Why the Census Matters
Every 10 years, the federal government is legally required to count every person living in the country, regardless of citizenship status, as part of the U.S. Census. Certain populations, however, are more likely than others to be missed. Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs), people with limited English proficiency, people with low incomes, and young children are some of the groups that are undercounted in the census.
When our communities are undercounted, we are given less than our fair share of government resources, including those for education and healthcare. Undercounting also results in our denial of a fair voice in policy decision-making and federal funding allocated to Hawaiʻi.
It’s About $675 Billion
The distribution of more than $675 billion in federal funds, grants, and support to states, counties, and communities are based on census data. That money is then allocated to schools, hospitals, roads, public works, and other vital programs in the United States and Hawaiʻi.
It’s About Fair Representation
Every 10 years, the results of the census are used to reapportion the House of Representatives, determining how many seats each state gets.
It’s About Redistricting
After each decade’s census, state officials redraw the boundaries of the congressional and state legislative districts in their states to account for population shifts.
Get Our Fair Share!