Civil Rights Leaders and California Official Discuss the 2020 Census and Census Data Confidentiality
WASHINGTON – Leading civil rights organizations and a California census official held a telephone press briefing today to discuss the 2020 Census, protections around census data confidentiality, and the work being done to encourage participation across the country.
Audio of this call is available here.
Beth Lynk, Census Counts campaign director, The Leadership Conference Education Fund, said: “Everyone has a part to play in the 2020 Census, and it’s your right to participate. Filling out the census brings money to our schools, health care to our families, and political power to our communities. We deserve resources to make our neighborhoods strong – that’s why Census Counts is making sure everyone feels comfortable getting counted in the census.”
“We understand some people are concerned about the confidentiality of their information and they can be assured that no one can lawfully share any personal identifying information from census responses,” stated John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC. “More importantly, the Census Bureau and its employees are not allowed to share personal census responses with ANY other government agency, government official, or outside entity for any reason and we stand ready to hold them accountable to the law.”
“We are still dealing with a substantial amount of fear around the census, especially in the Latino Community. In surveys conducted since the Trump Administration failed in their attempt to add a citizenship question to the census, about half of Latinos still thought it would appear on the form. This is a significant concern for us,” stated Lizette Escobedo, director of National Census Program for NALEO Educational Fund. “NALEO Educational Fund is doing our part to ensure Latino communities across the country are equipped with the facts about Census 2020 through our ¡Hágase Contar! (Make Yourself Count!) Campaign and our toll-free bilingual hotline—877-EL-CENSO (877-352-3767). We are working to ensure that every Latino in the country has the information they need to count themselves and their family members.”
The threat of a significant undercount of the Black community in the 2020 Census is greater than ever. The National Urban League finds this premise completely unacceptable considering the great damage this would inflict on the Black community and our families,” stated Jeri Green, 2020 Census senior advisor, National Urban League. “We have convened a 2020 Census Black Roundtable coalition of national civil rights leaders, Black clergy, Black immigrant advocates, state and local officials to align our mutual resources, messaging and strategies for an accurate Black Count. Under the Urban League’s broader, 2020 Census Make Black Count campaign, we are fighting collectively to ensure that the Black population loses no ground–political, economic or civil rights as a result of the 2020 census. The stakes are too high. We must Make Black Count in the 2020 Census.”
Lycia Maddocks, vice president of external affairs, National Congress of American Indians, said: “While American Indians and Alaska Natives historically have one of the highest undercount rates of any group, the 2020 Census is our opportunity to empower our communities to be visible. This census is critical to laying the foundation for our people, our nations, and our future.”
Ditas Katague, Director of California Complete Count – Census 2020 Office
“A complete and accurate count of California’s population is essential for our future,” stated Ditas Katague, director, California Complete Count Office 2020 Census. “That’s why California is making an unprecedented investment to reach the hardest-to-count Californians. California is a home for all, and everyone here has a voice.”
June Lim is the Demographic Research Project Director and Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles
Basim leads CAIR’s efforts in the Sacramento Valley area to serve as a voice to its diverse and vibrant Muslim community
