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India Currents gave me a voice in days I was very lost. Having my articles selected for publishing was very validating – Shailaja Dixit, Executive Director, Narika, Fremont
On Wednesday June 17, California launched a statewide Census Week of Action to urge all residents to respond to the 2020 Census.
In the Bay Area, almost 68% of households in the Bay Area have self-responded to the 2020 Census, almost catching up to the region’s final self-response rate from the 2010 Census (72%).
However, in a final push to get all Californians counted during this week of action, hundreds of census partners across the state are amplifying the importance of participating in the Census and renewing efforts to show people how to take it. The aim is to achieve as full and as accurate of a count of all Californians before census takers begin following up with households that have not yet responded in mid-August.
The California Census Office and its partners will mobilize print and broadcast media and engage in virtual events across the state to ensure the message reaches everyone. The week-long campaign will utilize car caravans, phone banks, media interviews, webinars and billboards to get the message out. The focus is to remind the hardest to count Californians that its not too late to complete the Census.
Some of the scheduled events have included:
- A Live radio show with radio partner KJLH celebrating Juneteenth and featuring an hour of music with prominent members of the African American community and a Spotify Playlist that will be shared to social media
- California Census social media pages sharing content that educates the public about Juneteenth
- A Census Caravan weekend featuring car caravans driving through strategically selected routes and displaying census messaging to raise awareness of Census 202o
Upcoming programs will include:
- A Facebook Live event on Monday June 22, in honor of Father’s Day. It will focus on children under 5 and dads who will speak to the importance of families completing the census and getting their children counted
- A live Facebook event on Tuesday, June 23, aimed at reaching Spanish-speaking households
- A celebration of Pride Month that explains the Census now recognizes same-sex marriages and shares information on how transgender and gender-non-conforming people can complete the gender question.
During the week of action, Census partners have been equipped with multiple resources to encourage community members to participate in the Census. For example AAPI is offering its network a toolkit to spread the word, while My Black Counts is promoting a campaign through its coalition of grassroots organizations to advocate for the community.
If you have not yet responded to the census, you can do so online (my2020census.gov), by phone (844-330-2020) or by mail.
Coverage for Census 2020 has been facilitated through a grant from the United Way Bay Area.