Census challenges Hmong

WAUSAU (WAOW)--Radio DJ hosts at WNRB-LP, Chong Ku Thow and Karl Tza Kow Thoj, use their airways to connect with Southeast Asians in Wausau, about 6,000 people.

Lately, they use the show to talk about the US Census. The DJs work with the Wausau Area Hmong Association to help the Hmong community understand how to fill it out the Census form and why it's important.

The Census helps the government divvy up more than $400 billion in federal aid. It comes once every ten years. That's why it can be confusing for people who've moved to this country within the last decade. The Hmong Association offers one-on-one Census help to clear up the confusion.



"The Census taker is a Hmong individual from the community so he can speak Hmong pretty well and he can help translate some of the information if people need to," The Executive Director of the Hmong Association, Peter Yang.

Diversity officials posted oversized questionnaires in Hmong for citizens to reference. If that's not enough, the Neighbor's place in Wausau offers Census Forms in multiple languages.The organization's director says people who aren't familiar with the Census sometimes throw away the form, thinking it's junk mail. That's basically throwing away $1,200 for our community.

Fortunately, Census takers help ensure that everyone is counted. Pretty soon they'll be knocking on doors of people who did not fill out the form.

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