beltran and Uncle Gustavo.

Don’t forget to take our Census Pledge and get 25 FREE Songs from Voto Latino on iTunes!

Civic participation is a duty that my family honors with the pride and gratitude of immigrants who worked hard to earn a place in America.

As undocumented immigrants for more than half of the 23 years since we moved to California from Mexico, we couldn’t vote. We didn’t get summoned to jury duty and we couldn’t submit tax returns to claim any owed refunds.

But we could turn in our Census forms. It was one of the few ways we could commemorate our contributions and feel that our presence in this great country was acknowledged.

The recent onslaught on Census information sparked my interest in the constitutionally required survey. I probed my mom with questions, thinking the once-every-decade event would be lost in memories of raising two children on her own.

But she remembers. The first Census form was lost in the shuffle of life. She didn’t really understand why the form asked so many personal questions and was worried it would expose our illegal status. Until a Census worker knocked on our door, she didn’t understand its importance. The Census enumerator explained that those questions helped ensure that our local communities received a fair share of federal funding for services such as schools and parks for her children. And that the information provided was completely confidential and only used for statistical purposes.

A decade later, after becoming a permanent resident, she filled and submitted the form. My mother remembers feeling nostalgia that it wouldn’t include my grandfather, who had passed away two years earlier. She was proud to mark the box that identified her as a new homeowner.

My mom, younger brother and I have since become U.S. citizens. We weren’t able to vote in the 2008 historic presidential election, but have submitted a ballot for every local and state election since. My mother recently received her first jury summons and is looking forward to contributing to a quintessential pillar of American democracy.

A decade ago, I was a high school senior worried about prom and my upcoming college plans. Now, I can imagine one day having my own family and caring about the opportunities available to them. In 2010, I will assist with my first Census form. I now understand that it is one of the most important contributions I can make for my community.

-Lys Palomo

Charitable foundations and nonprofits are taking an unusually active role this year in trying to get an accurate census count. They say the people they serve have the most to benefit but are also among the least likely to participate.

Most Americans will get their 2010 census questionnaire sometime around March 15. Every 10 years, it’s a challenge getting everyone to fill out their census forms and send them back to the government.

One of the most active nonprofits is Voto Latino, which tries to encourage civic engagement by Latinos. The group has come up with some pretty cool ways to encourage Latinos to fill out their census forms.

Read the rest at NPR News.

Perez Hilton gives a behind-the-scenes exclusive on the VERY-soon-to be released PSA.  Gear up, folks!  Census Day is around the corner!

Have you pledged yet?

We launched in Chicago this week with a press conference.  Here is what the press had to say:

Sylvia Ortiz, coordinadora de Voto Latino, indicó que un grupo de estudiantes de universidades locales tocarán puertas para asegurar que las familias se informen sobre el proceso, que es “seguro” e “importante”.

Read more at Vivelo Hoy!

The Voto Latino campaign will also address myths about the census, including the biggest fear among “undocumented” immigrants: that their information will be shared with other government agencies, and that they could somehow be deported if they participate in the census.

Read more at CBS 2 Chicago!