Chicago Census office to hire Arabic partner for Census
The U.S. Census through its Chicago Regional office is looking to hire an “Arabic partner” for the next two years as the agency begins preparations to conduct the 2020 Census.
Although the U.S. Government has rejected adding the category of “Arab” or “Middle East or North Africa” (MENA) to the Census long forms, the hiring suggests the issue remains on the table.
Although the hiring of one person for the spot won’t result in Arabs being fairly counter in the next Census, it means that the Census is keenly aware of the importance of the Arab community, which has been severely undercounted over the years.
Here is the posting:
The U.S. Census Bureau has job announcements posted for a bilingual Arabic Partnership Specialist; the links to the position are listed below. The posting for the Partnership Specialist closes October 9, 2018 by 11:59 PM ET. To review and apply now, open the job links below.
External Link – https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/512166300?#
Announcement number – RCC2020CHI-2018-0154
The job posting suggests similar positions may be available at other U.S. Census Regional Offices.
The Census defines the duties of the position as follows:
Responsibilities
The individual selected for this position will:
- Plan, develop, and coordinate the partnership agreements to ensure activities all levels are carried out, resolves problems encountered, and determines the need for renegotiation.
- Addresses questions, concerns and issues related to current and potential partners and stakeholders.
- Establish partnership agreements with federal, state local, and tribal governments, and/or local businesses and community groups to develop specific strategies to eliminate enumeration barriers in specific regions in support of the Decennial Census.
- Develop presentations, give briefings, conduct meetings and promote partnerships with various governments, local businesses and community groups.
- Present information to audiences that predominately speak Arabic and translate and develop targeted informational and promotional materials from Arabic to English and English to Arabic when necessary.
Travel Required
50% or less – Position requires approximately occasional travel
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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