Aumua asks AG not to leave out US nationals

congresswoman-aumua

Congresswoman Aumua Amata Radewagen will ask Attorney General William Barr this week not to leave stateside US Nationals from American Samoa out of the 2020 Census.

That story from KHJ News Washington DC correspondent Matt Kaye…

The Congresswoman will stress in her letter to the attorney general—and likely to the Commerce Department that administers the Census–the importance of fully counting thousands of American Samoan US nationals in the states.

That, as the Trump Administration tries to find a way to include a general citizenship question on the Census, after the Supreme Court ruled its original rationale for that question was “contrived.”

Opponents argued the question would discourage households with undocumented immigrants from completing the Census, depressing the count, federal grants and Congressional apportionment in Democratic-leaning districts.

But Republican Aumua Amata argues US Nationals in stateside communities, of which there are likely thousands from American Samoa, would be undercounted, if there is no specific question for them.

Aumua will stress to Attorney General William Barr, the importance of fully counting US Nationals, for the sake of services in any district they’re in…and avoiding unintended discrimination by not getting an accurate count.

The Congresswoman’s letter is also expected to mention the pride American Samoans feel in being Americans…their high-rate of military service…and the fact the territory has been part of the US for 119 years.

US Nationals in the territory itself will be counted, because the Commerce Dept is making provision for that, but the 2020 Census leaves out ‘US Nationals’ as an option in the stateside questionnaire.

American Samoans living in the US raised concern earlier, about not being counted properly or being considered foreigners.

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