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Congressman, Community Leaders Urge Latinx Residents To Complete Census Before September Ends


Saturday, September 26, 2020 || By Michael Romain || @maywoodnews 

A federal court order issued Sept. 24 may have forced the Trump administration to continue counting residents through Oct. 31, but local community leaders are sticking to the shortened deadline of Sept. 30 that the administration set in July.

“We have four days left to be counted,” said Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (4th) during a press conference held Sept. 26 at Faye Park, at the corner of 19th Avenue and Lake Street in Melrose Park.

The press conference was held in collaboration with the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership, a faith-based social justice nonprofit based in Maywood.

“It’s possible that that can get extended until Oct. 31, but we have to assume that the Trump administration will seek to appeal and ignore the federal court decision, because of the history of lawlessness on the part of this administration,” said Garcia, whose district includes parts of Proviso Township, including Melrose Park. “So we should assume we have four days left.”

Justice Department officials, in fact, filed a notice on Sept. 25 indicating that they plan to appeal the court order.

According to an NPR report, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh — who issued the preliminary injunction requiring the Census Bureau to stick to an Oct. 31 deadline — “found that the administration’s truncated census schedule is likely to produce inaccurate numbers about historically undercounted groups, including people of color and immigrants.”

According to Census Bureau data, Maywood, Melrose Park and Stone Park —communities that have large Latinx populations — have the lowest census response rates in Proviso Township. As of Sept. 24, those three communities had response rates of 63 percent, 62 percent and 65 percent, respectively.

Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia during a press conference Saturday in Melrose Park. The congressman is urging Latinx residents to complete the census before September ends. | Michael Romain 

Garcia said that Black and Latinx communities are particularly vulnerable to being undercounted, given how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected them. Since the pandemic, those communities have experienced disproportionate rates of positive cases, hospitalizations and deaths. A low count during this census would exacerbate historic inequities, the congressman said.

“If we care about access to healthcare, to clinics, to hospitals, to protective equipment, to getting access to a vaccine, to having insurance coverage — the census is at the root of those things,” Garcia said.

“We in Melrose Park have made a concerted effort [to get people counted],” said Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico during Saturday’s press conference. “We’re fighting the fight of time … Hopefully, we’ll have a little more time to get everyone counted.”

Maria Marquez, the co-chairwoman of CSPL’s Immigration Committee voiced some common complaints she’s encountered during her Latinx outreach.

Marquez said she often hears residents say, “‘The government hasn’t done anything for me, [so] why would I do the census for them?’ This is not about the government. This is for your benefit and to help the important people in your life.”

“Do not be afraid,” said Maria Franco, CSPL’s Census Committee co-chair and a member of the nonprofit’s board of directors. “We were all given a spirit of courage, we are called to be strong. We are called to unite. For it is in unity that we will have power. A voice.”

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