July 25, 2018 IN: Action Alerts
Take Action: Tell the Census Bureau We Count
Protect Southeast Asian Americans’ rights to be counted and seen
SEAA community impact
Citizenship question
Including a citizenship question puts the 2020 Census at grave risk of a significant undercount among hard-to-reach populations, like Southeast Asian American (SEAA) communities, especially in this increasingly hostile anti-immigrant political environment. The inclusion of this question undermines the accuracy of the 2020 Census and jeopardizes a full, fair, and accurate count of our communities. When communities are underrepresented, it negatively impacts their voices in government, as well as critical funding for education, healthcare, housing, and other essential programs.
Expanded race and ethnicity categories
The systemic barriers that SEAAs face are only made known through the collection and reporting of disaggregated data through the census. Without this data, the most underserved and marginalized communities in the United States remain invisible, and community needs are unmet. Expansion of race and ethnicity categories allows SEAA groups to be listed separately so that our diverse community does not become absorbed under the broader Asian American umbrella.
We need your help
Take Action: The Census Bureau Needs to Hear From YOU
Tell Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross: We do NOT want the addition of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census; we want expanded race and ethnicity categories.
