‘Filipino’ added as ethnicity choice in US census

MANILA, Philippines — For the first time in the history of the United States census, “Filipino” is included as a choice on questions pertaining to a respondent’s ethnicity.

The inclusion of Filipino as a choice is a recognition of the sizeable presence of Filipinos in the US, according to the Philippine consulate general in Honolulu, which encouraged the Filipino community to participate in the census.

The consulate said it has provided support to the Filipino Complete Count Committee Hawaii in the FCCC’s efforts to disseminate information on the census. Consulate representatives joined a Zoom meeting of the FCCC for the census on Aug. 24.

The consulate said the Filipino communities in the US, particularly in Hawaii, stand to greatly benefit from participating in the census.

Organized in early 2020, the FCCC is chaired by Sen. Bennette Misalucha and is composed of an ad hoc group of Filipino community leaders and volunteers.

The committee was primarily created because the Filipino community in Hawaii was identified as a difficult-to-reach population, based on past census. With undercounting having significant ramifications, the FCCC has made it its mission to educate the public about the census.

While it is a US government endeavor, the consulate has encouraged the participation of the Filipino community in the census. Conducted every 10 years, the US census will determine congressional representation, provide information to be used in determining annual federal funding and provide data that will impact communities for the next decade.