By: Natalie Godinez

Every ten years, the U.S. Census Bureau conducts a count of the population nationwide. This year, Self Help Graphics & Art has partnered with the California Community Foundation (CCF) and We Count LA, to help encourage our community to be accurately counted through the art of serigraphy, exclusively through a special Census Atelier, offered through our Professional Printmaking Program.  To make this happen, SHG commissioned three artists to develop limited edition serigraphs using the Census 2020 as the topic. 

One of the three artists selected to join the atelier, is Artist Phung Huynh. Huynh has created a print to remind us to count EVERYONE– especially our children and babies who often get forgotten in the Census count. 

Children and babies have been historically undercounted. Many people think they only have to count the adults in the family who make day-to-day decisions but in a decade those children will be youth or young adults, and we need to count them especially for their future.

The census count determines how much federal funding each community gets for the next 10 years, and those funds are used for schools, public facilities like parks, early childhood centers, meal programs and affordable housing for families; among many other services provided by local and state authorities, but funded by the federal government, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau. 

All of these are important for our communities and the more of us that are counted, the more federal money our cities, counties and State get! As the mother of a 1 year old, I often like to imagine what the future holds for our family. I hope that in a few years, when my daughter enters Kindergarten, there are enough teachers for her school, an art program, ample play areas, and healthy lunches. I hope that the parks continue being cared for and updated, that we will have enough green space to play, and that housing for people of all incomes and abilities is available, so that we can  continue living in a diverse and inclusive community. That’s why, when I filled out our household’s census this year, I made sure to count her! 

#MakeitCount Los Angeles! Everyone in your home counts, especially our babies and children.  To learn more about Self Help Graphics’ Census Atelier, visit www.selfhelpgraphics.com/census. To fill out the census form online, visit: https://2020census.gov/.

Natalie Godinez is an artist, educator and Self Help Graphics & Art’s Community Engagement Coordinator.