Check out why actor Wilmer Valderrama thinks it is critical for Latinos to participate in the 2010 Census.
On Wednesday, actor Wilmer Valderrama joined members of Congress and national
Hispanic leaders at the Capitol Hill launch of Voto Latino’s census campaign, “Be Counted, Represent!”. Reps. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), and Michael Honda (D-Calif.) along with Brent Wilkes, executive director of LULAC, which is an official partner, spoke in support of the effort to ensure participation of Latino youth in the upcoming Census.
This new outreach campaign includes a combination of multi-platform web, mobile, direct and traditional media in order to reach young people in whatever way they are most likely to get information.
Maria Teresa Kumar, co-founder and executive director of Voto Latino, an official US Census partner, said, “Our work with the census is to both educate Latinos about the importance of taking it and re-imaging it as a means of personal empowerment and taking ownership of one’s future and one’s family’s.”
Census data affects everything from the allocation of federal budgets for education, health care and transportation to the drawing of Congressional districts. This year’s 2010 census is of critical importance to all Americans because it will decide how more than $400 billion in federal funds is spent and will determine congressional representation.
LULAC President Rosa Rosales recognizes that Latino youth will be critical in the 2010 Census, “They’re familiar with government processes, they are English-speakers and consume mainstream media, and they influence their households with everything from politics to household purchases. Empowering them to take the census is at the core of our strategy.”
“Be Counted, Represent!” will be hosting events and conducting census outreach operations in Los Angeles, Chicago, upstate New York, Long Island and San Francisco. Voto Latino will also distribute iTunes cards, t-shirts and other collateral materials, including direct mailers to its key target areas. The campaign will send targeted text messages to tens of thousands of U.S. Latinos to ensure that they and their families understand the importance of the Census and being counted.
“ “BeCountedRepresent.com” will serve as the campaign’s center, featuring US Census information, and prompting viewers to “Take the Pledge” to participate in the census. Anyone who takes the pledge will also receive a free 25-song soundtrack courtesy of iTunes. Beginning this month, the website will also include PSA with a number of Latino actors including Rosario Dawson, Luis Guzman, Demi Lovato (Disney’s Camp Rock franchise), Ana Ortiz (“Ugly Betty”), Wilmer Valderrama (“That Seventies Show”), Jorge Garcia (“Lost”).
I’m always impressed by actors who are advocates like Wilmer. Proud to call him one of our own.