What is the Census?
The Census is a questionnaire conducted by the U.S. government every 10 years to count how many people reside in the U.S. It counts EVERY person living in the U.S. once, only once, and in the the right place. By April 1, 2020, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. The deadline to complete the 2020 Census is the end of July 2020.
Why should Filipinos care about the Census?
Filipinos are the second-largest Asian American population in the United States (over 4 million as of 2017), and the largest Asian American population in California and Los Angeles!
The Census affects every single person that lives in the U.S. no matter your age, background, or location. Census data determines how over $675 billion of federal funding is spent and whether it goes to supporting your state, county, and community’s programs. Furthermore, it determines the number of people given to represent us in congress.
Not only is there so much to gain from completing the 2020 Census, but there is also a lot to lose. For every person that is not counted, the state loses approximately $1,950 every year, for ten years. That’s almost $20,000 per uncounted person that could have gone to community programs and resources. When our Filipino Community is under-counted, we are misrepresented and lose out on resources that could help benefit our community.
How do I fill out the Census?
By April 1, 2020, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census in one of these three ways.
1) Online 2) By phone 3) By mail.
What will I be asked on the Census form?
You will be asked a series of 9 questions, which include the number of people living in the household, age, sex, race and ethnicity.
Will the information I give be safe?
Yes, under Title 13 of US Code, your responses to Census surveys are kept confidential and NEVER shared with law and immigration enforcement (i.e. police departments, ICE) and will not be used to determine eligibility for public benefits.
Under Title 44 of US Code, these are kept confidential for 72 years.
What are some examples of how Census information will be used?
- Location planning for health services (hospitals, clinics, etc.)
- Legislative redistricting
- Attracting new businesses to state and local areas
- Planning for faith-based organizations
- Forecasting transportation needs for all segments of the population
Helpful Links
https://2020census.gov/tl.html
Source: Filipino Complete Count Committee of Los Angeles (FCCCLAC)
