'Census 2020 Caravan' Ready To Roll Across East End

RIVERHEAD, NY — The time to be counted is now. That's the message those participating in a "Census 2020 Caravan" hope to convey as they set off to impart their message across the East End Thursday.

Advocates are hitting the road, literally, to promote census participation on both the North and South Forks. According to organizers, the large coalition of community and immigrant right's organizations will be carrying an urgent message across the North and South Forks of Long Island: "Stand up and be counted in the 2020 Census! Time is running out!"

The caravans depart at 9:30 a.m. from 523 Front Street and 6th Street in Greenport, near St. Agnes Church, and also at 9:30 a.m. from 168 Hill Street in Southampton, at Sacred Heart Church. A caravan will also leave from Good Ground Park, located at 9 Squiretown Road, in Hamptons Bays.

A rally and press conference are scheduled for 11 a.m. at the county center in Riverhead.

Those involved said an accurate count of every person is the only way for the community to receive what it deserves: accurate political representation and adequate government funding.

Besides getting the word out and creating awareness, caravan riders will demand that elected officials on the East End — some of whom are running for re-election — respect and reach out to all of their constituents to make sure they are counted, organizers said.

"The East End has one of the lowest census response rates in New York State," said Martha Maffei, executive director of SEPA Mujer, one of several organizations that have been working for months to increase awareness of the census on eastern Long Island, particularly in immigrant communities.

Maffei and other organizers said they want the East End's elected representatives to do more in the short time remaining to promote the census.

“While we appreciate that some town governments have shown some support, we would like to see all East End elected officials really speaking out regularly about the importance of census participation for the people they represent," Maffei said.

And, organizers added, the situation on the East End "is particularly bad," with a map from the United States Census Bureau reflecting "severely low participation" on the North and South Forks.

"This situation should unify everyone, of every political party," organizers said. "If everyone in a community is counted, the entire community does better. The East End’s resort and semi-rural character contribute to the low numbers, with many homeowners not occupying their homes year-round and not filling out the census form."

Immigrants, in particular, are often excluded from the count, organizers said. While many immigrant residents understand the importance of the census and have already filled out the form, some may be reluctant to participate because they do not understand how important — and essential — it is to fill out the census; they may also fear that participating could lead to harassment, or worse, from federal immigration enforcement, organizers said.

Sandra Dunn, associate director of OLA of Eastern Long Island, added: “For months many organizations have been publicly emphasizing the safety and confidentiality of the process. We’ve stressed that all Census Bureau employees are forbidden by law to share the information on the questionnaire with any other government agency and that the information is used solely to create statistics. We would like to see local officials sending this same message loud and clear—through bilingual PSAs and robocalls. Time is of the essence.”

Stony Brook University Professor Carolyn Peabody, who is also co-chair of the North Fork Unity Action Committee and co-coordinator of Indigenous Suffolk Counts, agreed that time was of the essence. "There are potentially dire consequences should the rates of census undercounting on the East End remain so terribly low by the end of the census count on September 30."

In addition to losing adequate political representation, if the census numbers do not accurately reflect the population, the East End will receive far less funding than needed for essential services including schools, hospitals, college aid, school lunches, and road repairs.

"Now is the time to act, to prepare for the future. Together we can ensure that everyone is counted," said Sister Margaret Smith from the North Fork Spanish Apostolate in Riverhead.

Sister Mary Beth Moore, Director, Centro Corazon de María, added: “We are urging all to respond to the census, because it is a doable, easy thing to do that will benefit our community for the next 10 years. Every family can do this, regardless of their status; the census bureau is obligated by law to protect your information. Don’t give up your shot."

Elected officials including New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, town supervisors, school superintendents, and others are also slated to speak.