NEW BEDFORD - Local organizations have joined the statewide Portuguese-Speaking Complete Count Committee (PSCCC) in an effort to achieve a 100 percent count among the Portuguese speaking ethnicities in the 2010 Census next spring. This past Tuesday, State Representative António F. D. Cabral (D-New Bedford) met with Helena Marques, executive director of the Immigrants' Assistance Center, Theresa Cordeiro Larson, assistant director of Coastline Elderly Services, Rosa Farizo, paralegal for South Coastal Counties Legal Services and Maria Pereira of the Catholic Social services to brainstorm on how to educate and bring census awareness to the Portuguese speaking communities. These organizations will be acting as Census assistance centers to aid Portuguese speakers on how to fill out the forms.
      According to the panel, ten years ago there were many Portuguese speakers who were counted as Latinos and many others who did not fill out the Census forms due to language and cultural barriers, among other reasons.
      "We are Latin but not Latino. In the past, Portuguese speaking ethnicities were being under counted," stated Marques.
      During the meeting, the importance of a "complete count" was emphasized. (It is crucial that Portuguese speakers have full representation in Congress.) A complete count has many benefits, such as adequate government funding for important services and programs that aid the Portuguese speaking communities, according to the panel.
      Cabral was concerned about how to educate the Portuguese communities on the importance of the Census, on how to fill it out accurately and, most of all, how to reach out to all Portuguese speaking ethnicities (Portuguese, Brazilian and Cape Verdean, among others.)
      In efforts to reach out Coastline Elderly Services will be targeting their Portuguese-speaking clients.
      "Our case managers will be trained. In January when they go to Portuguese clients' homes, they will take these forms to educate and help fill them out. It will become part of their assessment when they go out to evaluate the clients," stated Cordeiro.
      Marques also mentioned the challenge to target undocumented population.
      "The undocumented also need to be counted. They shouldn't be afraid to fill out the Census. Aggregate information is shared, but not personal information," stated Cabral.
      In hopes to target community leaders, organizations and the general Portuguese speaking public, a meeting will be held Friday, Dec. 18 at 10a.m., at the Immigrants' Assistance Center, 58 Crapo St. The meeting is open to those interested in learning more about the 2010 census or interested in helping PSCCC reach out to the community.