Cong. Yvette Clarke has made history again. This time with the introduction of the Caribbean Count Bill in the U.S. Congress, which calls for questionnaires used in the taking of any decennial census of population to include a checkbox or other similar option so that respondents may indicate Caribbean extraction, ancestry or descent.

H.R. 2071 was lobbied for by CaribID, headed by yours truly, who, along with Chuck Mohan and Irwine Clare, pushed for the bill. It "does not call for an additional race category" on the U.S. Census form, but like the Hispanic category, insists Caribbean nationals who have been living in the United States since slavery and are growing rapidly, but remain under the radar, be given the opportunity to truly self-identify.

The congresswoman explained that the bill is important to the 11th Congressional District because it draws attention to the significance of the 2010 U.S. census to the Caribbean community and, by extension, the immigrant population at large, which, because of cultural sensitivities and other factors, can sometimes be reluctant to complete the forms.

"Census Day is less than a year away, and it is imperative that every household participate in order to ensure an accurate count. Today, data generated by the census is used not only to determine voter representation, but also to help to equitably distribute federal funding from a wide range of government programs," said Congresswoman Clarke. "Census data is an invaluable resource to private industry, helping businesses make sensible decisions about how and where to expand their capital. An accurate count of the Caribbean community will highlight their purchasing power and economic impact both in the U.S. and global markets."

Caribbean nationals are now urged to lobby their congressional representatives to become cosponsors of the bill to ensure it becomes a reality. For the 2010 census, nationals are urged to ensure they fill out, not throw out, the forms, which will be mailed from the Census Bureau in March of 2010, and to write in their country of origin under question eight, while ticking their ethnic identity as well.

For more on CaribID and to become ambassadors in spreading the census message, log on to CaribID2010.com.