Arab American Community Leaders Meet with U.S. Census Bureau
Yesterday, January 25, 2010, ADC Michigan Regional Director, Imad Hamad, and Osama Siblani, President of the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC), both member organizations of the Congress of Arab American Organizations in Michigan (CAAO), met with officials from the U.S. Census Bureau in Michigan.
The discussion focused on advancing the partnership and cooperation between the Census Bureau and the Arab and Muslim American communities with regards to preparing for the 2010 Census. Both sides expressed solid a commitment towards securing active participation of the community, and agreed to continue similar discussions and join together to further the process. Census officials expressed their unwavering commitment to a transparent campaign and a process free of fear or intimidation, while respecting the privacy of the data that will be collected strictly for counting purposes.
"Despite our reservations with the short form for the Census 2010, we continue to call for full and active participation in the Census count this year," said Imad Hamad, ADC Sr. National Advisor and Regional Director. “Participation is our basic civic duty that we all as people must exercise. Every person counts, and being counted serves everybody's interest at all levels."
