DePaul Students Excite the 2020 Census in their Community

The U.S. Census is a national survey in which the U.S. Constitution calls upon the Census Bureau to collect accurate data of the United States’ population and demographics, including the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories. The census survey, that is distributed every ten years, determines where federal funding is allocated in our communities and how many seats each state is given in the U.S. House of Representatives. Every resident currently living in the United States is required to participate on April 1, online, by phone, or by mail. 

 

Census data has a notorious reputation for being inaccurate due to low participation. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, American Indian, Middle Eastern, Alaska Native, and North African communities have the lowest census response rates and, consequently, the lowest amount of representation in Congress and within their own community programs. As a result, an inaccurate census count results in severe underrepresentation in Congress.

 

With the fast-approaching 2020 Census, various campaigns across the country are hustling to promote census awareness and participation. A local 2020 Census Campaign is being implemented right here at DePaul. Through the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), the Bateman Case Study Competition class is planning a full public relations campaign for 2020 Census awareness and DePaul Students, Natalie Rohman, Lauren Russett, Callie Boboc, Maddie Torti, and Stephanie Robertson, are campaigning to pledge participation from “hard-to-count” groups, college students and renters, in the Chicagoland area.

The goal of this student-run campaign, Love Where You Count, is to relieve the stigma that the census is boring and unimportant. Their campaign research concludes that college students and renters are unaware of the census’ benefits for their community and how census data directly impacts their quality of life in their neighborhoods. Love Where You Count wraps key census messaging around Chicago pride and things that people love: relationships, music, and sports. You can learn more about their campaign and pledge to participate in the 2020 Census, here. 

 

With many exciting events underway, on Monday, February 10, the Bateman team has launched a fun and exciting way to engage Chicagoans to raise awareness of the 2020 Census in their communities by launching a Tik Tok contest that excites people to show how the U.S. Census impacts them and what they love about Chicago. The contest requires participants to submit a 30-60 second Tik Tok, here, for a chance to win a $50 Lettuce Entertain You gift card. On Monday, March 2, entries for the Love Where You Count Tik Tok contest will close. Be sure to follow the Love Where You Count campaign on Instagram and Twitter @depaulprssa and Tik Tok @lovecountsdepaul. With any questions, email lovecountsdepaul@gmail.com. 

An accurate census count has the power to change the course of the next 10 years.

By utilizing individual responses, census data is able to accurately distribute money where it is needed, such as:

• Education programs

• Student federal grants

• School breakfast programs

• Foster care

• Child care centers

• Housing and community development

• New school and library construction

• Improvement in public transportation

• Sufficient emergency services

To learn more about how accurate census date impacts your community, click here. 

While general unawareness of the census’ benefits prevails, there is also wide and deep distrust of the U.S. government. Understandably, it’s difficult to motivate underrepresented communities to involve and invest themselves in a government that historically and repeatedly fails to provide fair representation. 

There are laws and standards in place to protect census participant’s responses. 

• Census participation is not a threat to citizenship status or government benefits.

• The question, “Is this person a citizen of the United States?” does not exist in the census because federal courts blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to add it.

• Individual records are held confidential for 72 years. 

• Under current federal law, immigration authorities and all other government agencies are never granted access to your census information. If a census worker were to break this law, they’d face up to five years in prison and/or $250,000 in fines.

The goal of the census is to utilize responses for the sake of a progressive and sustainable future, not use it as a weapon against participants. Census participation possesses the power of predicting the future, nationwide and locally. 

So, what questions will be asked on the 2020 Census? 

• A phone number for a person in the home.

• The number of people living or staying in a home on April 1, 2020.

• The relationship of each person to a central person in the home.

• Is the home owned with a mortgage, rented or occupied without rent?

• The name, sex, age, date of birth, and race of each person in the home.

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