FOR PLANNING PURPOSES: Wednesday, March 18, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: press@census.ca.gov 916-214-9266 (cell)
*PRESS RELEASE*
California’s 2020 Census Campaign Launches Statewide TV Ad
With historic count underway, campaign hits the airwaves to reach hardest-to-count Californians
SACRAMENTO – California’s unprecedented Census campaign today hit the airwaves with a new 30-second television ad that will air in ten languages over the next eight weeks.
The ad highlights the diversity of the state and promotes participation in the 2020 Census, which officially started March 12 when Californians began receiving invitations in the mail from the U.S. Census Bureau. At least 75 outlets across the state’s 11 media markets will run the ad, which will air in the following languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Hmong, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Russian, Persian, and Armenian. Click here to watch the ad in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4vKvGU8NYc.
Click here to watch the ad in Spanish: https://youtu.be/NlIoh6wk4nA.
The historic Census count will determine the distribution of billions of dollars in federal funding and state and political representation for the next decade. The California For All – Census 2020 outreach and media campaign is led by the California Complete Count – Census 2020 Office and comprises hundreds of regional and statewide partners. The campaign is encouraging all Californians to participate in the Census as soon as possible and providing them with culturally congruent and in-language support.
“We are excited to premiere a new ad now that the 2020 Census is officially underway. Our goal is to reach the more than 11 million hardest-to-count Californians who need to participate. The video’s message is motivational and inspiring, not only capturing the diversity of California, but also emphasizing the strength of our numbers when everyone participates in the Census,” said Ditas Katague, Director of the California Complete Count – Census 2020 Office.
In light of COVID-19 concerns, it is important to highlight that every Californian can respond to the Census online at https://my2020census.gov or by phone by calling the numbers available below, or by mail if they received a paper form.
What Californians Need to Know About the 2020 Census:
- The Census is a simple, confidential 9 question survey
- Questions include name, address, sex, race, ethnicity, age, and whether you own or rent the home
- Californians should self-identify in regard to race, ethnicity and gender
- Make sure you count everyone in your home, including any friends or family members who are living and sleeping there most of the time
- The Census Bureau will never ask about your citizenship status, or for sensitive information like your social security number, bank accounts, or payments/donations
- The Census Bureau will never reach out to you on behalf of a political party
- Your responses to the Census are protected by law and cannot be shared with, or used by, any other government agencies. Answers cannot be used for law enforcement purposes, to determine eligibility for government benefits or immigration enforcement
- For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit californiacensus.org.
Why California’s Participation Counts: Ensuring every California household participates in the Census is critically important. Mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the Census determines how billions of dollars of federal funding are distributed to each state every year for education resources, affordable housing programs, nutrition and health care services, and more. Estimates show that for every person uncounted, California could lose $1,000 a year for 10 years. That’s as much as $10,000 per person in funds lost over the next decade.
The Census also determines the state’s political representation through the number of representatives in the U.S. Congress and the California State Legislature. Participating in the Census can help ensure Californians’ voices are heard in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.
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The California Complete Count – Census 2020 Office
Once each decade, the U.S. Census Bureau attempts to count every person in the United States. California leaders have invested $187.2 million toward a statewide outreach and communication campaign. For more information, please go to https://californiacensus.org/.
DATA: To see data on the hard-to-count populations in cities, counties, congressional and legislative districts in California, please visit: https://census.ca.gov/htcfactsheets/.
FILL OUT THE FORM BY PHONE:
| LANGUAGE LINE | TOLL-FREE NUMBER |
| English | 844-330-2020 |
| Spanish | 844-468-2020 |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 844-391-2020 |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 844-398-2020 |
| Vietnamese | 844-461-2020 |
| Korean | 844-392-2020 |
| Russian | 844-417-2020 |
| Arabic | 844-416-2020 |
| Tagalog | 844-478-2020 |
| Polish | 844-479-2020 |
| French | 844-494-2020 |
| Haitian Creole | 844-477-2020 |
| Portuguese | 844-474-2020 |
| Japanese | 844-460-2020 |
| English (Puerto Rico residents) | 844-418-2020 |
| Spanish (Puerto Rico residents) | 844-426-2020 |
| Telephone Display Device (TDD) | 844-467-2020 |
All lines provide live customer service representative support providing information about the 2020 Census and assistance with the questionnaire.
- Callers to the English and Spanish language lines will be routed through the Interactive Voice Response system prior to being transferred to a customer service representative.
- Callers to all other language lines will be greeted in that language by a customer service representative.
Support on all language lines will end on July 31, 2020.
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