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Census Seek Temporary Workers

Rupa Kurien

The Census Bureau will be using nearly one million temporary workers to work as office managers, administrative assistants and field managers to run Census 2000. The jobs will be available for a few months, and payments, depending on the job, will vary from $ 6.25 to $ 26.50 per hour. People who can speak Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati, Spanish and Russian will find it easier to get hired.

Indian American community leaders are urging activists and job-seekers to seek the temporary positions.

"By being part of the Census 2000, we become more visible in the mainstream community," says Rajeshwar Prasad, president of the National Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens. "We also make sure that we are counted."

By being counted and showing the exact number of Indian Americans, the community can increase its clout in dealing with government agencies and politicians, community leaders say. It is believed there are about 1.1 million Indian Americans. But many community leaders believe the number could go up to 1.5 million if everyone is counted properly. The Census Bureau cannot share its information with the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the undocumented residents do not have fear of deportation action against them.

"We should ensure that the diverse and growing population of Asian Americans, including Indians, is accurately presented."

The federal and state governments allow funds for many vital programs depending on the population of a city or town. Many cities including New York have been complaining since the last census that undercounting of their population led to the loss in billions of dollars from the federal government.

For more information, check www.census.govt/jobs2000/www/index.html or call 1-800-325-7733

If you would like to post any information about forthcoming events or community happenings, please email the details to bettypais@aol.com

Information and photographs can also be mailed to Betty Pais at 87-52 108th Street, 2nd Floor, Richmond Hill, NY 11418-2229, USA.

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