2020 Census Reaches Out to Immigrant Groups
The city of Plymouth is partnering with local organizations in an effort to push immigrants to participate in the 2020 census.
According to the latest report by the Minneapolis Foundation, Minnesota’s immigrant population has seen explosive growth. Eighteen percent of that growth are immigrants from Africa.
The East African Development Agency (EADA) in Minneapolis said language barriers could cause thousands to avoid participating in the census.
The 2020 Federal Census questionnaire will be offered in 12 non-English languages. However, it does not include Hmong or Somali, which are some of the most spoken languages in Minnesota.
The census will however provide language guides in Hmong, Somali and 57 other non-English languages to complete the census.
To break down those language barriers, EADA will be communicating to African communities on the importance of responding to the 2020 census. EADA created this video in Somali:
“The Government is funded $7 billion every year and each person is $2,000 every year. We need to have better schools, better roads and better streets,” said Mohamed Issa Wardere, a member of the Plymouth Count Committee. “For example, last census I was in Los Angeles. What happened in Los Angeles? They lost $5 million a year in school, so we don’t want that to happen to us in Plymouth or Minnesota.”
Plymouth Count Committee members also say if population numbers come back short, Minnesota could lose a congressional seat.
Members also want immigrant communities to understand that any information provided to the federal government will be confidential.
“They’re not going to know your immigration status, they’re not going to know your low or high income families, they’re not going to find out any of those. Its very confidential,” assured Abdirisaq Moallin, the director of EADA.
By April 1st, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 census. You can respond online, by phone or by mail.
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