SEA Us Now Census 2020

April 1, 2020

You’re probably overwhelmed with information about the census. Here are the fast facts you need to know with our SEA Us Now Census 2020 Toolkit. Share with your family members, elders, and friends using hashtags: #SEAusNow #2020Census #CompleteCount

here's what you can do:

  • Complete your census! By mail, phone 1-844-330-2020 or online my2020census.gov.

  • Tell fellow Southeast Asians to keep an eye out for their mailboxes for census forms.

  • Share resources such as factsheets, video clips, and social media posts from countusin2020.org/resources.

  • Join social media campaigns #SEAusNow #2020Census #CompleteCount.

  • Help hard-to-count areas get counted.

Here’s the list of links:

English
American Sign Language
Burmese
Hmong
Khmer
Lao
Viet

Myths & Fears of Being Counted

Being undercounted isn’t a fool’s joke. Meet mother and daughter duo, Anna and Kim as they navigate all the myths and fears of being counted in the census. Do you have a similar story to share? Break down the fears and myths by sharing this comic strip with your family.

There are three main reasons that make it difficult for Southeast Asians to fill out the census:

  • Distrust in the government — many SEAAs live in the United States with a pending deportation order or lack lawful status. They are afraid of being targeted by the Administration by participating in the census, even if the 2020 questionnaire will not have a citizenship question included.
  • Limited English proficiency — About half of SEAAs in the United States are foreign born and struggle to learn English. Roughly 38.3% of Cambodian, 36.7% of Hmong, 34.5% of Lao, and 48.6% of Vietnamese households that speak English less than “very well,” compared to 8.6% of total US households.
  • Low income or poverty - SEAA communities experience poverty at very high rates, with 11% of Lao families, 13% of Vietnamese families, 14.9% of Cambodian families, and 16.3% of Hmong families still living below the poverty line. (SEARAC)