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The Online Census and COVID-19 Make Clear the Need for Universal Broadband Access<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n As Covid-19 changes everyday life for Filipino Americans, one area that needs our attention is the pandemic\u2019s impact on the 2020 Census. This year\u2019s census allows the option to complete the questionnaire online \u2013 a decision aimed at raising the national response rate from\u00a0<\/span>74%<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in 2010. While we applaud this decision to make the census more accessible, we also recognize that this new accessibility is not available to all Americans. Reaching full census participation is an essential step in our fight for political representation, so\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s<\/span> time to address the structural barriers that make broadband unavailable to so many in our community.<\/span>\u200b<\/span><\/p>\r\n The simple act of participating in the census does crucial work for all Filipino Americans. The census results inform the decisions of lawmakers and business leaders, and these decisions have far-reaching consequences. Perhaps the most serious of these consequences is the allocation of congressional seats. Based on the results of the 2010 census, <\/span>7 of the 10 <\/a>states with<\/span>\u00a0the largest Filipino American populations saw changes in their\u00a0<\/span>number of seats<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in the U.S. House of Representatives.\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s <\/span>the job of these representatives to make our voices heard, and for them to do that, we have to let them know that we\u2019re here.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n In addition, census results inform important government decisions about federal funding. Your local public school, hospital, fire station, and retirement home likely benefit from federal government funds. These funds are dispensed based on an area\u2019s population based on the census results. Census participation is one of the easiest ways to ensure that your local community receives the funding it needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n Government officials aren\u2019t the only ones who use information from the census to drive their choices, as the U.S. Census Bureau states on their\u00a0<\/span>website<\/span><\/a>: \u201cBusiness owners rely on census results to make decisions, such as where to open new stores, restaurants, factories, or offices, where to expand operations, where to recruit employees, and which products and services to offer.\u201d These effects on the employment and overall quality of life of Filipino Americans make this cause even more important.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n