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Russian, Polish and Arabic Community Leaders Urge Residents to Open Their Doors and Answer the 2010 Census

On 05.20.10, In Ethnic Outreach, Government Outreach, diversity, By elenalauterbach

Their Public Service Announcement is Online and On Air

Alec Brook-Krasny, Andrew Golota and James Zogby — are the newest additions to a growing list of well-known Americans who have recorded public service announcements (PSAs) in support of the 2010 Census.

The list of endorsements includes President Obama, Miss America Caressa Cameron, Donny Osmond, Karl Rove, Olympic athletes, major league baseball players, mayors, Members of Congress and the late Dorothy Height. The PSAs featuring Brook-Krasny, Andrew Golota and James Zogby released today to remind Russian, Polish and Arab American residents that it is not too late to be counted in the 2010 census — just open your door to the local census taker and answer the 10 easy questions.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s PSA campaign is meant to raise public awareness about the 2010 Census and motivate people to participate. There is no cost to the taxpayers for each speaker’s time or for the airtime to broadcast the PSAs over television or radio. The involvement of these trusted voices extends the reach of paid, earned and social media.

In their PSAs, community leaders urge residents from ethnic communities to fill out their census forms. “If you have not been counted in the 2010 Census, it is not too late,” says Alec Brook-Krasny. He encourages residents to open their doors to census takers and answer the 10 easy questions. “This will help your community to get what it needs for the next 10 years,” states Dr. Zogby. “Your information is confidential and your privacy is protected,” added Andrew Golota.

WHERE TO FIND PSAs

2010 Census PSAs can be seen, heard, and downloaded, at the following sites:

2010census.gov — Official site for the 2010 Census. The Multimedia Center is a one-stop shop for information and media resources, including PSAs, videos and photos. <2010census.gov>

U.S. Census Bureau’s YouTube Channel — Home to PSAs, TV ads, partnership testimonials and how to “Fill Out Your Form” videos in dozens of languages. <uscensusbureau>

2010 Census PSA Spot Source — The place for everyone to download or order hard copies from a wide selection of PSAs in English and en Español. <spotsource.census.gov>

NAB Spot Center — The place for broadcasters to preview and download national PSAs in English and en Español. <http://www.nab.org/AM/ASPCode/SpotCenter/campaign.asp?id=68>

ABOUT THE 2010 CENSUS

The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to apportion congressional seats to states, to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to tribal, state and local governments each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide. The 2010 Census form will be one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10 questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete. Strict confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the information they provide.

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One America, Many Voices Act Recognizes Importance of Languages Other Than English

On 04.16.10, In Ethnic Outreach, Government Outreach, Mostapha Saout, diversity, By Johanna Kinsley

Knowing a second language is about to pay off—literally. Rep. Michael Honda (D.—Calif.) proposed the “One America, Many Voices Act” which supports a five percent pay increase for federal employees who hold jobs that require a second (or more) language.

Honda stresses that this legislation, also known as the Bilingual Pay Bill, will rightfully recognize the necessity and value of those who are proficient in Chinese, Arabic, Urdu, Russian and Hindi—languages that are critical to our national security.

“To improve both our nation’s ability to provide language-appropriate intelligence and security, and America’s capacity to effectively and efficiently deliver government services, we must be able to retain a federal workforce that is capable of communicating with an increasingly diverse constituency, both within our borders and without,” Honda said.

With America’s population only growing more and more diverse, so too will the need for effective communication and business in various languages. Increased pay will undoubtedly entice these recruits, but even more so, the recruits will be driven to such jobs because they will feel wanted, appreciated and included by the government and their country.

The idea of a pay raise for bi- and multi-lingual employees is not just for the government sector and is not a new idea. In the corporate world, labor agreements have already been made between Verizon Wireless and the Communications Workers of America and between Kaiser Permanente and the Service Employees International Union to give workers with more than one language a higher income.

Honda published his own article on the matter and said, “Many voices make us more versatile in a globalized economy, more able to deal with national security concerns and more effective in delivering government services. It is high time we recognize this in Congress.”

Federal jobs, especially those in national security, handle sensitive topics here and abroad; an optimal way for our nation to interact internally and internationally is to have the cultural and linguistic knowledge in-house. Americans love their English, but as Honda stated, it’s high time to open your ears to the sounds of different languages that better the workforce of this country.

