*One third of the residents are immigrants in San Mateo.
Do you identify as an immigrant? If so, the County Board of Supervisors wants to hear from you.
San Mateo County has launched a survey in 12 languages to help evaluate its services and to understand the needs of its residents, since according to its reports, one in three residents is an immigrant.
The survey is not only for residents of the area, but for all those who work or attend school here.
“Situated on the edge of the Pacific Rim, our county is among the most dynamic and diverse in the United States. Our first-generation immigrants alone could fill Oracle Park more than six times over,” said Don Horsley, chairman of the County Board of Supervisors.
She also said that “it is vital that we listen to as many people as possible to help ensure that we are providing the services that our immigrant residents and our immigrant workforce deserve and need.”
According to a statement, this is the county's most ambitious and comprehensive effort in recent memory to listen to the needs of immigrants in San Mateo, in their own language.
The survey is available online and in print in 12 languages: Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Hindi, Tongan, and English.
All responses to the 36 questions are anonymous and confidential, so no personally identifiable information will be requested or required.
The county said that once the survey closes, in four to six weeks, the Gardner Center for Youth and Communities at Stanford University will compile the responses, which will help create the county's first-ever Immigrant Inclusion Strategic Plan.
It is noteworthy that the process is being coordinated by the Office of Community Affairs in cooperation with a comprehensive steering committee.
“Having a countywide immigrant integration plan is crucial to guide our work in the years ahead,” said Miriam Yupanqui, a steering committee member and executive director of Nuestra Casa, a family-serving nonprofit based in East Palo Alto.
“I look forward to sharing my ideas and learning from my peers on how we can create a more inclusive community,” she said.
In addition to online surveys, surveys to understand the needs of immigrants in San Mateo will also be available in print at select local public agencies and nonprofit organizations.
In 2020, the San Mateo County Office of Community Affairs was awarded a Gateways for Growth grant, a nationally competitive opportunity for localities to receive research support and technical assistance from the New American Economy and Welcoming America to improve immigrant inclusion in our communities.
Those interested in taking the survey can access the form directly by clicking here. click here.
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