This year’s U.S. Census is important for the country on the whole and Armenian community in particular, said Anahit Tovmasyan, the Partnership Specialist at the U.S. Census Bureau.  

“By recording the accurate number of Armenians within our local communities, we have better opportunities to apply for government grants and to receive funding for non-profit Armenian organizations to create programs for our youth and the elderly,” she said.

“By encouraging Armenian-Americans to check the “other” box and to write “Armenian” on the form, the Census will more accurately reflect the number of Armenians residing in Southern California, which in turn will allow Armenians to have minority status and receive the funds Armenian community organizations rightly deserve,” reads the statement by the Armenian Assembly of America.

The statement mentions that the U.S. Census began in 1790 and has been conducted every ten years thereafter which makes the 2010 Census the 23rd Census in the United States. 

“Participation in the U.S. Census is mandatory because it is part of our constitution and as residents of the United States we all need to do our civic duty and every single resident needs to participate to have an exact count of people residing in this country and in our individual states,”  Tovmasyan noted.