Gallego, Sánchez Lead Letter Calling on Census Bureau to Address Undercounting in 2020 Census
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07) and Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, led 43 of their colleagues in sending a letter to the Commerce Department and the U.S. Census Bureau expressing concern about the undercount of Latino, Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native populations in the 2020 Census.
The letter states that without corrective action, the undercounts reflected in the Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) and lack of disaggregated data for Asian populations could grow existing ethnic and socio-economic inequities in areas such as employment, education, housing, and health care.
“The previous administration was determined to sabotage the 2020 census, and because of that we saw unprecedented undercounts of Latino, Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native populations,” said Rep. Gallego. “These undercounts not only affected Americans’ representation in Congress, but they could rob communities of color of federal resources if we don’t act. In Arizona, historically marginalized communities in my district are at risk of losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal appropriations, and that’s why we’re asking the Census Bureau to take steps to make sure these communities receive the resources and funding they need and deserve.”
“We rely on the Census to not only provide an accurate picture of America, but also to allocate federal funding and give every citizen an equal voice in their elections,” said Rep. Sánchez. “With Latinos being the second-largest population group in our country, this undercount could have severe consequences for the prosperity of our community and our nation as a whole. I urge the Census Bureau to take action to mitigate the impacts of the 2020 Census undercounts and ensure communities of color receive their fair share of funding and resources.”
“At NALEO Educational Fund, we have always emphasized the importance of accurate census data given their effect on essential state and local services,” said NALEO Educational Fund CEO Arturo Vargas. “With the unsettling results of the PES, we urge the Census Bureau to take immediate action to ameliorate the 2020 undercount of Latinos and other communities and work to prevent future undercounts. We also applaud the efforts of U.S. Representatives Linda Sanchez and Ruben Gallego for their leadership on this critical issue and thank the other members of Congress who have stood by us, voicing similar concerns.”
In addition to Reps. Sánchez and Gallego, the letter was also signed by Reps. Pete Aguilar (D-CA); Nanette Barragán (D-CA); Salud Carbajal (D-CA); Tony Cárdenas (D-CA); André Carson (D-IN); Kathy Castor (D-FL); Joaquin Castro (D-TX); Jim Costa (D-CA); Sharice Davids (D-KS); Debbie Dingell (D-MI); Veronica Escobar (D-TX); Adriano Espaillat (D-NY); Jesús García (D-IL); Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX); Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ); Steven Horsford (D-NV); Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ); Andy Levin (D-MI); Alan Lowenthal (D-CA); Grace Meng (D-NY); Seth Moulton (D-MA); Jerrold Nadler (D-NY); Grace Napolitano (D-CA); Marie Newman (D-IL); Eleanor Norton (D-DC); Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY); Tom O'Halleran (D-AZ); Katie Porter (D-CA); Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA); Raul Ruiz (D-CA); Bobby Rush (D-IL); Gregorio Sablan (D-MP); Janice Schakowsky (D-IL); Albio Sires (D-NJ); Darren Soto (D-FL); Greg Stanton (D-AZ); Dina Titus (D-NV); Rashida Tlaib (D-MI); Ritchie Torres (D-NY); Juan Vargas (D-CA); Marc Veasey (D-TX); Nydia Velázquez (D-NY); and Nikema Williams (D-GA).
For the full text of the letter, click here.