BMCC Prepares for 2020 U.S. Census

October 23, 2019

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) students filled Richard Harris Terrace to capacity on October 22 for a 2020 U.S. Census information and job recruiting session. Students met with representatives from the U.S. Census Bureau, learned why the census is so important and were also able to get information on how to apply for one of the thousands of soon-to-be-available positions.

BMCC’s census campaign is part of a larger effort between The City University of New York (CUNY), the New York City Council and NYC Census 2020 to ensure an accurate count of New Yorkers. A complete count of all city residents will help ensure New York receives full political representation in Congress and its rightful share of $650 billion in federal funds annually for health care, education, housing, economic development, social services, transportation and more.

“CUNY is proud to partner with the New York City Council and NYC Census 2020 to ensure a fair and accurate 2020 census count,” said Angie Kamath, University Dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Programs.

She said many of the groups the U.S. Census Bureau considers ‘hard to count’ are here at CUNY.

“We know that highly mobile people, undocumented immigrants, people of color, low-income people, and students have all been undercounted populations before. It is essential that CUNY encourages our own students, staff, and faculty to participate in the census. Events like BMCC’s census job fair are great ways to get the CUNY community involved,” said Kamath.

BMCC Interim President Karrin Wilks said “we’re proud to host this important event on campus and be part of a citywide effort to increase New Yorkers’ participation in the census. The tremendous turnout shows that our students take civic engagement seriously and are ready to make positive contributions to the future of the city,” she said.

The information and recruitment at BMCC was one of hundreds across the country, all part of the U.S. Census Bureau’s national recruiting week according to Lisa Moore, assistant regional manager for the census for the U.S. Census Bureau. In New York City, CUNY colleges will be critical voice in the Bureau’s overall outreach campaign, she said.

“At these events, we do an initial census 101 briefing, walking them through the application process and answering any questions they might have about the technology,” said Moore. “Applicants don’t need a resume for the job, the training is paid and we encourage students to apply early because we’ll start pulling in early 2020 for these jobs.”

Many New York City neighborhoods, particularly in Brooklyn, are home to scores of residents that are often under-counted and subsequently under-represented, said New York City Deputy Public Advocate Crystal Hudson, who spoke at the BMCC event.

“Those areas are usually comprised of people of color and new immigrants. We thought by working with CUNY and other partners as well as the U.S. Census Bureau to get the word out to communities of color, it would be a way for the city to inform New Yorkers about the importance of filling out the census,” said Hudson.

The 2020 U.S. census could see the worst undercount of black and Latinx people since 1990 according to a June 2019 Urban Institute study. In New York City the 2020 undercount could reach 361,000 according to the study. They say the undercount is bolstered by an atmosphere of fear among legal immigrants that participating in the count could make them and their families targets for Immigration and Customs Enforcement action.

Every household in the United States will have the option of responding to the census either by mail, phone or online the Census Bureau says.

Douglas Israel, BMCC’s director of Government and Community Relations, will serve as the college’s census coordinator. He said working on the 2020 census not only provides students with extra income, it gives them the opportunity to participate in an incredibly important civic activity.

“It was great to see so many students coming out to learn more about the Census2020 effort and how they can help ensure that New Yorkers are accurately counted in the upcoming census,” said Israel.

  • Several thousand jobs will be available for 2020 census
  • An accurate count of all New Yorkers ensures full political representation and adequate funding
  • BMCC/CUNY is a partner in a larger city census effort

share this story »