FA R M
L A B O R
I N F O R M AT I O N
B U L L E T I N
Voice of the Fields California
August 2020
FREE
Volume 30, Number 8
CENSUS 2020
Farmworker Communities May Be Underfunded
C
ENSUS ADVOCATES recently reported very low response rates in California’s agricultural regions like the San Joaquin Valley. These low numbers suggest that the state’s Latino population will go undercounted, and as a result, underrepresented and underfunded for the next ten years. With only four months left until Your Response Matters, census responses are calculated, experts and So Does Your Privacy worry that these areas will suffer from inadequate funding if more people do not respond to the Census questionnaire. Community services expected to take a major hit are schools, hospitals, and transportation, among other sectors. Congressional seats may also go unfilled without an accurate count of the population. In other words, your community won’t have the funding it needs for important services, and it won’t have the appropriate number of members to serve your community. The United States Congress is made up of elected officials that represent your voice to the federal government and make important decisions that affect you and your family. The number of Congressmembers in a state are determined by the number of people living in that state. Without congressional representation, your voice and your community go unheard.
As a resident of California, it’s not only in your best interest to complete the Census, it’s the law, even if you are not a U.S. citizen. Remember, your responses to the Census are private and protected by law, and you will not be asked about immigration status. The Census Bureau is legally obligated to keep your identity and the information you submit confidential. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are not allowed to use your responses against you for any reason. Your responses are not used for any other purpose except creating statistics that the federal government can use to determine population counts, funding, and political representation in your state.
Do your part and participate in the Census to ensure that your family and your community are counted, represented, and funded for the next decade. Don’t forget, there is still plenty of time to participate. Census forms were already mailed to every household with instructions on how to fill out and return the form. However, you can still respond online or by phone instead, even if your household has already received a form.
Fill out the Census form online: my2020census.gov
*To access the webpage in Spanish, simply click the language dropdown menu in the upper right-hand corner and click “Español”
Respond by phone: English: (844) 330-2020 Spanish: (844) 468-2020 Or respond by mail You can respond online, by phone, or by mail until October 31.
