"TAIWANESE AMERICANS WANT TO BE COUNTED!"

 

Formosan Association for Public Affairs   552 7th Street. SE. Washington, DC 20003, USA Support Democracy, Support Taiwan For Immediate Release Washington D C, June 21, 2016 Contact: (202) 547-3686     FAPA: "TAIWANESE AMERICANS WANT TO BE COUNTED!"   In a letter to the National Advisory Committee of the Census Bureau dated June 21st, 2016, FAPA President Peter Chen, formally requested the Census Bureau that a check off box for “Taiwanese” be added under the race question (question six) on the Census 2020 form.   FAPA started this campaign for a separate check off box under the race question before the 2000 Census. Then FAPA President Wen-yen Chen appeared as a witness to a congressional hearing before the Subcommittee on the Census in 1998. However, FAPA was informed by the Census Bureau that a 1997 State Department memorandum stipulated that the “listing of “Taiwanese” as a race in a Census questionnaire would inevitably raise sensitive political questions…contrary to the U.S. Government policy and U.S. national interest.”   In his letter, FAPA President Peter Chen wrote: “We believe however that the demographic count from the Census Bureau is a purely domestic American affair, and should not fall victim to international politics.”   This is especially true as the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service already maintains a separate quota for Taiwanese coming to the United States, there should be no reason for the Census Bureau to continue this policy based on international political concerns.   In his letter, Peter Chen added: “According to the Washington-based East-West Center, the Taiwanese American population in the 2000 Census was 144,795, while in the 2010 Census it was 230,382.1 However, according to 2014 Homeland Security data on Lawful Permanent Residents, the Taiwanese American population accumulated between 1950 and 2014 to 472,222.2 Therefore, we believe that a better total estimate of Taiwanese Americans today would be around 500,000. Clearly, there are severe discrepancies between Federal Agencies when counting the Taiwanese American population.  The Census Bureau can no longer ignore this.”   Peter Chen reacts: “The current policy of the Census Bureau to exclude a Taiwanese check off box is solely a U.S. self-imposed restriction. We want accurate data on how many Taiwanese Americans there are today.Nobody knows! This is unconscionable. We want to be counted!”   FAPA要求將「台灣人」列入正式選項   FAPA會長陳正義在6月21日致函給人口調查局的全國建議委員會，正式要求在2020的人口普查調查表中，第六題族群問題應加入「台灣人」的選項。   FAPA開始推廣在人口調查表族群問題下加入「台灣人」的選項要回溯到2000年的人口普查，當時的FAPA會長陳文彥在1998年曾受國會眾議院的人口委員會的聽證會邀請，以證人身份出席。但是FAPA後來被人口調查局告知，國務院已在在1997年的便籤中裁示，「在人口調查表上列出台灣人的選項，最終將引起敏感的政治問題…這與美國政府的政策及美國國家利益則是背道而馳的。」   FAPA會長陳正義在信中寫到:「我們相信人口調查局的人口數據是一個純美國內政事務，而不應該向國際政治屈服。」   以現階段美國移民局已經為移民至美國的台灣人特別設置配額的話，則不可否定以上論述的真實性。人口調查局也不應該有任何以國際政治考療的原因下來繼續這項政策。   在這封信中又說道：「根據位在華府的East-West Center，在2000年和2010年的人口普查中台美人口分為144,795及230,328。但是根據國安局在合法永久居留者的數據裡，從1950年至2014年的台美人已高達472,222。所以我們相信若要估計現今台美人的人口數的話應該是約在五十萬左右。很明顯的，台美人的人口數據在聯邦政府的單位裡已經有很大的差別了。人口調查局則不能再繼續的忽略此事。」   陳正義會長還說：「人口調查局目前在普查表上排除台灣人選項的政策，是一個自我設限的規定。我們需要有一個正確算出最正確台美人的數據。沒有任何人知道最新數據，這完全不合理。台美人要求被列入選項和尊重!」     Ms. Ditas Katague                                            June 21, 2016                            Chair, National Advisory Committee U.S. Census Bureau 4600 Silver Hill Road Washington, DC 20233   Dear Ms. Katague: The Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) is a non-governmental organization that has worked since 1982 to advance the rights and interests of Taiwanese Americans. We hereby formally request that a check off box for “Taiwanese” be added under the race question (question six) on the 2020 Census form.   We have campaigned for a separate check off box under the race question for the past two decades, but were told – as a 1997 State Department memorandum to the Census Bureau stated- that the “listing of “Taiwanese” as a race in a Census questionnaire would inevitably raise sensitive political questions…contrary to the U.S. Government policy and U.S. national interest.”   We believe however that the demographic count from the Census Bureau is a purely domestic American affair, and should not fall victim to international politics.   Meanwhile, there has been a continued increase in the population of Taiwanese Americans over the past decades. According to the Washington-based East-West Center, the Taiwanese American population in the 2000 Census was 144,795, while in the 2010 Census it was 230,382.1 However, according to 2014 Homeland Security data on Lawful Permanent Residents, the Taiwanese American population accumulated between 1950 and 2014 to 472,222.2Therefore, we believe that a better total estimate of Taiwanese Americans today would be around 500,000.   Clearly, there are severe discrepancies between Federal Agencies when counting the Taiwanese American population.  The Census Bureau can no longer ignore this.   That is why we urge the National Advisory Committee to recommend that the Census Bureau create a check off box for Taiwanese Americans on the 2020 Census form under question six, so that we will have more accurate data on how many Taiwanese Americans there are today.   We want to be counted!   Sincerely,   PETER CHEN, President,  Formosan Association for Public Affairs   _______________ 1East-West Center http://www.asiamattersforamerica.org/taiwan/data/population 2Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2014 Lawful Permanent Residents (Table 2) https://www.dhs.gov/yearbook-immigration-statistics-2014-lawful-permanent-residents