Reporter Oscar Raul Gomez often covers colonia issues for KTLM-TV Telemundo 40.

SAN JUAN, May 11 - Members of the Equal Voice for America’s Families network in the Rio Grande Valley will hold a telethon on Telemundo this evening to encourage full participation in the Census.

The telethon will start at 5:30 p.m. and run until 10:30 p.m. on Telemundo Channel 40.

Armando “Mando” Garza, a director of Proyecto Azteca, said telethons on the Spanish-language TV stations are a great way to gauge how the census count is going in the colonias.

“These telethons are great because they give us the most up to date feedback in what is happening with regard to the census in the colonias. We need to know if the census workers are getting around to everyone under the Census Bureau’s Update/Enumerate plan. We learn so much from the telethons,” Garza said.

Proyecto Azteca is part of the Equal Voice network. So far, the Equal Voice group has held two telethons, one on Telemundo and one on Univision Channel 48.

The Census Bureau announced in late March that 95 percent of colonia residents would not be receiving census questionnaires, either in the mail or in person. Instead, the Bureau said, colonia residents would receive personal visits by Census workers, under an operation called Update/Enumerate. Under the plan, Census workers are asked to get a verbal response from colonia residents to the ten questions on the Census questionnaire.

Garza said he doubts that the Census Bureau will be able to reach everyone in the colonias under Update/Enumerate. “Just look at the sheer size of the operation. They just cannot get round to everyone. That’s why we need to hear from people,” Garza said.

The Census Bureau has its own hotline that allows residents to participate in Census 2010 over the phone if they did not receive a census questionnaire in the mail and did not receive a visit from a census worker. The Census Bureau hotline for Spanish speakers is 1-866-928-2010. The Census Bureau hotline for English speakers is 1-866-872-6868. Garza said the Equal Voice network has been encouraging Valley residents to call those numbers.

In addition, the Equal Voice network, working in conjunction with the National Association of Elected Latino Officials, has its own hotline number - 1-877-352-3676. Although it is a national NALEO service, anyone that calls in from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. from a 956 area code will automatically be transferred to a live person in Hidalgo County. The local service is being provided by the Equal Voice for America’s Families network and Yo Cuento 2010, the campaign started by Hidalgo County Judge Rene Ramirez.

Census Bureau spokesman Efren Salinas has participated in both of the previous Census telethons in the Valley. He said he will participate in the newscast portion of tonight's telethon.

Salinas said the Update/Enumerate operation should be completed at the end of May. He said he understands it is proceeding on schedule.

“At any point, anyone should feel free to call the TQA (telephone questionnaire assistance) number if they want to give their 2010 census answers over the phone,” Salinas said. “However, we ask that respondents be patient with us until at least the end of May. Also, keep in mind that giving your answers over the phone will not preclude a home visit from a census taker.”

For those not living in colonias, the Census Bureau is carrying out its Non-Response Follow Up for those who did not send their census forms back in the mail in time. This operation ends July 10.

Write Steve Taylor

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