The next United States Census will take place in 2030.
The Census will help determine the allocation of federal funding a year for the next 10 years to support things like hospitals, schools, fire stations, and roads in our communities.
Why we care about the 2030 Census
As the only statewide Asian American organization advocating for representation and visibility of the pan-Asian community in North Carolina, NCAAT is deeply invested about the count of the AAPIs in the 2030 census.
NCAAT believes a full, fair and accurate census — and the collection of useful, objective data about our nation’s people, housing, economy and communities — is vitally important. The federal government uses census-derived data to direct at least $800 billion annually in federal assistance to states, localities and families. The data also guides important community decisions affecting schools, housing, health care services, business investment, redistricting, and much more.
A fair and accurate census is even more important for AAPIs as it is the most comprehensive set of socioeconomic data points on Asian American communities, particularly for subgroups (e.g. Chinese, Vietnamese, Asian Indian, and Filipino). Often viewed as homogenous, these communities include more than several dozen detailed racial and ethnic groups that can differ dramatically across key social and economic indicators. The North Carolina AAPI community is incredibly diverse, with over 20 Asian ethnicities and nationalities who speak over 40 languages.
The largest ethnic group among AAPIs in the state are the Asian Indian and Chinese communities, followed by Vietnamese and Filipino communities. In addition, North Carolina has become home to significant ethnic minority communities from Southeast Asia, many of whom have come to the state as refugees. They include the Montagnards from mountain regions of Vietnam, including members of Jrai, K’ho, Rhade and other tribes. North Carolina also has one of the largest Hmong communities with 10,800 Hmong residents in 2010 who came to the state from Southeast Asia.
Understanding the diversity, size and needs of these unique communities requires an accurate count in the census.
NCAAT, along with other state partners, has worked on strategies to get us a complete count in North Carolina.