Ms. Deon M. Lopez, Founder and President of the Caribbean Association of Midwest America (C.A.M.A.) will collaborate with the U.S. Census and serve as Chairperson for the African Diaspora Complete Count Committee in the Uptown Area of Chicago to increase participation among Caribbean and African communities.  C.A.M.A. is an organization that promotes and educates the Midwest on issues impacting Caribbean nationals both in the US and the Caribbean.

In her role as a Chairperson, Ms. Lopez will act as a liaison between the U.S. Census and the Caribbean and African audience in Uptown.  Ms. Lopez, as part of the Carib ID 2010 initiative, will stress the importance of the Caribbean and African communities participating in the Census, as well as the direct connection between the Census and financial support for our communities.

Because of this direct link to the U S Census, Ms. Lopez will communicate how the Census count impacts  the  Caribbean and African communities and social service programs that are directly related to the survival and growth of both communities.

“The Caribbean and African communities must be proactive in an effort to raise awareness of and draw attention to the untapped economic and political viability of our communities,” said Lopez.  “We must educate and encourage the Caribbean and African communities on the importance of their participation in the U.S. Census.  The Census is perceived as a tool to locate illegal immigrants and we need the Caribbean and African communities to understand that the Census will not adversely impact our communities, no one will come looking for them based on their answers, the information taken by the Census is confidential and can not be shared with anyone not even welfare or immigration services. “

The Carib Id 2010 initiative states, “This is about the future and the future of our children.  We can choose to be invisible and not participate in the 2010 Census or we can choose to write in our Caribbean/African country of origin on question 8 and tick the box that says no not Hispanic”

With the Caribbean-American population in the U.S. estimated at 5 million, it’s time that we the Caribbean community -STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!!!