April 3, 2017 - Latino Leaders Urge Congress to Support the Adequate Funding of the Census Bureau for the 2020 Census

LATINO LEADERS URGE CONGRESS TO SUPPORT THE ADEQUATE FUNDING OF THE CENSUS BUREAU FOR THE 2020 CENSUS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of 40 of the nation’s preeminent Latino advocacy organizations, sent a letter to members of Congress, urging the members to support sufficient funding for the Census Bureau to adequately prepare for the 2020 Census and assure the continuation of the Economic Census. Chief among their concerns was the need to ensure that the Census is adequately funded and accessible to all people, including to traditionally hard to reach populations such as non-English proficient individuals. In addition, it stressed the need to accurately count children and to secure complete data of the LGBTQ population.

Accurate census data are indispensable to civil rights enforcement, the fair allocation of federal funding and documenting Latinos’ socio-economic status. Therefore, NHLA leaders advised of the need for Congress to support adequate funding for the Census Bureau to accurately, efficiently and precisely carry out its vital functions.

Additionally, NHLA leadership stressed the importance of preserving the quality of the data collected about Latinos and other under-represented groups by carefully designing questions about race and ethnicity. Furthermore, NHLA stressed the importance of enhanced engagement with Latino stakeholders and strengthening of linguistically and culturally appropriate outreach.

“NHLA is dedicated to restoring the dignity that comes with the protection of civil and constitutional rights in a strong democracy. A critical part of being protected fundamentally relates to being counted. This is a matter that goes beyond questionnaires and forms, the 2020 Census will have a lasting impact on the Latino community. It is projected that Latinos will account for the 26.5% of the United States population by 2050, which means that the importance of collecting reliable data about Latinos and the nation as a whole increases every day. Congress must provide appropriate funding for the Census Bureau to conduct the 2020 Census and adopt our other suggestions to secure equal opportunities and access to resources for the Latino community,” said Hector Sanchez Barba, Chair of NHLA and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement

“The persistent undercount of the nation’s second largest population group has become a civil rights issue for our community,” stated Arturo Vargas, Co-chair of NHLA’s Census Working Group and Executive Director of NALEO Educational Fund. “Unless we bring all Latinos out of the shadows and into the light in Census 2020, the Latino community will continue to have disproportionate access to fair political representation and public services. Congress must act and make the investments necessary today to ensure an accurate and cost-efficient portrait of Latinos tomorrow. Anything less would mean a failed Census 2020.”

"Voto Latino has worked tirelessly to ensure that everyone in this country be counted in the fight for fair representation. In 2010, Voto Latino launched the Be Counted initiative in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago to ensure that Latinos were included in the that year's Census, generating 15,000 pledges to fill out the Census and promising $150 million back to those communities,” said María Teresa Kumar, member of NHLA’s Census Working Group and President and CEO of Voto Latino. If Congress fails to adequately fund the Census Bureau, it could have chilling consequences on our economy and how our district maps are drawn. As the second largest demographic in this country, it is imperative that the Census receive appropriate funding so that our community may have access to critical resources and full representation."

“The Census plays a critical role in ensuring fair representation and allocation of resources for Latinas and their families. Appropriate and accurate information on the Latino population has a long-lasting impact as the information gathered through the census affects the financing and economic support for schools, housing, and health centers, in addition to vital programs such as the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), Head Start, and Women, Infants and Children (WIC). We urge members of Congress to ensure that the Census Bureau receive sufficient funding to continue the important task of making sure our community is counted so that Latinas and their families could thrive,” said Jessica González-Rojas, Co-Chair of NHLA’s Latina Task Force and Executive Director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

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ABOUT THE NATIONAL HISPANIC LEADERSHIP AGENDA

The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda is composed of 46 of the leading national and regional Latino civil rights and public policy organizations and other elected officials, and prominent Latinos Americans. NHLA coalition members represent the diversity of the Latino community – Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and other Latino Americans. NHLA’s mission calls for unity among Latinos around the country to provide the Latino community with greater visibility and a clearer, stronger influence in our country’s affairs. NHLA brings together Latino leaders to establish policy priorities that address, and raise public awareness of, the major issues affecting the Latino community and the nation as a whole. For more information, please visit: www.nationalhispanicleadership.org.

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