Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 12, 1 December 1999 — Census 2000: Native Nawaiians and Pacific lslanders shape the next decade [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Census 2000: Native Nawaiians and Pacific lslanders shape the next decade

ALOHA MAI kākou, e nā 'ōiwi Hawai'i. My 34th article in a series of 46 highlights the importance of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders' participation in CENSUS 2000. My KWO articles of September, October and November 1997 informed beneficiaries of the collaborative effort by a 20member working group to impact recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget on OMB Directive 15. Under Chair DeSoto, and with visionary support from Trustee Beamer, OFĪA's board financially supported a statewide postcard campaign addressed to OMB whieh, according to my December 1997 article, received more than 7,000 postcards. Consequently, OMB Directive 15 reflects a new category, "Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders," whieh impacts data standards for government agencies and provides a minimum set for data on race and ethnicity, used governmentwide, not only in the decennial

census, but also in data eolleetion for statistics on school registration, housing assistance, employment and education. Federal agencies have until 2003 to fully implement the new directive. Senator Akaka said, "For the first time in 20 years, all federal programs in the country will recognize this and all Americans will finally eome to know who we are as a people." Representative Abercrombie eommented that he was "pleased with OMB's acknowledgement of compelling arguments by native Hawaiians." He added, "There is more than nomenelature at stake here. We are engaged in a long struggle for justice, and every act of the federal government whieh aeknowledges those issues is progress towards that goal." Aeouple years before the 1997 OMB decision, the Bureau of the Census, began plans for Census 2000. It established four Race and Ethnic Advisory (REAC) Committees consistent

with OMB's categories in effect at the time: Affican American, the American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic and the Asian and Pacific Islander. I was

appointed to the API committee by the Secretary of Commerce and reappointed to represent the community through 2000. In July 1999, the Census Bureau estabhshed the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific

Islander (NHOPI) Subcommittee, under the Asian Pacific Islander Committee, in response to the OMB change. Along with Susie Suafa'i, I joined Kenneth Galeai, Chnton Helenihi and Mary Salas on the five member subcommittee also appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. All four REAC Advisory Committees, including the two subcommittees under the API completed the November quarterly meeting with Bureau personnel, moving into the final phase of advisory tasks before Census Day, April 1, 2000. And in January 2000, 1 will begin serving as chair of the Asian Paeiiie Islander Advisory Committee. The NHOPI subcommittee is pressing the Bureau to resolve our concems about television advertisements showing Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander faces, to increase NHOP awareness of the Census and motivate participation. We are getting help from the Pacific Ameiiean Congressional Caucus as well. Final resolution is expected within weeks. Two Census Part-

nership Speciahsts in Hawai'i are part-Hawahan, Rhoda Kaluai and Wanda Hanson. Their job is to address complete counts for all populations, including NHOPI groups, through eollahoration and partnerships. Their colleague Malaki Tau'ili'ih works on the West Coast. under Los Angeles Regional Director John Reeder who also supervises Rhoda, Wanda and Malaki. The Census questionnaire for 2000 has under the race question individual eheek boxes for Native Hawaiian, Ameiiean Samoan and Chamorro. Other Pacific Islanders will be required to write in their identification. "It's your future, don't leave it blank." Those interested in Census 2000 should contact Rhoda at (808) 522-6045. Finally, in 2000, the Bureau expects to charter the fifth REAC Committee, the Native Hawaiianor OtherPacific Islander Advisory Committee, pursuant to OMB Directive 15, to begin planning for 2010. Mele Kalikimaka . Hau'oh Makahiki Hou iā kākou. ■

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