Citizenship and the Census

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/opinion/citizenship-census.html

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To the Editor:

Re “Request to Check Citizenship Stirs Fears for Census” (news article, Jan. 3):

The grand bargain of America suggests that if you work hard, play by the rules and contribute to this country, then you should be able to create opportunities for yourself and your family.

This is why the latest move by the Justice Department to add a question on citizenship to the 2020 census violates this long-held American promise. Latinos and immigrants have long been considered hard-to-count populations because of language, housing mobility and lack of education.

Questioning citizenship, in an age of increased immigration enforcement, stands to increase the likelihood of an undercount, threaten a constitutional right to be counted, and jeopardize equitable distribution of public funds.

The demographics of our country are shifting, and the 2020 census will be one of the most important in the history of our country. Rather than play on fear and fuel an undercount, let’s work together to strengthen the democracy we all hold so dear to our hearts.

JACQUELINE MARTINEZ GARCELCHRISTIAN ARANA, SAN FRANCISCO

The writers are, respectively, chief executive and policy director for the Latino Community Foundation.