East Chicago is counting on you, so stand up and be counted.

The East Chicago Complete Count Committee wants every East Chicago resident counted in the 2010 census so the city can get all the funding it needs and deserves.

In 2000, only 52 percent bothered to fill out the form provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, giving an inaccurate count of residents in the city, according to a Census spokeswoman.

Why the low response? Many say fear of what the government might do with the information tops the list of answers. Like many other areas, East Chicago is home to many undocumented individuals. For fear of deportation, obviously they don't want to fill out any forms that bear a government logo.

The East Chicago Complete Count Committee hopes to spearhead efforts to assure the undocumented that the government is counting "all residents," not just citizens.

To help ease this fear, the 2010 census questionnaire will be in "short form." This form does not contain the detailed, personal questions that might deter residents from responding.

On a national level, LULAC has joined forces with Spanish-language media and other prominent Hispanic organizations to ensure Latinos are counted. In the 2000 census, "Latinos were undercounted by nearly 1 million Latinos," according to LULAC National President Rosa Rosales.

I admire the groups for taking on such a challenging role. Trying to persuade a population living in the shadows to fill out a census form will not be easy.

Do your part to help your city get the funding it deserves. It is counting on you.