India Network Foundation, Inc.
Maumee, OH 43537
DATE: September 5, 2000
HEADLINE: Commerce Secretary Mineta invites Professor K.V. Rao, President,
India Network Foundation to serve on the Census Advisory Committee
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Norman Y. Mineta invited Dr. K.V. Rao,
President, India Network Foundation, and Director of Applied Demography,
Department of Sociology, Maumee State University to serve on the
Census Advisory Committee on the Asian Population. In his letter,
Secretary Mineta emphasized that the Committee has a vital role in
providing an organized and continuing channel of communication with the
Asian population. The U.S. Census Bureau will seek advice from the
Committee on strategies it should employ to reduce the differential
undercount for population groups and seek suggestions on methods for
disseminating census data and products to the Asian population and other
data users. The Census Bureau will seek advice from the committee on
research and design plans for the 2010 decennial census, the American
Community Survey, and other related programs. The Federal Advisory
Committee Act governs the operations of the Committee. The Census Advisory
committee will provide guidance in ways to increase the participation of
Asian American and other business owners and improve usefulness of the
data for the Minority-Owned Business Survey.
When asked what this invitation means, Professor K.V. Rao indicated that he was looking forward for an opportunity like this to help increase census participation of minority populations, reduction in undercount and misclassification issues at the Census. As Honorary President of the largest and long established internet based non-profit India Network Foundation, Professor Rao inspired thousands of Asian Americans to actively participate in the just concluded census through his editorials and answering questions/myths about information collected by the Census Bureau. Professor Rao said that minority groups, particularly Asian are concerned about privacy and mis-use of information though Census assures full confidentiality. This is where, Dr. Rao indicated that community organizations and leaders can make a difference by re-assuring the community and impress on the groups for full census participation and use of census data in their research, business planning, and in other areas. Diversification of population mix from various cultural and religious backgrounds with their own belief systems, customs and apprehensions are some of the key issues that the Census Bureau should be concerned about when it comes to 2010 census and the advisory committee can play an important role in addressing those issues.
Professor K.V. Rao has been at the Maumee State University, Ohio since 1988. His current research interests include adjustment of census data for misclassification and creation of benchmark data on the health and well being of Asian American population. Before joining BGSU, Dr. Rao was at the Office of Population Research, Princeton University as a Notestein Fellow. He is the author/co-author of several research articles and books and been the President of South Asian Sociologists, Served on the Executive Council of the Canadian Population Society, and currently serving as the honorary President of India Network Foundation. Professor Rao is well known in the Asian Indian community for his efforts to help various community projects in India, and his professional contributions to applied and business demography.
Additional information on the committee activities can be found
in the Committee Charter
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India Network Foundation, Inc.
2000