In early January 2020, Asian American Organizing Project (AAOP) launched a Census grant to provide funds to Asian organizations in Minnesota to do outreach around the Census in our Asian communities. The grantees include Association of Nepalis of MN (ANMN), Center for Hmong Arts and Talent (CHAT), Chinese Social Services of MN, India Association of MN (IAM), National Asian American Association of Professionals (NAAAP), SEWA-AIFW, Siengkane Lao of Minnesota (SKL of MN), Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota (TAFM), Wat Promawachirayan.
Our Asian communities are a historically undercounted community (HUC), which also includes immigrant, young people, Black, Asian, Indigenous, Latinx, queer communities, young people and more. A lower representation of HUC communities means HUC communities often don’t receive funding or resources needed, and often don’t get the political representation in state and federal seats.
AAOP has been canvassing around the Census since 2019 to first inform our communities about the Census, its importance, and to ask our communities to pledge to take the Census. This long-term Census outreach work is so important, especially during a time when misinformation and fear-mongering is so prevalent.
As a collective, our organizations had to pivot many of our in-person outreach efforts and/or incorporate COVID-19 safety measures into our Census outreach work. Learn more about the collective Census outreach work our Asian organizations focused on in 2020 below.
While the Census is over, the work is not complete. AAOP’s next focus is on redistricting and involving our community in this process. Minnesota is likely to lose a Congressional seat, shifting the power each district will have and changing the political landscape — impacting our communities in the next ten years and beyond.