by TONYA MOSLEY / KING 5 News
Posted on April 1, 2010 at 6:07 PM ******
SEATTLE - Fartun Muhamed helps a fellow Somali woman fill out the census. Muhamed is part of an aggressive effort underway in the Rainier Valley. There's even a television program on Somali TV, dedicated to teaching viewers about the form. This year's population count will likely show a huge surge in the number of Somalis who call Seattle home. "Ten years ago you wouldn't see many Somalis in this area.
Today it's one of the fastest growing communities," says Somali Regional Census Center specialist Ahmed Scego. The Somali population is joined in the Rainier Valley by several dozen ethnic groups, speaking more than 59 languages, such as Chinese, Hindi and Thai. It's an exciting and challenging opportunity for the Census Bureau, says Seattle Census manager Sturgis Robinson. Now all they have to do is to get people to trust them. "Fear of the government is prevalent with people of color and refugees and immigrants in this area," says Scego. "Our job is to reassure them."
Scego and others will be hitting the streets in the next few weeks, speaking directly to those who have not filled out the form. Barbershop owner Willie Hodge looks forward to seeing what the census numbers will reveal. His shop has been in the Rainier Valley for 21 years. "We have a fluctuation of everybody. Everybody comes through," he said. He's hopeful the numbers will bring much-needed resources to this rapidly changing community. For help on filling out the census, go to
Source: http://www.census.gov/regions/seattle/.
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