SAN FRANCISCO, March 27, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation, issued the following media statement today in response to U.S. Commerce Department’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 US Census survey:
“Latinos in California will fight back against the misguided, divisive decision BY Secretary Ross to add a citizenship question to the 2020 U.S. Census. We call on Congress to reject the Commerce Department’s attempt to undermine the bipartisan Constitutional mandate of the Census to count every person in every state, every 10 years. That includes all 15 million Latinos living in California.
“It is clear that this administration has unleashed a full-fledged assault to discount the voice and presence of immigrant families in this country. We will use our power to rise up and will not silently back down from this fight. There is too much at stake when our country is undergoing a seismic demographic shift—and Black and Brown families are quickly becoming a majority in states like California, New Mexico, and Texas.
“The politically motivated move to add a citizenship question attempts to skew the country’s political makeup and withhold representation from largely immigrant cities and states. At best, the move is unconstitutional. At worst, it is blatantly un-American.
“Undermining the integrity of the US Census will also put billions of dollars at risk for vital services that keep our communities healthy and safe and it threatens the livelihood of millions of Latinos who are the backbone of California’s economy. A fear-fueled undercount will negatively impact our cities and rural counties for at least the next 10 years.
“If the Trump administration thinks thinly veiled anti-immigrant politics puts our state and Latino residents on notice, it should be aware that we are putting them on notice and will not stand for blatant, politically charged decisions to undermine the constitutional purpose the Census.
“Every single person of every single ethnicity must be counted in the 2020 Census. The House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform must act and reject this decision.”
MEDIA CONTACT
Anna Gagliuffi
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646-465-3464
SOURCE Latino Community Foundation
