CaribWorldNews, Chicago, IL., Thurs. Sept, 24, 2009: Founder and President of the Caribbean Association of Midwest America and CaribID partner, Deon M. Lopez, has been named as chairperson for the African Diaspora Complete Count Committee in the Uptown Area of Chicago.

Lopez, through CaribID and her new post is working to increase participation in the 2010 U.S. Census among Caribbean and African communities.  C.A.M.A. is an organization that promotes and educates the Midwest on issues impacting Caribbean nationals both in the U.S. and the Caribbean.

Lopez, as part of the Carib ID 2010 initiative, will stress the importance of the Caribbean and African communities participating in the Census, as well as the direct connection between the Census and financial support for our communities.

`The Caribbean and African communities must be proactive in an effort to raise awareness of and draw attention to the untapped economic and political viability of our communities,` said Lopez.  `We must educate and encourage the Caribbean and African communities on the importance of their participation in the U.S. Census.  The Census is perceived as a tool to locate illegal immigrants and we need the Caribbean and African communities to understand that the Census will not adversely impact our communities, no one will come looking for them based on their answers, the information taken by the Census is confidential and can not be shared with anyone not even welfare or immigration services. `

The CaribID 2010 initiative states, `This is about the future and the future of our children.  We can choose to be invisible and not participate in the 2010 Census or we can choose to write in our Caribbean/African country of origin on question 9 and tick the box that says no not Hispanic.`

With the Caribbean-American population in the U.S. estimated at less than 3 million ` it`s time that we the Caribbean community -STAND UP AND BE COUNTED,` added Lopez.

To learn more about the organization, visit the C.A.M.A. website at www.caribeilanz.com or for CaribID 2010 initiative visit www.caribid2010.com.