Before stay-at-home orders were commonplace, Asian Americans in the St. Louis went out into their communities to spread the word about the 2020 Census.
For high school student Katie Xu, the census means representation in her community.
“I feel that without the Asian Americans filling out the census, not only does that represent how we don't care about American politics, but it tells the lawmakers that we don't care,” Xu said.
Even though Xu is not old enough to fill out the census herself, she worked with other Asian American students to make sure those who can fill out the census will. Xu is the Director of Operations for the Asian American Civic Scholars, an organization focused on increasing civic engagement among Asian Americans in the St. Louis area.
Xu led a presentation on March 1 about why the census was important in the Asian American community at the St. Louis Modern Chinese School. The gathering brought in more than 20 attendees.
The event incorporated civic engagement, trivia questions and boba tea. Xu said the hardest part about promoting the census is the lack of interest. So, these types of events were geared to garner interest while also being educational.
For every person not counted in the 2020 Census, the state of Missouri could lose $1,300 in federal funds each year. The data from the census is used to allocate funds for roads, social programs and schools.
However, identifiable information taken from the data cannot be released until 72 years after the census. In 2022, the census records from 1950 will be made public.
“There's a lot of hesitation there,” Grace Hu, member of the Asian American Civic Scholars, said. “Usually once we clear the fact that information cannot be shared with other agencies, we usually get a better reception.”
The biggest misconception is that the Census Bureau is gathering information because they want to know where you are, John Shikles, Director Census Operations in Missouri, said.
“People think that that information is going to be used against them in some way,” Shikles said.
Xu and Hu plans to visit churches and other community spaces to advocate for the census.
“The only way to create change in your community is if you go out there and do it,” Hu said.