Opinion: Cicero Residents, There’s Still Time to Fill Out the Census

By Estela Santillan

Every 10 years the Census Bureau counts the number of people in each community.

Cicero is a hard-to-count community which means that our population has been undercounted in the past, according to the Census Bureau.

As of today, only 52.9% of people in Cicero have self responded and filled out the census. Organizers say it is not too late to respond.

“The census is really important for three reasons: money, representation and it is a human rights issue. There are many people trying to suppress the count of people because they know that organized people equals power and when we count we are powerful,” explained Anna Marin, a community organizer from Berwyn, during a virtual discussion.

Data from the census is used to determine the number of U.S House of Representatives each state has and it is also used “to distribute billions of federal funds to local communities,” according to the Census Bureau. Important decisions, like where to build new schools, clinics, roads and more services for families, are made using information from the census.

According to the Town of Cicero, due to low census response rates in 2010, Cicero lost $38.7 million per year in federal funding. Funding could have provided more educational services, health services, park services, and many more other resources for the community.

If Cicero residents do not complete the census, Cicero residents can lose federal fundings that is allocated to programs such as: Medicaid, Head start, mental health services, and many more. If these response rates do not increase, Cicero will be at risk of loosing similar funding like in the 2010 census.

Despite low response rates in the past, community organizers, politicians, activists, and other community members are continuing to encourage the community to ensure they have been counted in the 2020 census.

So far, only 52.9% have self-responded and completed the 2020 census. Berwyn, a neighboring community, has a self-response rate of 63.7%.

Cicero’s lack of response can be attributed to many reasons. One is the community’s fear of being exposed for their immigration status.

A current census outreach canvasser, Rocio Vargas, has noticed the fear and misconseption that Cicero residents have about the census. She says people in Cicero fear that the census will require sharing information about their immigration status. “They are unaware or uninformed about what the census really does,” Vargas explained.
However, there are no questions on the census that ask about immigration status. The census by law can not share any information it gathers with immigration agencies and data is only used to calculate a community’s population.

Cicero organizations and community members are organizing events to inform the community about the importance of the census. Organizations like Rizoma Collective and Cicero Community Collaborative are using their social media platforms and conducting phone bank sessions to encourage people to fill out the census. Although there can be much done by these organizers, it is up to Cicero residents to be responsive and complete the census.

Ensure that your voice, your neighbors, and your community are counted for resources and funding that we deserve. Fill out the census form online at the Census Bureau website.

Estela Santillan is a Cicero resident who is a sophomore at UIUC. She is a founder and member of the Rizoma Collective & Cicero Community Farm.