Speaker Stacie Walton, MD-MPH (above) presenting on the 4/8 conference. By SUNITA SOHRABJI/EMS Contributor SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, signed into law last month, offers little relief to millions of...
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Tracking California’s Census Response Rate – Who’s Ahead and Who’s Behind?
EMS reports on the race to the Aug. 14 finish line Also available in Spanish. Less than a month after the first invitations to participate in the 2020 census were mailed out, 44.8% of California’s known households have completed the questionnaire, putting...
Coronavirus scams spreading as fast as the virus itself, FTC warns
Not only has the corona virus wrought havoc worldwide, it’s also become a new pretext for fraudsters trying to take advantage of people’s trust to steal their money. According to the United States Federal Trade Commission, COVID-19-related crimes are being...
It’s About Power, Money & Data — California Lags Behind National Average on Census, State Director Says
Ditas Katague, Director of the California Complete Count- Census 2020 Office. Also available in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean. As of April 1, 37.9% of California’s households have filled out their census questionnaires, Ditas Katague, the...
Florida at Risk of Forgoing Billions of Census 2020-Derived Revenue — Again
Speaker Anthony Williams, Special Projects Director at Bendixen & Amandi International. Florida’s undercount in the 2010 census lost the state about $20 billion in federal dollars in the last decade, according to foundation executive Susan Racher. That...
CENSUS DAY – APRIL 1 – THE DAY AMERICA TAKES ITS SELFIE
Census Day, when the United States takes its once-every-decade collective selfie, is April 1. Those who don’t include themselves in the decennial snapshot will cost themselves and their communities thousands of dollars’ worth of government tax spending --...
DACA and TPS Recipients Qualify for Federal Coronavirus Relief
Jackie Vimo is a policy analyst who leads NILC’s economic justice program. Araceli Martínez Ortega, La Opinion/Ethnic Media Services Also available in Spanish. Health and public policy experts talk about how to protect ourselves during this period of the...
COVID-19: The Worst Is Yet to Come, Medical Experts Tell Reporters at Ethnic Media Services Briefing
Dr. Turner-Lloveras (above) is an assistant Professor of Medicine at Harbor-UCLA/David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles at Harbor-UCLA. Also available in Chinese and Korean. Sunita Sohrabji, India West/Ethnic Media...
Pacific Islanders Promote Their Own Identity in 2020 Census – Separate from Wider Asian Category
Tauanu’u Ve’e, of the Regional Pacific Islander Task Force, stressed that it’s important for their communities that people specify their island of origin when filling out the 2020 census questionnaire. Also available in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean....
Civil rights leaders encourage diverse California communities to “sanitize and self-respond”
Also available in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean. In the time of Coronavirus, the state's diverse communities are told that participation in the U.S. Census is still crucially important, aside from safe and secure The U.S. Census self-response phase...
California tribes hold festive launch for 2020 census
People gather at the Sequoia Conference Center in Eureka, Humboldt County, for the Tribal Census 2020 Kickoff event. It included childcare, a meal, dancing, music from the Claire Bent & Citizen Funk dance band, and lots of information. Photo by Mark Hedin...
ASIAN DIASPORA STANDS UP TO BE COUNTED IN UPCOMING CENSUS
From left: Urtnasan Enkhbat, Tammy Vang, Yeri Shon, Myat Soe Mon and Ganesh Subedi, members of the second panel of speakers to address the importance of their communities being included in the 2020 Census, and some of the challenges standing in the way of...
Civil rights groups offer toll-free multilingual census hotlines for questions, concerns
At NALEO Educational Fund’s census hotline center in Los Angeles staff are available to help people with questions or concerns about the 2020 Census. Photo credit: NALEO Educational Fund Organizations also offer legal services. Census Bureau, meanwhile,...
Houston Rises to Census Count Challenge Absent State Dollars
The speakers at the Census briefing in Houston. From left to right: Angelica Razo (Mi Familia Vota), Ebony Fleming (BakerRipley), Elizabeth Bille (NALEO), A.J. Durrani (Emgage USA), Nabila Mansoor (Empowering Communities Initiative), and Ray Shackelford...
