April 30, 2020 | Emily Castelazo | UC Los Angeles
Before this year, I had personally not known too much about what the Census was and why it was critical for everyone to fill it out. Understanding how to fill out the Census and why it is important can be quite complex, especially for college students who divide their time between multiple addresses. While I was trying to fill out the Census with my roommates, we found it difficult to figure out if we should be filling out the Census based on where we lived while at school or at home. We used the time to conduct our own personal research about how college students across the country should accurately fill out the Census, and I was amazed to learn how important the Census was for distributing federal resources and guaranteeing that areas have political representation that actually reflects the demographics. I personally knew other students and families who were also struggling with trying to accurately fill out their Census information, and I wanted to be part of the outreach efforts to make information about the 2020 Census more accessible to college students in the UC system.
It is incredibly important that college students do their part to fill out the 2020 Census because the information that is compiled during the Census is used to fund and financially support programs, services, and institutions that make our college experience possible. The information I learned about the Census’s purpose was not spread through the channels that college students use to communicate daily. It is crucial that college students know that the allocation of federal grants, funds, and support to communities, counties, states, and academia are based on the population totals and demographic breakdowns that are determined with Census data. College students directly benefit from this funding, and federal student loans, campus improvements, health and social services would not be in existence without this funding. This is knowledge that I did not previously have before the beginning of this year, and I was determined to conduct social media outreach about this topic so that other college students like me have the tools at their disposal to understand the significance of their own individual completion of the Census.
Given all of the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, I was aware that Census information outreach would be a challenge. During a time of so much uncertainty, I wanted to be part of the groups that were making sure that people still had concise, correct, and constant information about how to fill out the Census. Over the course of the stay-at-home order in California and my own efforts conducting social media outreach, I became even more aware of how the allocation of services dictated by the results of prior Census data could have long-term and lasting implications. While completing the 2020 Census might not be the most exciting quarantine activity, it has never been more important to take the ten minutes to secure the services and resources that every community should be guaranteed.
