The 2020 Census results are out and they make it clear: the U.S. is more multiracial and diverse than ever before. Twenty-four million people identified as Asian or part Asian in their Census responses, representing an increase of 38.6% over 2010.
Over the coming weeks and months, local and state commissions and legislatures are using Census data to draw new district lines. These lines shape who can run for office, get elected, and be held accountable to the changes we want to see for our neighbors and families. Census data is also used to allocate federal funds for schools, roads, hospitals, infrastructure, and much more. As the fastest growing ethnic group in the country, Asian American communities now have a bigger voice to organize for our needs and aspirations.
A recent analysis by the New York Times found that the number of counties where people of Asian descent represent more than 5% of the population has grown from just 39 counties in 1990 to 176 counties today. In six states (CA, HI, NJ, NV, NY, and WA) Asian Americans are more than 10% of the total population. Here in California, we have more than 17 counties with populations that are more than 10% Asian. In Virginia, there are 10 such counties.
Throughout 2020, ALC and other civil rights organizations worked hard to help communities participate in the census and understand the protections in place that made it safe for everyone to participate, no matter their citizenship status. And the work by community members and organizations made a difference - Asian American and Pacific Islander communities turned out in record numbers to complete the Census.
At ALC, our efforts focused on helping community members who are among the most likely to be missed in the Census, including tenants and people with limited English proficiency. Over one third of Asian Americans and 13.5% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are limited English speakers or readers. We also supported people who were concerned about their responses. A 2020 Census Bureau survey found that 41% of Asian respondents were extremely concerned or very concerned about their census response being used against them, including by law enforcement, ICE, or landlords. It’s not surprising people felt this way: some politicians and partisan interests deliberately created confusion and fear among immigrant communities to weaken their engagement and silence their responses.
Despite these barriers, tens of millions of community members participated in the Census - and their responses are setting the stage for growing political power.
How did we help communities increase their Census participation?
With partners in the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation, we created a new website (www.countusin2020.org) that housed resources, fact sheets, and tools in 22 languages to help people understand the Census, why it matters, and the different ways to fill it out. Groups like East Bay’s Vietnamese American Community Center and Korean Community Center also used our materials used in hundreds of hygiene kits and thousands of meal bags, as well as during ESL and digital literacy classes.
Creating factsheets and materials was only one piece of the puzzle. In the Bay Area, for example, we created mailers in Nepalese, Hindi, Burmese, Korean, Vietnamese, Spanish, Pashto, and Mam for immigrant and refugee communities. Each mailer included the names and phone numbers of local non-profit staff who could help residents understand the census form instructions and fill them out, with a focus on cultural competency and in-language support.
In May 2020, we launched a social media campaign, #BeSeenBeCounted. Journalists, writers, and activists like Lisa Ling, Helen Zia, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Doua Moua, Yana Gilbuena, Francis Lam, and Andrea Nguyen joined the campaign, energizing and activating their followers.
We also trained hundreds of advocates and nonprofit staff on census confidentiality and how census data is used so that they could respond to questions from community members. On a daily basis, we helped organizations large and small with technical and legal questions to make sure communities were getting accurate, timely information.
What happens next?
The 2020 Census data are a testament to the incredible work by community advocates to help people participate and get counted. In the coming months, we’re analyzing that data to support campaigns for equitable political representation and systemic solutions that fund communities’ health, safety, housing, schools, and much more. As that data is used by local and state governments to draw new district lines, we’re also helping residents up and down California share what makes their communities unique and why they should be kept together in political districts. Learn more about our latest redistricting efforts.