The 2010 Census is coming to soap operas. Beginning in October Mas Sabe el Diablo ( The Devil Knows Best) will have the 2010 Census as a major theme in the program. Something as dull ( to some) and uninspiring will be in direct contrast to the steamy sex, horrendous villians, extraordinary wealth and poverty and never ending illnesses.
The New York Times reported today that Telemundo will include the Census in the plot line of Diablo from October until early February, shortly before the 2010 Census forms arrive in our mailboxes. While many Americans are unaware of the Spanish telenovelas, they are extremely popular with Hispanics audiences. Telenovelas were first used in Mexico and Brazil as a vehicle for promoting smaller family size and the use of contraception by Population Communication International and Population Media Center. Themes are woven into existing story line.
This may be the first time that the enumeration of any nation has been included as a plot line... and certainly the first time in the US. In Diablo, Perla Beltran will use a position as recuriter of workers for the U.S. Census Bureau as a way out of poverty and the brutal society in which she has been living. She will leave her job selling stuffed pastries when a Census Bureau employee approaches her about being a recruiter. Throughout the series the Census will be discussed. There will be a long discussion about the confidentiality of the Census, a major concern in the undocumented Hispanic community when the star takes the required test for employment.
During the course of the soap opera many of the concerns of the Latino community will be discussed including the critical issue of confidentiality, the need to report all people living in a household even if it is more than one family and the need to report all persons whether or not they are documented and in the country with legal papers.
The next Census is expected to report an increase in the Hispanic population of 14 million people, almost a 50% increase from the 22 million reported during the last Census. This rapid population growth results from immigration and high birth rates. However, the Hispanic community has greater fears of completing the Census form because many are in the country without legal papers. Low income communities have traditionally been under counted and often are missed because they have unusual living arrangements without a mailing address or many families are living in one home. For the first time some community leaders are urging that Hispanics not complete the Census as a means of applying pressure to get immigration reform.
It is very important that everyone complete their Census form and it will be interest to see how well this novel approach works. REMEMBER TO COMPLETE YOUR CENSUS FORM IN MARCH.