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Investing in the Hispanic Market is Investing in Growth

On 04.13.10, In Ethnic Outreach, Government Outreach, Market Research, Multicultural Creative & Production, diversity, By Cristina M.

Experts predict that the 2010 Census results will show an increase of 42% in the total U.S. Hispanic population, totaling 50 million. However, Portada magazine recently reported that a Feb. 2010 Hispanic trends survey revealed that half of respondents—all U.S. advertisers—do not target Hispanics in their marketing efforts, despite acknowledging their strong cultural impact in products and services including food, technology/communications and entertainment.

The survey, created to expose a thorough depiction at advertisers’ strategy, spending plans and viewpoints of the U.S. Hispanic market, reported that 82% of respondents still have no plans to include or increase efforts to Hispanics in the next 12 months. Surprisingly, 8 out of 10 of those respondents agreed that Latinos will influence U.S. companies’ product and service offerings in the next five years.

“Now more than ever, businesses need to think about how to tap into the opportunity the Hispanic market presents,” advised Hector Orcí, co-founder and chairman of the L.A.-based Hispanic ad agency that conducted the survey.

In addition to marketing strategy, the Latino population growth is also affecting the overall media landscape. A recent Miami Herald article discusses the future of Hispanic media, “This time next year, if you’re not in Hispanic media, you’re going to want badly to get in,” says Don Browne, president of Telemundo in the article. “And those who are already in it are going to feel pretty damn good about it.”

One of the biggest factors affecting future demographics is that Hispanic population growth is being driven now by birth rates rather than immigration. “A new Spanish-language TV viewer is more likely to have been born and raised in the United States than to have come here from somewhere else, bringing old viewing habits with him,” explains Herald writer Glenn Garvin.

The changing demographics will lead to new categories of TV programming, splitting viewers into Spanish-dominant versus bilingual.

In fact, some Spanish-language networks such as Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS), Telemundo and Univisión will even be creating their own programming with the understanding that the traditional “novela” might not fit into the transitioning U.S. Hispanic market, including dramas not unlike those seen on top mainstream networks.

The U.S. Hispanic media landscape is adapting, growing and seeing a profitable future, so too must advertisers adjust with the changing demographic that is the future of the Latino market.

As Mauricio Gerson, senior vice president of programming and development at SBS points out, “Investing in this Hispanic market is investing in growth.”

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Tagged with: diversity • Ethnic Outreach • Hispanic market • Hispanic media • Market Research • Multicultural Advertising

Tragedy of Polish Plane Crash Felt Worldwide

On 04.12.10, In Ethnic Outreach, By Johanna Kinsley

As many have heard, this past Saturday, April 10, 2010, Polish President Lech Kaczynski, along with many other dignitaries of Poland, died in a tragic plane crash. The 96 victims, comprising military, religious and government officials, were on their way to Katyn, Russia to commemorate the 70^th anniversary of the massacre of Polish officers by Soviet forces.

In an article by Sophia Tareen of the Associated Press, Blanche Weigand, whose mother immigrated from Poland to Chicago in 1950 said, “It was like losing a family member. I’m from Chicago, but my heart is in Poland.”

This tragedy had a global reach, touching not only those in Poland and Russia, but immigrants worldwide who remained strongly tied to their homeland. I personally have seen the accident’s affect firsthand through my work with Polish American media vendors.

To be aware of critical current affairs and significant historical events allows you to connect closer with people. In marketing, it helps with business relations, recruitment messaging, and overall communication efforts. Having this perspective and understanding is critical in making a true connection to a community, whether it be Polish Americans or another ethnic group.

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Tagged with: culture • Johanna Kinsley • Multicultural Marketing • Russian-American

Moscow’s “Black Monday” in the U.S.