Federal Trade Commission Lists Biggest Scams Targeting U.S.
Monica Vaca, associate director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network, seen in one of many informative videos the agency posts at https://www.FTC.gov (https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/audio-video), warning of how various illegal scams...
Yes, you do have to choose a race
Latinos may be tempted – again -- to avoid choosing a racial identity in the census, but if they don´t, someone will, says USC Geographer Manuel Pastor. Also available in Spanish. By Pilar Marrero, La Opinion & Ethnic Media Services In the 2010 Census, 53%...
Rural communities pose special challenges for 2020 census
Also available in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean By Kathleen Weinstein - as told to Ethnic Media Services Since 1910, the Census Bureau has defined rural America as any place that doesn’t meet its criteria for urban. Those criteria include having a...
The U.S. Census question that may trip up Latinos
Also available in Spanish. The Obama administration started multi-year research on approaches that would improve data on Latinos of all races, but the Trump administration dropped all efforts and went ahead with questions that will probably undercount...
Congress checks in on Census Bureau readiness; Nonpartisan report finds hiring, partnership deals behind schedule
By Mark Hedin, Ethnic Media Services In a Feb. 12 Capitol Hill hearing that stretched more than three hours, Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham updated the 2020 effort and fielded questions from the House of Representatives’ Oversight and Reform...
What will the 2020 Census ask you? Here is a list of every question on the 2020 Census questionnaires
By Mark Hedin, Ethnic Media Services We’ve had years of worry about the confidentiality of people’s census responses, what purposes those responses would be used for, plus the possibility – now abandoned – of being asked about citizenship status. With the...
Fight Over Public Charge Rule Change Isn’t Over; Advocates seek to calm fears
By Mark Hedin. Ethnic Media Services The fight over the Trump administration’s effort to change the “public charge” rule continues, advocates gathered on a teleconference call for ethnic media on Jan. 31 agreed, despite a Supreme Court ruling earlier in...
Kids face long-term inequities if census doesn’t count them this year – all the way through elementary school: Mayra Alvarez
Mayra Alvarez, president of Children's Partnership, warns of long-term effects that would result from an undercount of young children in the U.S. Census this year (photo by Pilar Marrero). Also available in Spanish. Leader of nonprofit that advocates for...
Time to ring census alarm bell, advocates warn congress
As crucial count gets started, experts fear many will be missed By Mark Hedin, Ethnic Media Services With the United States about to begin its monumental task of counting everybody in the country once every 10 years, the House Oversight Committee held a...
Census 2020 is almost here: It could be the most empowering event of the year
Quick facts you need to know about the nation’s “self-portrait” and who should participate (everyone except very short-term visitors) By Pilar Marrero, Ethnic Media Services and La Opinion The 2020 census is this year’s most empowering and democratic event...
ARIZONA’S DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS FIND COMMON GROUND IN 2020 CENSUS – DO IT FOR THE KIDS
From left to right; Janice Palmer, Helios Foundation; Whitney Walker, Protecting Arizona’s Family Coalition; Alec Thomson, Arizona Complete Count Committee; Jim Chang, Arizona State Demographer; Mark Trahant, Indian Country Today; Eduardo Sainz, Mi Familia...
Governor Newsom Announces Quarterly “On the Record” Column to Reach Diverse Communities
Column will be translated into six different languages and published online and in print in over 50 media outlets All media outlets and the public are welcome to access the column through the Governor’s website Available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean,...
On the Record with Governor Newsom: One Year of California for All
Governor Gavin Newsom Available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Armenian, and Arabic. There’s no state in America quite like California. In troubled times for the Nation, California is where the American Dream is alive and well. The most diverse...
Proposed public charge rule change, tied up in court, has huge chilling effect on immigrants
Available in Spanish and Chinese. Federal courts have temporarily blocked the public charge rule change from going into effect, but its chilling effects continue to reverberate. The number of immigrants who, fearing the consequences of the rule change,...
