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Local group works to bring census information to Latino neighborhoods in Dallas where undercount is feared

Using creative ways to connect with residents, activists are determined to make sure every household is counted

When local activists recently took to the streets in a neighborhood near Bachman Lake to remind residents to fill out their census forms, they were joined by a man selling paletas, who handed out the cold treats along with information about the decennial count

It was a light-hearted approach, but the mission was serious. The area is one of the state’s most undercounted, with a heavily Latino population. The response rate here ranges from 24.36% to 29.98%, according to the organizers of the block walk last week.

As the deadline to complete the census approaches Sept. 30, activists are making an all-out effort to reach neighborhoods like these and explain the importance of being counted.

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A Census Project volunteer in Dallas wears a T-shirt with a message inviting residents to be...
A Census Project volunteer in Dallas wears a T-shirt with a message inviting residents to be counted.(Omar Vega)
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Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Census Bureau had previously extended the response deadline to Oct. 31. But last week, it was shortened to Sept. 30, putting pressure on groups like The Concilio in Dallas, which has the job of promoting the population count in certain areas.

The new deadline leaves little time for communities to mobilize their outreach efforts, such as knocking on doors in neighborhoods.

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And, as analyst Edward Rincón of Dallas wrote on his blog The Culture of Research, that could have dire consequences.

“An undercount threatens the political and economic stability of every community, regardless of their political orientation, and must be taken seriously by everyone,” he wrote.

Actions by the Trump administration also have been seen as thwarting efforts to get a full count of some Latino populations. After failing in its attempt to include a citizenship question in the census, the administration issued an executive order in July that would ban the count of undocumented immigrants for the purpose of allocating seats in Congress. This order has triggered several court challenges.

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"Given what's at stake from a potential census undercount, it's imperative that communities around the nation step up their efforts to increase response rates in difficult-to-count communities", Rincón said.

That’s exactly what The Concilio organizers intend to do.

Last Wednesday evening, the activists split into four groups and went knocking on doors for about an hour near Julian T. Saldivar Elementary. On other occasions, the activists have spent up to four hours visiting homes, said Leticia Tudon, director of the Census Project at The Concilio.

The Concilio is a nonprofit that's been helping build communities for more than 30 years, with a focus on parent empowerment and seeking to improve the education and health of families. The organization has received funding from Dallas County to do census outreach this year.

Volunteer moms with the Community Action Network walked door to door Aug. 5 inviting...
Volunteer moms with the Community Action Network walked door to door Aug. 5 inviting residents in the Bachman Lake area to fill out the 2020 Census.(Omar Vega)

During the Wednesday effort, some residents didn’t open their doors while others said they had already completed the census. Those who still hadn’t thanked the activists for the friendly reminder.

The activists were also joined by a group of moms from the neighborhood, the Community Action Network, as well as women from St. Philip The Apostle Catholic Church.

When the Census Bureau announced that the data collection would end in late September, The Concilio decided to step up its efforts to remind Bachman Lake residents that they must be counted, using creative ways to connect with the community.

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This time, the sound of golden bells from the paletero’s cart helped to get some residents to open their doors.

Using phone calls, block walks and even a lowrider parade last month in Oak Cliff, The Concilio has been spreading information about the 2020 census to almost 42,000 North Texas households, it said.

Emma Garza, 81, was eating a chicken salad when she heard somebody knocking on her door late last Wednesday.

Garza, who is originally from the Mexican state of Nuevo León, admitted she hadn't completed the census this year.

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Garza asked the activists whether they could fill out the 2020 census for her. They told her census employees could do it for her via a phone call and gave her some documents with more information.

The Bachman Lake resident said because of her old age and depression after her husband's death, she had forgotten to complete the questionnaire.

There are several reasons the Bachman Lake area has such a low response rate: many of its families are monolingual Spanish speakers, some don’t have a reliable internet connection and many others are living in the neighborhood temporarily, said Florencia Velasco Fortner, president of The Concilio.

María Reza, 49, one of the mothers from the Community Action Network, said she began to get involved in community work because she was worried about her children's education. She knows some worry about how their information will be used if they fill out the census and have a vulnerable immigration status.

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“I think sometimes people are just afraid to fill it out,” Reza said.

She said part of her work is to assure the Bachman Lake residents that their information is confidential and that the census data will help to bring in more resources for their neighborhoods.

Xochilt Cerrano, 60, was another resident who hadn't responded to the census. She has lived in Dallas since she was 19.

“In past years I have responded by mail. But I still haven’t done it this time. I know I have to do it, because that means more schools, more hospitals,” she said.