On 04.07.10, In Ethnic Outreach, Market Research, diversity, By elenalauterbach

Russian Americans across the nation heard of the tragedy on March 29 in Moscow’s subway stations, Lubyanka and Park Kultury, through the different media channels. Soon after, the terrifying news was all over the globe broadcasting the tragedy of Moscow. Although many get their news from American outlets such as NBC or New York Times, a lot of Russians in the U.S. tune into Russian-language TV, radio stations and internet portals, to hear the news from the first source.
The Russian community in the U.S. is rapidly growing, so is the Russian-language media. There are hundreds of Russian-language media outlets in the U.S. alone because for many Russian Americans, it is important to keep up with Russian news. The main reason is that these media outlets provide fresh news from the homeland in Russian language. For example, the Russian American TV channel NTV America provides in-language news for Russian-speakers across the nation. The news segments is this channel include not only local news in the United States, but also international, and most significantly, news from homeland Russia, which is very important especially for new immigrants.
Right after I heard the heartbreaking news, I called my relatives and friends in Moscow. I also searched on-line for the names of dead and injured people. Although nobody that I know was near the metro attacks that morning the news reports about my home town stunned me. I wasn’t the only one who was terrified by the recent situation in Moscow. My local Russian American friends said it is hard not to think of “what-ifs” after hearing that our homeland had been attacked by so much violence. My American friends were concerned about safety of my family in Moscow and the state of the city. Clearly, these attacks shocked many people around the globe.
It is very important to be aware of global happenings because they directly affect Americans, especially those who identify themselves with different ethnicities and cultures. Like Russian Americans during Moscow’s attacks, many other ethnic Americans use in-language media as a number one source of international and local information; it is a way for many diverse American communities to keep their language, customs and traditions alive.

Elena Lauterbach.

Allied Media Corp.

Eastern European Team Lead

Telephone: 703-333-2008 ext. 307|Fax: 703-997-7539

elena@allied-media.com| www.allied-media.com
Blog: www.allied-media.com/blog | Twitter: www.twitter.com/AlliedMedia

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Addressing the Need of Ethnic Communities: Rising Nationwide Demand for Bilingual Police Officers

On 03.25.10, In Ethnic Outreach, diversity, By Efrata Y.

The “average American” ethnic make-up is rapidly changing and there seems to be no end. Since 2000, the racial composition of America has been experiencing a dramatic shift. As a result, the general trend in today’s America is steadily moving farther from homogeneity towards a more evident diversity. According to demographic expert Peter Francese’s Ad Age white paper publication, which provides predictions on 2010 U.S. Census results, the average American commonly dubbed as “Joe” will be an odd man out. Francese says in the major 10 largest cities of the nation, there will be “no racial or ethnic category describing a majority of the population.” For multicultural marketers, this means an opportunity to expand their efforts, providing effective outreach to organizations recognizing this dynamic shift. Now that is something to think about.

The police departments throughout the U.S. are now one of the public service organizations that are on board with the changes. Recently, several news articles reported on police departments seeking more bilingual officers to serve on their staff. Policing diverse communities requires trusted voices with proper language capabilities. Furthermore, for integration purposes it is imperative for immigrant communities to feel that they are accepted and recognized as groups, which could contribute to the overall success of the society where they reside.

New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says, “It helps immensely working with the communities in the city, the most diverse city in the world…we can, in very short order, get someone on the scene who speaks the language.” Kelly highlighted the need for hiring bilingual officers who speak more than one language. The same is evident in the Los Angeles, Chicago, and Lexington, KY police departments which proactively encourage bilingualism through pay raises as well as language enrichment education programs and other incentive programs. Currently, police departments “are trying to tap into the same pool as federal law enforcement agencies and the armed forces – 25-35-year-olds in good shape who have little personal debt that could lure them into corruption.” These individuals must be dependable because they are vital to promoting national security by utilizing their unique connectedness to their local communities.

Finding the right people to occupy critical posts is never easy. The competition to find qualified, culturally and linguistically skilled individuals is even tighter when public service organizations are competing with federal agencies to recruit the best candidates from an identical pool. The solution will require an effective multicultural marketing campaign which is clever and familiar with ethnically diverse communities that it seeks to reach.

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=31&id=34135

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One Reform At a Time: Thousands March on the Mall Demanding Immigration Reform

On 03.22.10, In Ethnic Outreach, Mostapha Saout, Multicultural Creative & Production, diversity, By Efrata Y.

On Sunday March 21, 2010 in Washington, D.C. while the House debated the outcome of the healthcare reform bill, thousands marched outside the closed doors in support of immigration reform. Thousands of rally attendees waved American flags and held homemade bilingual signs in English and Spanish. The demonstrators chanted “Healthcare reform today – immigration reform tomorrow.” As of late Sunday evening, the vote on healthcare legislation passed with 219-212 vote in favor of the bill.

