1/21/2020 3:45:12 PM
Soon, you may start seeing advertisements about the 2020 Census. To help people understand what the census is all about, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing developed videos in American Sign Language and English, with English voiceover and captions.
If you are deafblind or prefer to watch the video in a slow-paced, high-contrast format, watch the deafblind-friendly ASL version instead.
A census counts how many people live in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau does a census every 10 years. This count will determine how many seats Minnesota has in the U.S. House of Representatives for the next 10 years. This count will also determine how much money goes to support many different types of programs and services in Minnesota.
The census will ask you questions about who lives at your address. Your answers are confidential. The Census Bureau cannot share details with the White House, the government, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or police. All census takers are bound by law to keep information confidential. The law says the details must remain confidential for 72 years. After 72 years, census records are made public. Old census records are a popular tool for people researching the history of their own families.
The census will ask you these questions:
The census will NOT ask you for:
The number of people in Minnesota decides many things, including:
Local government and businesses also use the census numbers to decide where to open new stores, hospitals, or improve transportation.
Our next video will explain how the census will take place, and tell you about important community events to learn more about the census. Make sure you are counted!
DHHSD and MNCDHH will share more information as it becomes available.
You can also visit the U.S. Census Bureau's website to learn more. The U.S. Census Bureau currently provides information in 59 languages, and offers large print versions of their materials. They are working on American Sign Language translations and making materials in braille.
