April 30, 2020 | Gabriel Pineda | UC Riverside
In California, almost 40% of the population lives in “hard-to-count” areas, or counties with low Census response rates. My main reasoning behind my advocacy efforts around Census education was because many students and community members who are living in the Inland Empire, home to many historically underrepresented populations within the Greater Los Angeles Area, share similar life narratives to my own. As a student from multiple marginalized communities, I have not always had access to resources and opportunities because of my socioeconomic status and my family’s relationship to the state institution. My dedication to the advancement of my community and my commitment to an intersectional analysis of critical issues within society has been my motivation to advocate for UC students to learn about and complete the Census.
While I was growing up, my formerly incarcerated mother was in recovery at a state-funded rehabilitation center for substance abuse during her time away from the family. This crucial and pivotal resource in my hometown helped my mother reunite with my little brothers and I with a sober and healthy mindset. My mother, who is now celebrating 14 years of sobriety, is the head of a low-income, single-parent household. My mother heavily depends on multiple social services that directly support the social mobility of me and my siblings. Some of the resources include Head Start programs, free school lunches, and Medicaid. Nonetheless, almost every state resource my family has depended on has allowed my family to stay together and afloat in spite of the life challenges we have experienced, but most importantly all of these resources have a direct correlation to the Census responses of California. Rehabilitation facilities, childcare resources, funding for school lunches, and health insurance all have an institutional connection to the response rates of the Census. My goal in emphasizing my family’s relationship to these social services is to illustrate the importance for communities to respond to the Census, especially those from low income and system-impacted families.
As a first generation, queer college student navigating higher education, I have experienced many challenges and obstacles, but throughout my educational journey, one constant has been my drive to enact change in my community. In my Census advocacy work, I have had the opportunity to interact and engage with hundreds of student organizations, campus offices, and student leaders all across the state of California about the importance of completing the Census. Most importantly, I’ve been able to outreach to thousands of students and residents from the Inland Empire. I have learned that my work is not only benefiting me, but also benefiting people beyond myself, such as my family, my community, and my school. I encourage everyone to fill out the Census and to remind your friends, family, and colleagues that the Census has the capability to support families like my own.