Approximately 12.6 percent, representing 38.1 million people, of the total population in U.S. is foreign born as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2007. The Department of Homeland Security estimates the number of unauthorized immigrant population living in the United States decreased to 10.8 million since January of 2009. The greater debate on the stance of illegal immigration and immigration reform as a whole has been a topic of intense discussion occupying a prominent place in various discussions. In spite of the ongoing debates, at the core America is a nation of diverse immigrants who feed the multicultural spectrum of the nation’s society. That spectrum was vividly evident at the rally itself. Various immigrant groups from Africa, Europe, Asia, Latin and South America came to show support for the immigration reform initiative.

This year’s outreach efforts in part contributed to over 200,000 overall attendance count. The big turnout at the event in large is due to the unique outreach strategy. Reaching out to immigrant population requires a strategic, culturally appropriate, and knowledgeable approach. Many in language media and community groups publicized the event to their audiences. A local popular Hispanic radio station El Zol, which serves Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. area, provided informational talks with event organizers and participants, DJ discussions and open talks with their listeners about the rally for several weeks prior to the event. Earlier today, listeners called the station to thank hosts on their extensive outreach efforts. Overall, Spanish-language media outlets and various Spanish-language radio stations all around the nation have been instrumental in mobilizing their audiences for the protest.

Mobilization efforts reap benefits from motivated audiences. The wide array of culturally relevant media outlets provide necessary support to the grassroots efforts wishing to increase broader community participation. People are more eager to answer the call of action when called upon in their native language.

Photo courtesy of: Reform Immigration For America

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The Need for Multicultural Advertising Stretches Its Reach to Smaller Cities

On 03.18.10, In Ethnic Outreach, Market Research, Multicultural Creative & Production, diversity, By Johanna Kinsley

We will have to start re-thinking where to place advertising dollars in America. The shift has already begun—transferring ideas and budgets from mainstream marketing to multicultural marketing. But from a study released this past Monday, it looks like effective ethnic advertising cannot be acquired just by targeting the top markets like New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.

The study reveals that immigrants are no longer found solely in large metropolitan areas, but have gravitated towards smaller cities such as El Paso, TX, Minneapolis, MN, and Sarasota, FL. This move may be because smaller cities have a lower cost of living and more job opportunities.

The immigrants in these small cities were found to have been in the U.S. for fewer than 10 years. “We found that the immigrant communities in these smaller metro areas are much less developed,” Gary Painter, director of research at the Lusk Center and co-author of the study said. Those in the larger cities moved to the U.S. much longer ago.

These findings are important to the multicultural marketing world because they indicate that although they may have the same ethnicity and culture, their media practices and language level vary. Immigrants in large cities may be more acclimated and educated, which means they probably use print media more. Newer immigrants in smaller cities most likely turn to in-language TV and radio as a means to get their news.

Marketers must use this information when strategizing how to target an audience through different media channels and creative teams must remember this when developing a culturally and linguistically effective message.

Multicultural advertising goes beyond knowing where your consumers are located; it requires a cultural awareness and sensitivity. When advertising to the ethnic market, we must keep in mind Painter’s words–“We are no longer a country where immigration is largely confined to just a few places.”

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2010 Census Forms Set to Arrive in 120 Million Mailboxes Across the Nation

On 03.12.10, In Ethnic Outreach, Government Outreach, diversity, By elenalauterbach

2010 Census forms will arrive this week in 120 million mailboxes between March 15-17 ― continuing the constitutionally mandated, once-a-decade population count and civic ceremony that dates back to 1790.
Census Bureau Director Robert M. Groves is urging communities to fill out and return their census forms as soon as they receive them. “It’s one of the shortest forms in our lifetime asking just 10 questions and should only take about 10 minutes to complete ― yet the benefits to your community are enormous.” In fact, census data help determine how more than $400 billion in federal funds are distributed to tribal, state and local governments every year ― including funding for schools, roads, health care and other critical social service programs.
Groves adds that if residents mail back the census form, they could help save hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. “It’s a lot less expensive to get responses back by mail than it is to send census takers to knock on doors of households that failed to respond,” he explains. Following up door-to-door to count households from May to July will require hiring about 650,000 census workers and cost more than $2.3 billion.

