August 13th, 2021
CONTACT: Karina Martinez 858 / 752-1262 or [email protected]
CNC: Census 2020 a Story of Latino Triumph
Sacramento, California - Long-delayed census data has been released offering detailed information on population and demographic data. The census results offer a glimpse of the racial composition of our nation and our future trajectory.
Hatzune Aguilar, Communities for a New California's (CNC) Strategic Engagement Director released the following statement:
“The 2020 Census was a victory for the Latino community. Our unity and our participation really was our strength and as a result of our efforts, our families will have the corresponding political power and resources for schools, hospitals, emergencies, natural disasters, and more.
“Trump and his co-conspirators sought to erase our existence at the local, state and federal levels to deny us representation, funding, and belonging. The Trump administration painted us as outcasts with their words, and with their deeds they used the government and our administrative processes to attack us. They denied us resources to complete the census during the beginning of a pandemic, they sowed confusion to limit the time we would have to respond, and they tried unsuccessfully to go to the extremes of changing the census questionnaire to include a citizenship question so as to return us to the shadows. We won many battles and today we are proudly seeing the fruit of our achievements.
“The story of the Latino triumph includes strong allies like California Governor Gavin Newsom who recognized the importance of an accurate count of Latino families. Newsom judiciously allotted the resources to trusted messengers and with these resources, organizations like Communities for a New California were able to run campaigns with the support of the state. We went from house to house explaining the census, we communicated by phone with residents in the most difficult to count areas, we joined with businesses, stores, Spanish media, and agencies respected by our community. We were able to reach more than 600,000 California residents during 14 months of outreach and scores of thousands more through our neighborhood partnerships.
“Latinos must continue to harness our power; we cannot allow right-wing extremists and anti-Latino groups to diminish our gains or continue to come after our families. It will be incumbent upon us to maintain social consciousness and continue to participate in civic opportunities like the upcoming recall election in California. With our votes, we can defend our families and keep building on the progress that we’ve achieved so far.
“Nationally, the Latino vote increased by 30% in the last election. It is a good step, but every Latino should be prepared to vote, especially in California where we are the majority of those eligible to cast a ballot. For us, the youth vote will be critical given that Latinos are defined by youth - 40% of our voters are 35 years of age or younger. It’s a proud moment to have our youth be our compass on issues like the economy, rent control, education, and climate change. There is a sense of pride in that all of the battles and obstacles we’re fighting will culminate with Latino youth taking charge of California.
“We have a great opportunity to continue advancing the Latino community. When we truly come together, we see that we can stand up and conquer any challenge. We have less than five weeks to decide California’s future in the next election. It is up to us to determine whether we will maintain the progress California has made over the past ten years or whether we will hand over our achievements to candidates whose policies are hostile toward working families in our state. The recall election is scheduled for September 14, 2021, and voting begins on August 16. It is time to shine once again with our ballots.”
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Communities for a New California Education Fund is building a new power in the San Joaquin, Coachella, and Imperial valleys by inspiring working-class Californians to engage, activate and fight for social change in their neighborhoods. With the help of staff and volunteers from the very neighborhoods we serve, CNC EF organizes and mobilizes residents on public policy issues that impact our rural families and organizes to improve our neighborhoods.