For Immediate Release: June 27, 2019
Contact: apala@apalanet.org
Washington, DC - The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a ruling to temporarily halt the Trump administration’s effort to include a citizenship question in the 2020 Census. While this fight is not over yet, APALA applauds this decision to uphold the Constitutional right to fair representation. Census data helps determine how the federal and local governments distribute more than $800 billion annually — shaping where government officials build schools, roads, and hospitals, and fund other essential programs and services. The Census is the sole determinant of congressional representation among the states and an accurate Census is critical to equal representation through redistricting. Including a citizenship question would have prevented many immigrant communities from getting counted and therefore denied us the right to the resources we need and the representation we deserve.
APALA National President Monica Thammarath of the National Education Association stated: “Shame on the Trump administration for trying to undercount our communities as a way to exacerbate systemic inequalities. Getting an accurate count in the 2020 Census is one of the most important ways we can secure fair political representation and access to good jobs, good schools, and healthy communities. They cannot squeeze us out of getting our fair share of funding.”
APALA National Executive Board member and Pittsburgh Chapter President Sabrina Yow-chyi Liu stated: “Regardless of the final decision to include a citizenship question in the 2020 Census, we will continue our on-the-ground efforts to turn out as many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as possible for the 2020 Census — especially since many in our communities are considered hard-to-count, like limited-English speakers, low-income folks, immigrants, and young children. We have Civic Engagement fellows in three AAPI-dense areas, connections with Census coalitions nationally and locally, and tools and grants for our chapters to get involved, all with the purpose of fighting for our future.”
Join us in the 2020 Census fight by:
Contact: apala@apalanet.org
Washington, DC - The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a ruling to temporarily halt the Trump administration’s effort to include a citizenship question in the 2020 Census. While this fight is not over yet, APALA applauds this decision to uphold the Constitutional right to fair representation. Census data helps determine how the federal and local governments distribute more than $800 billion annually — shaping where government officials build schools, roads, and hospitals, and fund other essential programs and services. The Census is the sole determinant of congressional representation among the states and an accurate Census is critical to equal representation through redistricting. Including a citizenship question would have prevented many immigrant communities from getting counted and therefore denied us the right to the resources we need and the representation we deserve.
APALA National President Monica Thammarath of the National Education Association stated: “Shame on the Trump administration for trying to undercount our communities as a way to exacerbate systemic inequalities. Getting an accurate count in the 2020 Census is one of the most important ways we can secure fair political representation and access to good jobs, good schools, and healthy communities. They cannot squeeze us out of getting our fair share of funding.”
APALA National Executive Board member and Pittsburgh Chapter President Sabrina Yow-chyi Liu stated: “Regardless of the final decision to include a citizenship question in the 2020 Census, we will continue our on-the-ground efforts to turn out as many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as possible for the 2020 Census — especially since many in our communities are considered hard-to-count, like limited-English speakers, low-income folks, immigrants, and young children. We have Civic Engagement fellows in three AAPI-dense areas, connections with Census coalitions nationally and locally, and tools and grants for our chapters to get involved, all with the purpose of fighting for our future.”
Join us in the 2020 Census fight by:
- Making a pledge to get counted
- Joining an action near you to uplift the issue
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