Racial and Ethnic Makeup of Arizona
By Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity On Friday, December 6, Ethnic Media Services partnered with Arizona One and Arizona Community Foundation to hold a briefing on the 2020 Census in Phoenix, Arizona. Specifically, the briefing focused on the high...
SF Youth Contest – 2020 Census Deadline Extended to January 31, 2020!
The Youth Contest deadline for the 2020 Census has been extended to January 31, 2020. Please continue to submit. Follow directions at https://ethnicmediaservices.org/myfamilycounts/ Flier-WHY MY FAMILY COUNTS IN THE 2020...
FAQ – Doubts about the Census: How will the first online census work and who guarantees confidentiality?
Available in Spanish. Today we continue with our occasional series meant to answer the most frequently asked questions regarding the Census. If you have a question or doubt about the Census, please write to pilarmarrero700@gmail.com and we will consult the...
Yemeni nationals in U.S. backed into a deadly corner by uncertain TPS policies
Trump administration fighting long-standing rules against forcing people back to troubled homelands The organization Save the Children estimates that perhaps as many as 85,000 children in Yemen have starved since war broke out in 2015. Photo courtesy of...
The future of Dreamers –and of one lawyer who represents them- is in the hands of the Supreme Court
Despite news reports about a potential setback by SCOTUS, experts are optimistic about the chances of DACA recipients to remain in the U.S. in the long term. Among the lawyers representing almost 800,000 DACA recipients in front of the Supreme Court was...
Growing, Dangerous Fire Season Worsens Pollution in California’s Main Agricultural Areas
Smoke waves from wildfires in Southern California spread to the San Joaquin Valley where they are trapped, reversing improvements in air quality and impacting health. Just days ago this year's most destructive fire in California was completely extinguished...
FAQ – Counting Children Matters Most: Census 2020
Within the African American community, the conversation about the upcoming 2020 census ranges from ‘why bother’ to ‘we’re all in.’ Let’s speak to the ‘why bother’ question. FAQ: Why should I bother with Census 2020? I filled out the census form the last...
CONGRESSMAN RO KHANNA SEES SILICON VALLEY PLAYING PIVOTAL ROLE IN 2020 ELECTIONS
California Congressman Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, attended a rally for worker rights in the U.S. Capitol building in July. Khanna, in a teleconference with ethnic media journalists on Tuesday, Nov. 12, said he supports efforts to reclassify “gig economy”...
Census Bureau embarks on a hiring blitz
The Census Bureau reports having completed its process of verifying addresses for purposes of mailing notifications about the 2020 Census. Now, it is hiring thousands of enumerators who will go door-to-door next spring to collect information from those who...
Five Things You Need to know After Court Rulings on “Public Charge”
(Getty Images) Available in Spanish and Chinese Five federal courts have banned the United States government in the last few days from changing the rules on the use of public benefits for applicants seeking permanent residency or a non-immigrant visa,...
Central Valley Investment Booms But Leaves Workers Behind
Madeline Janis looks on as State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo addresses the Summit on the Central Valley audience Oct. 2 in Fresno. – Photo by Mark Hedin, Ethnic Media Services FRESNO – California boasts the world’s fifth-largest economy, with Central Valley’s...
Census experts, youth advocates tackle getting California’s kids counted
On Friday, Sept. 27, youth advocates and census experts, from left, Mayra Alvarez, president of The Children’s Partnership, Robert Clinton of the San Francisco Office of Community Engagement and Immigrant Affairs, Christina Wong of the San Francisco...
El Paso congresswoman, rights leaders decry white supremacist Washington, D.C., talk-radio event
Veronica Escobar, congresswoman for Texas’ 16th congressional district (Photo: escobar.house.gov). Organizers have a long and growing history of promoting anti-immigrant policies By Mark Hedin Ethnic Media Services The congresswoman representing El Paso,...
