WHO COUNTS IN AMERICA? EVERY PERSON, IMMIGRANT, CITIZEN +
NON-CITIZEN ALIKE
This week, the White House issued a memorandum that attempts to exclude undocumented people from the 2020 Census count for purposes of congressional apportionment. It is a clear constitutional requirement that the Census counts everyone living in the United States—every immigrant, every child, every neighbor, every student, everyone. Citizens and non-citizens have been included in the Census and for congressional representation throughout our nation’s history, including under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Your political representation should reflect what your state really looks like.
The current administration is attempting to redefine who counts in the U.S. and scare all immigrants from participating in the Census. Don’t let them. Beyond the political power (congressional representation and the number of seats your state gets in the electoral college) there are resources (billions of dollars!) that you and your community deserve that are currently up for grabs. Claim your fair share by filling out the 2020 Census.
It is your right to respond to the 2020 Census, and when you do, federal law strictly protects the confidentiality of your responses. Currently under the law, personal responses collected by the Census Bureau must be kept confidential for 72 years, and cannot be shared with ICE, law enforcement, any other government agency or court of law, or your landlord—and it won’t affect any public benefits you receive.
LEARN MORE We encourage you to reach out via multilingual Census hotlinesbeing provided by Arab American Institute, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, for Census-related educational support and legal assistance in more than 10 languages.
Count yourself in TODAY online or by calling 844-330-2020.
Sergio De La Torre and Chris Treggiari have been researching and documenting projects related to immigration issues—specifically looking at the Sanctuary City Ordinance—for the past 10 years. For Art+Action's Come To Your Census campaign, Sanctuary City Project created a series of prints, including these "WHO COUNTS IN AMERICA?" posters which can be downloaded here and distributed in your community and posted to your social media channels.
POST SANCTUARY CITY PROJECT'S WHO COUNTS IN AMERICA? WORK ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS WITH THIS (OR YOUR OWN) CAPTION
The current administration is attempting to redefine who counts in the U.S. and scare all immigrants from participating in the #2020Census. Don’t let them! It is your right to respond to the Census, and when you do, federal law strictly protects the confidentiality of your responses. Beyond political power (congressional representation and the number of seats your state gets in the electoral college) there are resources (billions of dollars!) that you and your community deserve that are currently up for grabs. Claim your fair share by filling out this 9-question confidential survey by October 31—online at my2020Census.gov by phone (844-330-2020) or by mail. #ComeToYourCensus #WeAreAllImmigrants
ARTIST MARIA PAZ ON WHY SHE CHOOSE TO GET COUNTED IN THE 2020 CENSUS Maria Paz is a self-taught artist who uses ceramics to transform her memories into sculptural objects. These works pay tribute to her family and her Chilean ancestors through an homage to ceramic artifacts that also serve as objects of healing. Paz grew up undocumented in the United States. She uses her work to reflect on her intersectional identity and give visibility to the intimate stories in her personal history. Check out the video in both English and Spanish where Paz shares why she chose to be counted.
ROCK YOUR OWN VISIBILITY WITH NEW 'SOMOS VISIBLES / WE ARE NOT INVISIBLE' T-SHIRTS
SOMOS VISIBLES / WE ARE NOT INVISIBLE, an ongoing project by Art+Action-featured-artists Arleene Correa Valencia + Ana Teresa Fernández is now available—thanks to our partners at Premier Alliances Inc. and print/stitch—in t-shirt and sweatshirt form. Premier Alliances Inc. is a nonprofit that helps improve the lives of people with disabilities in Bisbee, Arizona. SOMOS VISIBLES / WE ARE NOT INVISIBLE takes a political stance on visibility through the use of high-vis ready-to-wear safety gear present throughout many labor industries, as it relates to the invisibility of the undocumented in the U.S. In the context of the 2020 Census, the project seeks to engage undocumented and all marginalized communities in dialogue about their fears of being counted, seen, and having their voices heard to receive their fair share of resources.
Follow Art+Action on Instagram and like us on Facebook for updates about the campaign, or donate here to help us commission artists and mobilize communities to COME TO YOUR CENSUS.
LEARN MORE
About Art+Action Art+Action—a coalition for civic participation that spans art, creative, community, business, technology, philanthropy, activist, and government sectors—has launched a multilingual arts-driven campaign that positions artists as catalysts to humanize the issues around the 2020 Census. Ignited by support from San Francisco’s Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA) and the Ford Foundation, and in partnership with trusted institutions and messengers including Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)—our Headquarters and a Lead Partner—we've launched a campaign comprised of artist commissions, public programming, community events, exhibitions, and performances to galvanize communities to participate to receive their fair share of resources and political representation for the next decade.
