8 Facts You Need to Know About the 2020 Census
The United States has conducted a census count every 10 years since 1790. America is more diverse than ever. In order to better accommodate and serve 330 million people in the U.S., the nation must first understand who exactly lives where, with whom they live and a bit about what their lives might look like.
The census is intended to count every person living in the United States, both citizens and non-citizens alike. It will ask basic questions about each person who lives in your household, like age, name, race, and ethnicity, but it will not ask about your immigration status or whether you are a US citizen.
For the 2020 census, the U.S. Census Bureau is changing how it will ask black people to designate their race. Under the check box for "Black or African American," the bureau is adding a new space on the census questionnaire for participants to write in their non-Hispanic origins, "African American," "Jamaican" and "Nigerian" are listed as examples of origins. Be sure to indicate that you are Ethiopian or Ethiopian American so that programs and services can be provided that can specifically benefit the Ethiopian American communities.
The American governmental system provides many points of access for groups to influence policy. Being counted as Ethiopian Americans can influence our congress people and have impact on their foreign policy work regarding Ethiopia. We can guide legislation in order to secure benefits that can specifically target our communities.
The ultimate purpose of census data boils down to two essential components: federal funding and representation.
On the funding side, estimated $1.5 trillion dollars are dispersed annually using information gathered from census data. Census data also informs how federal funding is distributed to improve public transportation or determine locations for places like school, libraries, senior centers and hospitals. Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps (now known as SNAP), public housing and road construction are other examples of federal programs that receive funding determined by data derived from the census.
On the representation front: States gain or lose congressional seats based on census data, and a state’s congressional delegation defines its representation in the Electoral College. Learn about why Electoral College is important here.
The 2020 census results will be released by Dec. 31, 2020. That's the bureau's deadline for sending to the president numbers for the reapportionment of congressional seats, which goes into effect beginning with the 2022 elections. 2020 census data used for state and local redistricting are set to be released by March 31, 2021. The bureau is planning to release other new census data beginning in spring 2021.
The U.S. government will not release personally identifiable information about an individual to any other individual or agency until 72 years after it was collected for the decennial census. This "72-Year Rule" (92 Stat. 915; Public Law 95-416; October 5, 1978) restricts access to decennial census records to all but the individual named on the record or their legal heir.
Black Americans and immigrant have historically been undercounted in the census including the poor, the non-English-speaking people. So do something. Educate people about the census. We encourage everyone that received an invitation to respond to the census before the end of September. You can also head to (my2020census.gov) or call 844-330-2020.