Why Water Now Flows in East Porterville – Community Outreach the Key
Leonicio Ramirez and Guillermina Avila were the first residents of East Porterville (Tulare County) to receive water through a new connection to the city of Porterville funded by Prop. 1. Photo by Florence Low, California Department of Water Resources....
New UCLA Study – State Makes Progress on Goal To Guarantee Water as a Human Right
Residents of East Porterville (Tulare County), lived with severe drinking water problems for years until a connection to the city of Porterville was finally made in 2016 with $25 million in funding provided by the state's Prop. 1, enacted in 2014. Photo by...
NEWS YOU CAN USE: Important information on the DHS rule change regarding Public Charge
The following are links to press releases and information on the DHS rule change regarding Public Charge in determining immigration status. English: Advocates Vow to Block Trump Attack on Millions of Families and American Democracy Congress Must Reject...
New DHS Rule Threatens Access to Green Cards for Immigrants Using Some Public Programs
The Trump administration on August 12 finalized a rule which creates additional hurdles for those who’ve waited years to legally stay in the United States. This “public charge” rule expands the list of public programs the government will consider in...
How Hate Reaches a Tipping Point – Mexicans on the Menu
By Joe Loya (Leer en español) You’d see this phenomenon in prison. A guy in H-Unit would get beat down real bad with a heavy weight belt and get sent to the hospital with eye damage and missing teeth. A couple weeks later a guy in I-Unit would get attacked...
The Shrinking Payout of Equifax Settlement Funds
Instructions from the FTC's website. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- If you’re a skeptic searching for evidence we’re not really in a boom economy, look no further than the mad goldrush to claim a $125 payout from Equifax. For some, $125 is walking-around pocket...
Tulsi Gabbard briefs ethnic media – WE NEED UNITY AND DIPLOMACY TO COUNTER WAR AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Tulsi Gabbard, congresswoman from Hawai'i, spent an hour fielding questions from a diverse array of ethnic media journalists in a teleconference on Friday, Aug. 2. Second in a series of ethnic media conversations with the 2020 presidential candidates By...
Response time: the difference between Life and Death
LA County Fire Department paramedic Alexis Kendricks addresses the audience (Photo: Pilar Marrero). The lives of millions Angelinos depend on the county Fire Department, but their equipment is old and their staff is insufficient. LA COUNTY - Every time...
Andrew Yang brings presidential campaign to ethnic media
Presidential candidate Andrew Yang addressed ethnic media reporters on July 23 in a conference hosted by EMS. First in a series of ethnic media conversations with the 2020 presidential candidates Korean translation available By Mark Hedin Ethnic Media...
Mayors See Census as Game Changer: Need for Accurate Census Count Draws Kern County Leadership Together
“What we’re discussing is a humanitarian issue, not a political one. Our goal is to serve every person, especially children who don’t have a voice yet,” said Mayor Manuel Cantu of McFarland.
Newsom’s Budget Prioritizes Education, Housing, Health — Plus Money for a Rainy Day
The California governor also told reporters that he is committed to making sure Latinos and other ethnic minorities are counted during the 2020 Census.
Fears of Undercounting People of Color Rise Before 2020 Census
Combatting a predicted major undercounting of people of color in the 2020 U.S. Census was the focus of a national roundtable discussion.
Looking For Short Term Work? 2020 Census May Want You
The Census Bureau has said it expects to hire about a half-million people nationwide to help in its all-important counting of everybody living in the United States.
Stockton Kicks Off Census Complete Count Effort: ‘We’re Not Going Back’
“We have no interest in going back to 1950,” said Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs at an event geared toward ensuring an accurate 2020 Census count.
Census Champions — Jeri Green’s Life-Long Crusade to Reverse Historic Undercounts
For over three decades, Jeri Green has helped make the decennial census a leading civil rights issue, both as a Census Bureau insider, and now as an advocate for the National Urban League.
Newsom Takes Aim at State’s Top Three Challenges: Healthcare, Housing, Homeless
In a briefing for Asian Pacific Islander media, the governor also warned the anti-immigrant threat is now expanding to the API community.
