2020 Census, Voting, and COVID-19 Efforts

For CBCAC, 2020 was filled with the 2020 Census, Presidential Primary elections, and community support during difficult times. Below is a short summary of all of our efforts.

With technology and language barriers, information became inaccessible for some community members. CBCAC shifted to socially distant outreach through our website, social media, phonebanking, newspapers, WeChat, and flyering. We shared resources for Census, Voting, COVID-19 assistance, Chinatown news and updates, and more. We’ve placed over 4,500 calls and reached over 200,000 people in English and Chinese!

2020 Census and Get Out the Vote Outreach

CBCAC shifted our Census and GOTV efforts to continue reaching our community, but in a safe way. We increased phonebanking, social media, and flyering outreach. We distributed 1,136 care packages to seniors with Census and GOTV information, gave 8,500 flyers to Chinatown restaurants’ customers, and organized  a socially distant Census Chalk event

Voter outreach at one of our many senior buildings!

2020 Census Chalkathon:  

We at the CBCAC know that census participation is key to bringing resources into our community. On July 21, the CBCAC partnered with Project: VISION and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights to host the Chinatown Census Chalkathon in Chinatown Square. Chalk artist Jenny Kim led over 100 people in covering the square with chalk drawings and slogans promoting the Asian American count for the #2020Census. The event gave participants a chance to enjoy the performances of Sounds of Wishes, Yin He Dance Studio, and Mary Manching while safely socially distancing. Participating organizations offered assistance to people filling out census questionnaires. (All CDC guidelines were followed to protect participants.)

Mid-Autumn Festival:

Partnering with Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and Asian American Caucus, we hosted a Mid-Autumn Festival event to celebrate the unity of Chinatown organizations in rallying our community members to fill out the 2020 Census. We had dance classes, mooncakes, voter registration, and more!

Youth Service Day:

CBCAC partnered with Project: VISION to bring together over 70 young people from Chinatown on the Martin Luther King, Jr., and Presidents’ Day holidays to help get residents counted in the census and registered to vote. Volunteers knocked on doors at 195 residences and called 98 people to ask people if they had filled out census information and if they knew how to vote. They gave informational flyers to 40 people and talked to people at 10 businesses.

COVID-19 Community Support

CBCAC recognized a need to connect community members to COVID-19 resources. With the hotline, anyone could call in with a question or need. We helped 256 callers total with the majority needing Unemployment Insurance assistance. We connected others to SNAP, groceries, and testing information and support.

Online Phonebanking event to call our community members

Celebrating Chicago’s Chinatown:

On May 26, 2020, the CBCAC hosted an online event to commemorate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month by celebrating the contributions of people and organizations who have had a positive impact on Chicago’s Chinatown during COVID-19. CBCAC accepted nominations for recognition from community members and celebrated the nominees.

Watch the event here!

CBCAC contributed to the COVID-19 food distribution and included Census and Voting flyers in bags.