It’s Easy: A Look at the 2010 Census Questionnaire
The census mailing package includes a cover letter, the 2010 Census form and a postage-paid return envelope. The 10 questions are basic and should take about 10 minutes to complete. The 2010 Census asks the following questions:

1. The number of people living in the residence
2. Any additional people that might be living there as of April 1, 2010
3. Whether the residence is owned or rented
4. Telephone number (in case the Census Bureau has follow-up questions)
5. Name
6. Sex
7. Age and date of birth
8. Whether of Hispanic origin
9. Race
10. Whether that person sometimes lives somewhere else

The Census forms will be available in Russian. Residents can obtain the forms by calling Telephone Questionnaire Assistance at 1-866-965-2010 for help in Russian or 1-866-872-6868 for help in English. Bilingual census personnel at Questionnaire Assistance Centers (QACs) also can help Russian speakers fill out English forms that they receive in the mail.
Language Assistance Guides in 59 languages, including Arabic, Polish and Russian are also available at local QACs or at 2010Census.gov. The 2010Census.gov site also provides an informational video in different languages explaining step-by-step instructions for filling out the census form.

It’s Safe: Your Personal Information is Confidential by Law

Census data are the basis for America’s representative democracy, ensuring that Congress is reapportioned every 10 years based on a state’s total population. All census responses are confidential; they are protected by law and not shared with anyone. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents’ individually identifiable answers with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities. All Census Bureau employees take the oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data.

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Census Bureau Launches “Children Count Too” Awareness Campaign Featuring Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer

On 03.09.10, In Ethnic Outreach, Government Outreach, diversity, By elenalauterbach

Today, March 9 2010, The U.S. Census Bureau launched a “Children Count Too” public awareness campaign reminding parents to include babies and young children on their 2010 Census forms. Most of the nation’s 120 million households will begin receiving census questionnaires by mail between March 15 and March 17.
“A complete and accurate count of our nation’s youngest is critical to their health and education, and the future strength of our communities and labor force,” said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves at a news conference at Mary’s Center, a nonprofit maternal and child care center serving immigrant communities in Washington.
The campaign features Dora the Explorer ― the popular children’s character on Nickelodeon’s award-winning animated preschool series ― addressing the importance of counting kids in the 2010 Census. In partnership with the Census Bureau, Nickelodeon has produced television and radio public service announcements, Web buttons and fact sheets in which Dora and her friends remind families that “everybody counts on the census form, especially little kids.” All materials are available in English and Spanish.
“We’ve arrived at a crossroads in American history where it’s more important than ever for all of us to stand up and be counted,” said Samantha Maltin, senior vice president for integrated marketing and partnerships at Nickelodeon. “Dora the Explorer is an iconic bilingual character for American families of all backgrounds, and with her help, Nickelodeon will remind families how easy, important and safe it is to participate in the census.”
As part of this initiative, federal, corporate and nonprofit organizations with unique access to families and child care providers will distribute Children Count Too educational materials. Mead Johnson Nutrition Company, a world leader in infant and children’s nutrition, will use its connection with parents of newborns and online resources to communicate the importance of including children in the 2010 Census to more than 1 million families.

Impact of undercounting children
Children have been undercounted in every census since the first one in 1790. According to a December 2009 report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, children under age 5 are missed at a higher rate than any other age group.
“The undercount of kids is startling, but it is not a new problem,” said William O’Hare, a demographer and consultant working for the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “With combined efforts at the federal, state and local levels, we have a chance to improve on the past and make sure the youngest members of our society are fully counted.”

“Every child counted in the 2010 Census will help identify communities in need and bring resources to address specific vulnerabilities, whether they are in health care, child care, education, transportation and affordable housing,” said Mary’s Center President and CEO Maria Gomez. “Only through well-funded comprehensive and multiservice programs will places like Mary’s Center be able to have an impact on the nation’s health care outcomes.”
Local communities rely on census information in planning for schools, child care, health and other critical services. Additionally, community-based and social service organizations use census data to determine social services requirements for families with children.

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Tagged with: http://2010.census.gov/mediacenter/spread-message/dora.php

Multicultural Communication

Russian, Polish and Arabic Community Leaders Urge Residents to Open Their Doors and Answer the 2010 Census

One America, Many Voices Act Recognizes Importance of Languages Other Than English

Investing in the Hispanic Market is Investing in Growth

Tragedy of Polish Plane Crash Felt Worldwide

Moscow’s “Black Monday” in the U.S.

Addressing the Need of Ethnic Communities: Rising Nationwide Demand for Bilingual Police Officers

One Reform At a Time: Thousands March on the Mall Demanding Immigration Reform

The Need for Multicultural Advertising Stretches Its Reach to Smaller Cities

2010 Census Forms Set to Arrive in 120 Million Mailboxes Across the Nation

Census Bureau Launches “Children Count Too” Awareness Campaign Featuring Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer

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