CENSUS OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS BRUINS COUNT CENSUS 2020 INFORMATION THE COURSE:
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SECOND GENERATION

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Welcome Second-Gens!

Second-generation immigrants are often the political messengers for their families, especially in families with limited English proficiency. Growing up here, we are politically socialized more than our parents and can act as a connect for our immigrant families to politics, whether it's voting information or the Census.


As a second-generation immigrant, our team hopes that you find this information helpful in educating your community and that you will take personal responsibility to ensure you and your family are counted on the 2020 Census. We hope this also empowers you to explain the Census to you families, so your parents can bring that information to community spaces, such as ethnic community centers, religious spaces, etc.


Woman holding a blue sticker that reads I pledged to fill out the 2020 Census

Census Info

LA Hard to Count

California is the hardest to count state in the country on the Census and Los Angeles County is the hardest to count county in the state, which has large impacts on our communities. Los Angeles County also has an extremely high immigrant community, a community that tends to be disproportionately undercounted on the Census making it a "hard-to-count" community. For this reason, it's especially important to engage with immigrant families and people of color about the Census.

Woman holding a blue sticker that reads I pledged to fill out the 2020 Census

Why does it matter?

Representation

The Census is important because it determines the distribution of political power for the next decade, until 2030.

For example, The number of seats that each state has in the House is based on the state's population, as determined by the Census count. The shape of the House districts are also impacted by the number of people counted in each area.

California is projected to lose at least one seat in the House after the 2020 census. This means that our state will likely have one fewer vote in the House and Electoral College for the next 10 years.

Funding

Based upon Census information, approximately $883 billion of federal funds are distributed nationally each year. These funds go toward crucial social programs, such as Medicaid, affordable housing, education, and public transportation.

In general, the information collected by the Census determines the distribution of funding and resources.

For example, the Census impacts educational funding allocations, such as school lunches and Title I federal funding for low-income students.

Policy

Census responses help create statistics about particular groups, especially race and ethnicity. This helps federal agencies monitor compliance with anti-discrimination provisions, such as those in the Voting Rights Act (VRA) and the Civil Rights Act.

For example, the VRA prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or membership in a language minority group. Race and ethnicity data available for the American Community Survey (the modern Census long-form), as well as data from the Census we all fill out. Also, if enough people are identified as being part of a language minority (which would hinder political participation), the VRA requires election materials in those languages.


Common concerns?

The Citizenship Question

Despite the current administration's attempts, there will be no question asking about citizenship status. Undocumented and other non-citizen residents should still complete the Census. While everyone's information is safe, it is important to note that undocumented immigrants will not have to disclose their immigrant status nor will it be asked.

Confidentiality

An additional barrier is overall distrust in government, which includes fear and anxiety about the confidentiality of the Census. Immigrant communities for valid reasons have greater distrust in government so this is especially important. For example, some people are afraid that because they have to record the number of people in their household, Census workers will release that information to their landlords. However, all the information provided in the Census is completely confidential and protected, because of laws such as Title 13 (which guarantees your information will be kept confidential and cannot be used against you in any way), and extensive cyber-security protections.

Language Accessibility

Linguistic access is another common barrier for immigrant families, with about 54% of Los Angeles residents speaking languages other than English at home.

Online and phone Census forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Tagalog, Polish, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Japanese. Printed Census forms are only available in English and Spanish.

There are also other ways to get language assistance, including volunteers with local organizations who offer more diverse language assistance for the 2020 Census. For example, one local LA organization, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, offers Census fact sheets in various Asian languages, webinars, podcasts, and blogs about how to engage specific Hard-to-Count communities.

In May, Census enumerators will follow-up in-person with paper forms if you haven't responded. However, it is highly encouraged that people fill out the Census online or by phone before May because of the limited number of physical forms, which is a concern for LA County.

The Census Action Kiosks are available in public spaces with at least one computer or tablet with internet access for residents to comfortably and securely fill out the Census questionnaire online. Some City of LA locations include: Libraries, City Hill, Recreation and Park Centers, Work Source/Youth Source Centers, and the Department of Disability Office.


How to fill out the 2020 Census

This year is the first time that the Census is available online. However, the Census online form creates challenges for communities with little-to-no internet access and those who are more likely to have digital literacy issues.

In March, letters with special links and codes associated with addresses will be mailed to residences to invite households to participate in the Census. If you lose the code, you can still fill out the Census online without one. The initial letter will be followed by several reminder letters. The Census Bureau predicts the form to take a maximum of 10 minutes, so please emphasize that filling out the Census is easy and fast. During the self-response period, people can fill out the Census online or over the phone, and both these options have 12 on-language options.

In May, Census enumerators will follow-up in-person with paper forms if you haven't responded. However, it is highly encouraged that people fill out the Census online or by phone before May because of the limited number of physical forms, which is a concern for LA County.

The Census Action Kiosks are available in public spaces with at least one computer or tablet with internet access for residents to comfortably and securely fill out the Census questionnaire online. Some City of LA locations include: Libraries, City Hill, Recreation and Park Centers, Work Source/Youth Source Centers, and the Department of Disability Office.