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                      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                     WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2003

Public Information Office                                   CB03-CT.01
(301) 763-3691/457-3620 (fax)
(301) 457-1037 (TDD)                                        
e-mail: pio@census.gov
                         
             Census Workers To Update Addresses in 
                       Queens Census Test
                                
   The 2010 Census may be seven years away, but the U. S. Census Bureau
and northwest Queens, N. Y., are gearing up already. In August, census
workers will begin walking through Astoria, Corona, Elmhurst, East
Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Long Island City and Woodside to verify and
update the address list that will be used to mail out questionnaires to
these areas for the 2004 Census Test.

   During daylight hours, address canvassers wearing official census
identification will visit each block and housing unit in these
neighborhoods and identify every place where people might live. In
particular, they will seek out residences that may not be obvious, such as
subdivided houses, basement apartments and occupied rooms in a housing
unit that constitute separate living quarters. Besides determining the
location of not-so-obvious living quarters, the canvassers also may ask
residents to confirm their street address.

   "Census workers are hired in the test communities who know their
neighborhoods, speak the languages spoken there and are familiar with area
culture," said Tony Farthing, director of the Census Bureau's New York
regional office.  "They will carry easily recognizable official
identification cards. I urge residents of northwest Queens to cooperate
with census workers."

   The 2004 Census Test is a trial of new methods and technologies 
designed to improve accuracy and completeness. It also will give the 
Census Bureau insight into how respondents react to changes in the wording 
of race and Hispanic-origin questions. "Census Day" is April 1, 2004.
   
   By law, any information given to a sworn census worker is confidential. 
It cannot be disclosed to anyone not covered by the same strict
confidentiality statute. Violations of this law can result in fines,
imprisonment or both.

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