Lately it seems that there has been a lingering question amongst our kababayan as to whether or not undocumented community members should participate in the upcoming Census 2010. There have been those from similar immigrant communities calling for an outright boycott of the Census, but, aside from it being a sign of the level of frustration felt by undocumented immigrants, it’s really difficult for KSE to see the sense in not participating.

Let’s face it, living as an undocumented immigrant is scary enough, but post-9/11 politics have made things even harder. As it stands, there is currently no path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, so, in addition to the constant fear of deportation and the psychological issues that come with a constant feeling of being socially outcast, now there is an even stronger ambivalence about the sort of future one can build in this country. Put simply, one can work as hard as they can in school or work (or both), but as of right now there’s no guarantee that one’s diligent educational and employment self-development, achievements overall and contribution to the US economy will be rewarded with a change in status; there’s always the chance that you might be deported.

For the Filipino Community in the US, this is a major issue. Philippine Migration is a fact of life for Filipinos. More than 2,000 of us leave our Philippine homeland each day in search of work because, put simply, there is little to be found back home. The reality is clear: If you want a future for you and your family, you should really consider working abroad.

A common destination for various reasons is the United States of America. Now, according to the 2000 Census [PDF], there are 1,369,070 people living in the United States who were born in the Philippines. This of course doesn’t account for the children of Filipino immigrants, but it gives us some idea of how large a population we’re talking about. Unfortunately though, there is currently a backlog of up to a 22 year wait for visas. Now, if there are little to no economic opportunities for you and your family back home, one can see the temptation to not wait 22 years and consider the route of undocumented immigration.

Current estimates place the TNT (Tago ng Tago…a Tagalog colloquial phrase for undocumented immigrants which roughly translates to “constantly in hiding”) population at 260,000, with acknowledgements that this may be conservative considering how these numbers are derived. Put simply, it’s really hard to convince a person to report sensitive information to a government agency like the Census Bureau if you’re “hiding” and scared of being discovered. Which brings us to the upcoming Census.

KSE believes it is critical for all persons of Philippine descent to participate in Census 2010, regardless of status. It is the data collected from this process that is used to determine the pool of resources available for much needed community services. The Census Bureau states it best:

Census data directly affect how more than $300 billion per year in federal and state funding is allocated to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation and much more. That’s more than $3 trillion over a 10-year period. Spending just a few minutes to fill out your census form will help ensure your community gets its fair share of federal and state funding.

If our kababayan, for whatever reason, fail to participate in the upcoming Census, the results would only limit our access to a pool of resources we could use to raise awareness around the issues that face our community. These issues, of course, include the state of immigration in this country.

But for undocumented immigrants the question remains: Is sharing your information with the Census Bureau safe? By all accounts, yes. In an interview with the New York Community Media Alliance, regional Census manager Allison Cenac emphasized the Census Bureau’s commitment to confidentiality, stating that it will not share its data with any other federal agency and further conveying that any Census worker sharing personal data from a questionnaire will be doing so at the risk of serious penalties: up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $200,000.

KSE is quite sensitive to the concerns of our undocumented community members and completely understands the hesitance to share sensitive information that could put themselves and their families at risk of deportation. However, in the case of Census 2010, we believe that the risk is minimal and that the benefits could actually help in the ongoing struggle for immigration reform. We are currently considering different projects that we can put into action during the upcoming months to promote our community’s participation in the upcoming Census. A boycott would help no one.