‘We Need Numbers to Tell Our Story’ – Reversing Census Undercount in Indian Country
For Native Americans, the ethnic group with the highest undercount of any defined by the Census Bureau, diversity and isolation compound the obstacles to achieving a more accurate count.
Metro Atlanta’s Diversity Complicates Census Count
Clarkston Mayor Ted Terry described his city, about 20 miles east of Atlanta, as “one of the most ethnically diverse” in America.
Shifting The Sources Of Drinking Water In California
Water conservation and recycling efforts are needed as Colorado River water levels drop This article appeared in India Currents May 14, 2019 By Jaya Padmanabhan Ethnic Media Services Even at a time when the California snowpack is 161% of the historical...
Los Angeles has most to lose in Census undercount, study finds
Los Angeles has among the lowest projected growth rates for California counties, which could mean decreased federal dollars following the 2020 Census.
Fears and Doubts About the 2020 Census? Do It for the Kids
California, with one out of eight of the nation's children, risks being seriously shortchanged for another decade if its youngest children are undercounted in the 2020 Census. Kids under 5, more than any other age or ethnic group, were left out of the last...
Mixtec families stake claim to Oxnard coast
Obsolete power plants, a paper mill and a busy trucking route serving nearby ports have long separated Oxnard’s Ormond Beach from the people who live nearby.
‘We Want to be Visible’ — Tulare County Aims to Reverse Census Undercount
Community stakeholders and local reporters came out in force March 15 to discuss Tulare County’s risk of once more being undercounted in the 2020 Census.
Governor explains death penalty moratorium: ‘I cannot do this’
In a telebriefing organized by Ethnic Media Services, Gov. Newsom described the reasoning behind his recent decision to impose a moratorium on the death penalty during his tenure.
Immigrant Rights in Limbo
Between the Muslim ban, the separation of families, terminating DACA, public charge and ending temporary protections, the immigrant community has had to face serious challenges since President Trump assumed office.
Could Congress Ban Citizenship Question from 2020 Census?
Congress may hold the key to stopping the Census Bureau from adding the highly controversial question about citizenship status to the 2020 Census.
Citizenship Question: Still a Challenge to an Accurate 2020 Census
The Constitution requires that America’s decennial census count all persons residing in the United States, not just citizens, a clearly stated objective now at risk.
San Jose Makes its Plans for Coyote Valley – Voters OK’d Millions for Green Space, Water Quality
Under the watchful eyes of dozens of community activists, San Jose’s City Council held a study session Jan. 22 to discuss plans for Coyote Valley.
From Womb to Tomb—LA County Offers ‘Oasis of Support’ to Immigrants
As the federal government continuously re-defines who is entitled to the rights and privileges of being American, L.A. County is an “oasis of services” for all its residents, regardless of immigrant status.
Census Confidentiality Concerns Worry Activists
As the Census Bureau prepares for its 2020 count, concerns about new plans to question respondents about their citizenship status have taken center stage.
Camp Fire’s Toxin Runoff Poses Threat to Prized Salmon
During a particularly vulnerable time in their lifecycle, the Chinook Salmon now will confront toxic runoff from the Camp Fire.
Midterms Spotlight Rising Latino Power
The full tally of the Latino vote on the mid-term election is not in yet, but the available information makes one thing clear: Latino power is rising.
Trump Effect — Mid-terms a turning point for Asian American voters
With a history of low voter engagement, Asian Americans have not been seen as an influential voting bloc. What is known as the Trump Effect appears to be changing that.
Mississippi Senate Race May Be Defining Moment for Black Voters
Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith’s remark to a colleague that, “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row” puts the Magnolia State at center stage for black voters in the 2018 mid-term elections.
LA county getting ready to deal with a wet winter, as Measure W goes to the voters
LA county’s stormwater management system — an essential component of water resilience. By Jaya Padmanabhan Ethnic Media Services LOS ANGELES, CA — The 2017-2018 rainfall season was the third lowest on record for Los Angeles since rainfall records began...
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