Count on Your Census

When does the definition of a "person" become contentious? The mandate to "count all persons" includes undocumented immigrants. But some are trying to exclude them as people in the current census. It starts with a constitutionally mandated decennial census count that says the census must count "all persons" living in the U.S. and that count leads to how 435 seats in the US House of Representatives apportioned among our 50 states. But in 2020 this is the first time that a president has intervened in this process by attempting to subtract, rather than count, all persons. Thomas Saenz, President and General Counsel of MALDEF-the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund- walks us through President Trump's unprecedented executive memo and issues a collective call to action.

How does the U.S. Census Bureau tackle its mission, the count of all persons in our nation? John Thompson, former director of the U.S. Census Bureau says it starts with a shared framework built on ethics. Part of those ethics is ensuring that our data is held in the greatest confidence by Bureau staff. The Census Bureau is a hub for a large number of statistical data used for everything from reporting unemployment numbers to the census data that is key to supporting our democracy.

The road to Census 2020 is marked by rhetoric and policies from the Trump administration that demonized and marginalized immigrants and people of color well before the President tried to add a citizenship question to the census form. In the final episode of Count of Your Census, John C. Yang and Ana Nduma look back at the implications of this anti-immigrant environment for the 2020 Census and look ahead to the partnership this climate has fostered and to their potential for civil and immigrant rights advocacy. Ana speaks to two noteworthy examples of progress made during these challenging times: new support for Black Diasporic immigrants and a deep commitment by our public library system to making census participation possible for those without digital access. John points to the diverse field of national and local nonprofits and other sectors in supporting a robust census count as another meaningful consequence of a uniquely challenging time.

As Vanita Gupta, President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, explains, the politicization of Census 2020 has made it the most complex enumeration of our American experience. Presidentially imposed barriers to participation in the census by all people in the United States, as constitutionally mandated, has generated high levels of engagement by faith, corporate, public sector, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders in using their clout and resources to ensure a robust count. They are collaborating on organizing and communication strategies, including the development and testing of messages that resonate with the vulnerable communities they represent. These messages are key to overcoming the fear of participation. While message development is vital, it takes, as Vanita observes, trusted messengers to effectively deliver them. At this stage, trusted messengers are rolling out campaigns at the neighborhood level. Whether they are church leaders, librarians, social service providers or community organizers, family members or friends, these are the influencers that we all need to value and support. Vanita hopes that the media will follow these trusted messengers, tell their stories, and deepen our collective understanding of why the census is so important to all of us.

The decennial Census is a massive and complex operation but Census 2020 poses profound new challenges. From the moment that President Trump tried to impose a citizenship question on the form, the Census became highly weaponized. As a result, targeted communities are afraid to participate in the census, requiring a communications and organizing strategy that is nuanced and sophisticated. To add to this challenge, Census 2020 is our nation's first primarily digital census, seen as modernization by some and a barrier to participation by others. Over 20 million people lack reliable digital access, making online responses to the census unavailable to many in Indian Country, rural America and underserved urban districts. In this episode, Lizette Escobedo breaks down communications strategies designed to address and overcome these challenges, particularly in immigrant communities. And Francella Ochillo identifies new resources and partnerships, with libraries and local public officials, that are making participation possible in disconnected communities.

Achieving a complete count in the 2020 Census comes down to rigorous organizing at the ground level. In communities that have been historically undercounted, and fear participation now, the stakes are highest. It takes trusted messengers, primarily community groups with a track record of providing services and building relationships, to mobilize residents to participate in the census process. Across the nation, such organizations are ramping up campaigns designed to overcome fear and apathy. In this episode, we hear from leaders who are committed to a full count, get a glimpse inside those campaigns and hear about their engagement strategies. And we learn about the resources and partnerships that are energizing their efforts.

Data from the US Census determines how billions of federal dollars are deployed to communities for investment in schools, hospitals, housing assistance, water, transportation and other critical needs. Census data also determines how state legislative district lines are drawn and how political representation is allocated among states. In other words, an accurate count in the Census leads to political power. And an inaccurate count will diminish the voice and political clout of undercounted populations. In this episode, we hear from experts with first-hand redistricting experience and explore the strategies and messaging that are resonating with local organizations to promote full participation in the 2020 Census.

When the Trump Administration tried to add a citizenship question to the census, the intention was clear. Asking about citizenship status was designed to have a chilling effect on participation, particularly in immigrant communities. But the problem of a census undercount is both historic and well-documented. And the concern about its impacts is shared by the US Census Bureau, academic researchers, and civil rights organizations. In this episode, we talk to leaders in the movement to tackle the undercount head-on and hear their strategies for generating a robust response. From the logistical nightmare of Census enumerators finding households without addresses to the challenge of persuading reluctant undocumented immigrants to be counted, this is the undercount story.

All across the country, a movement is organizing to Get Out the Count. Community groups, national nonprofits, business leaders, mayors and governors are asking all of us to fill out the Census and encourage our neighbors to do the same. They are organizing around a unified message. Census data determine how federal dollars are allocated to resources we rely upon every day: roads, schools, housing assistance, hospitals, drinking water and more. And census data also determines political seats and representation in Congress, and by extension, the power and influence a community can wield. Terri Ann Lowenthal, The Census Project, and Andrew Reamer, George Washington University Research Professor, lay out what can happen when communities are undercounted and census data is incomplete.

In communities of color, many people, undocumented immigrants, in particular, fear participation in Census 2020. They had heard that a citizenship question was on the census and then heard it would not be included. How can they be sure of what it true? And if they do fill out the census, will their personal data be safe? Which federal agencies have access to their information and how can it be used? These very legitimate concerns are answered by leaders in the movement for a fair and just census. Terry Ao Minnis, AAJC, and Samer Khalaf, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, explain how census data is used and protected by the Census Bureau. And they provide a window into the real-life experiences that make these fears resonate across communities.