Latino 2010 Census Campaign
At a press conference today at the Humboldt Park Public Library, Mayor Daley met with Latino community leaders to assure participation in the 2010 federal census. Daley stressed the importance of the role of immigrants in Chicago.
"The history of immigrants is past, present and future and that is always the strength," Daley said. The census will determine the amount of federal funds that Chicago will receive for the next ten years. "It’s critical to make sure we receive every single federal dollar the city is entitled to," the Mayor said. That’s why several organizations have engaged in a number of census outreach activities. Executive Director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, Arturo Vargas, addressed the crowd. Latinos are the nation’s fastest growing minority population, however they have traditionally been undercounted. "The census is the next step in the empowerment of the Latino community," Vargas said.