加斯林糖尿病中心進昆士 鼓吹 Screen at 23

左起，富士集團執行長梁戰士，加斯林糖尿病中心首席科學家金良城，
南岸青年會執行長Paul Gorman，麻州眾議員陳德基，昆士亞協服務會
執行長莊健豪，加斯林糖尿病中心醫師Greeshma K. Shetty。(周菊子攝)

               (Boston Orange 周菊子昆士市報導) “身高體重指數(BMI)大於23時請做糖尿病篩檢!”。加斯林糖尿病中心首席科學家金良城和麻州眾議員陳德基(Tackey Chan)，Fuji集團董事長梁戰士合作，4月3日在南岸青年會舉辦說明會，籲請社區機構協助宣傳”Screen at 23”活動。

               根據維基百科，身高體重指數，又稱身體質量指數的這Body Mass Index，是19世紀中期，比利時統計學家及數學家凱特勒(Lambert Asolphe Jacques Quetlet)最先提出來的一個概念，藉以從個人的整體營養狀態來檢視患病可能。

加斯林糖尿病中心與昆士活動出席者。(周菊子攝)

               傳統上，美國醫生認為，只要身高體重指數在25以下，就沒有患糖尿病的危險，但加斯林糖尿病中心經由多年研究發現，美國亞裔其實應該在身高體重指數大於23時就做篩檢。

加斯林糖尿病中心的美國亞裔糖尿病研進會(AADI)發現，美國亞裔有一半以上患有第二型糖尿病，還有許多人已經患有糖尿病，或處於患糖尿病前期，卻因為外表無徵兆，完全不知道該做治療或採取干預措施。

但糖尿病是導致腎衰竭等致人於死病症的首要疾病，如何及早預防或發現，因此格外重要。

金良城，徐千田等醫師深入研究，除了創辦AADI，提供不下20餘種亞裔語言翻譯的糖尿病教材，設計”美食鍋(Drag’nCook)”，提供健康食譜給亞裔做參考，近年還積極推動”身高體重指數23時就做篩檢(Screen at 23)”的宣傳活動，從2015年10月21日，加州舊金山通過法案，鼓勵醫療機構採取這作法後，陸續有紐約，麻州加入。

麻州在眾議員陳德基，麻州參議員Jason Lewis提案下，也在今年(2018)通過了”Screen at 23”法案，並於1月25日舉行了宣佈儀式。

加斯林糖尿病中心認為，一旦採行screen at 23做法後，麻州會發現大約6000個亞裔患糖尿病個案，以及大約2萬名亞裔準糖尿病患者，就可以幫助他們及早治療或預防。

金良城表示，儘管他們還不確知到底是什麼原因，亞裔在身高體重指數遠較一般美國人為低時，就已可能患有染患糖尿病，但可幸的是，他們發現了這一差異，而且證實了，只要改變生活習慣，適量運動，注意飲食，就可以預防，或改善糖尿病病情。他們也因此推動創辦了”美國亞裔，夏威夷原住民，太平洋島民糖尿病聯盟”，邀請醫師們加入，攜手提醒亞裔，在身高體重指數高於23時，就及早檢查，採取改善生活習慣及飲食等行動，避免染患糖尿病。

4月3日傍晚，富士集團(Fuji Group)執行長梁戰士應邀出席。他也有親人患糖尿病，已支持加斯林糖尿病中心”薑味(A Taste of Ginger)”活動多年。他坦言做為企業經營者，自己一向強調社會責任，每年都捐款資助地方活動，自從集團擴展到擁有5家以上餐廳後，捐款總額更是增加了不少。他呼籲個人，企業各盡其力做好事，積沙成塔的匯聚力量，使社會變得更美好。

當天的”Screen at 23”宣講活動，由麻州眾議員陳德基主持，加斯林糖尿病中心營養師劉嘉曦也在會上進一步解說，為什麼亞裔要在身高體重指數達到23時就做糖尿病篩檢，如何評估患糖尿病的風險，到哪裡可以找到有關糖尿病的預防，治療資源，呼籲社區大眾提醒身邊亞裔，以23為標準，檢視各人的身高體重指數，及早改變生活，飲食習慣，平日適量運動，查詢相關資訊可上網https://aadi.joslin.org/en/about-aadi，或screenat23.org。

加斯林糖尿病中心醫師Greeshma K. Shetty，南岸青年會董事長兼執行長Paul Gorman，昆士亞協服務中心執行長莊健豪，亞裔康泰福利會行政主任陳王錫萍(Sara Tan)，麻州亞美局主席梁永基等人都出席支持活動。

Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito Honor 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Death

Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito Honor 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Death

Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito, members of the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, the Black Advisory Commission, the Latino Advisory Commission and other members of the Legislature gathered on the front steps of the State House to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

For more photos, click here.

BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito joined members of the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, the Black Advisory Commission, the Latino Advisory Commission and other members of the Legislature to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the tragic death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and honor his legacy by lowering the United States and Commonwealth of Massachusetts flags to half-staff at the Massachusetts State House. The Governor ordered the flags to be lowered at all state buildings on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 from sunrise to sunset.

“We are immensely proud to honor the life of a man whose activism and leadership transformed the country,” said Governor Baker. “Dr. King spent some formative years here in Boston, and his heroism and bravery left a legacy that continues to inspire leaders today.”

“Fifty years ago today, the world lost one of the most articulate and impactful voices in the fight to end racism,” said Lt. Governor Polito. “While he was taken from this world too soon, Dr. King’s legacy lives on to make our country a better place.”

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to the advancement of people of color and families in poverty. He challenged the status quo by leading marches from Selma to Montgomery and mobilizing activists across the nation,” said Representative Frank Moran, Chairman of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus. “Today, let us reflect with gratitude on the progress he helped make possible and his passionate civil rights work, which ultimately cost him his life.”

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES OVER $2 MILLION INVESTMENT IN NEW SUPPORTS FOR BPS STUDENTS

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES OVER $2 MILLION INVESTMENT IN NEW SUPPORTS FOR BPS STUDENTS Funding will sponsor eight additional nurses and 12 additional psychologists, social workers for Boston students

BOSTON - Wednesday, April 4, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the proposed Boston Fiscal Year 2019 budget (FY19) will include a new $2.4 million investment that will fund eight additional nurses and 12 additional psychologists and social workers for Boston students. The $1.109 billion BPS budget marks the largest in City history, and a $48 million increase over last year's budget. Last week, the Boston School Committee passed the FY19 BPS budget with a unanimous vote. "As we reviewed this year's overall City budget, we found additional cost savings thanks to our commitment to strong fiscal management over recent years, and we are pleased to redirect those savings back into Boston's largest and most important investment -- our kids," said Mayor Walsh. "Providing students with resources to help foster their physical, emotional, and mental health goes a long way on putting them, and keeping them, on a path to success." "Our students arrive in our schools with a myriad of needs -- from trauma and social-emotional support to health issues," said BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang. "As educators and caretakers, it's our job to ensure the needs of the whole child are being met in order for them to be successful in school and in life. Increasing the number of school psychologists, nurses, and counselors will have a long-lasting, positive impact on students." The City of Boston is proud of its track record of effectively managing healthcare costs, in the face of national trends that have put significant upward pressure on such costs. As a result of Boston's ongoing commitment to review internal costs and redirect savings into impactful programs and services, the City has identified $2.4 million that was previously budgeted for healthcare costs, and will shift those funds into creating increased supports for BPS students. The City continues to benefit from the Walsh Administration's proactive approach to reducing costs, including saving $50 million over five years as a result of healthcare cost reforms achieved with the Public Employee Committee. "We applaud the City and the District for taking proactive steps towards addressing the gaps within the critical services that Boston Public School students and families depend on," said Jessica Tang, President of the Boston Teachers Union. "BTU school psychologists, nurses, teachers, counselors and social workers have consistently advocated for increased investments in these services, and this allocation is evidence that our voices, along with those of students and families, are being heard. We will continue to advocate jointly with the City for adequate state and federal resources to ensure Boston Public Schools is a place where all students can learn and thrive. While there is more to be done, we welcome these allocations as a positive action aimed at achieving our shared goal of bolstering supports for all Boston students." This new $2.4 million investment will add eight nurses, seven psychologists, four social workers, and a director of social work services. Eight new nurses will bring the number of schools with at least one full-time nurse to 74. The seven new psychologists who will be integrated into student services include five bilingual school psychologists and two district-wide psychologists, which will significantly increase the amount of mental health services available to students. In addition, BPS will hire four bilingual trauma and resiliency social workers, who will focus on helping students and families address trauma that may have occurred in their lives. A director of social work will also be hired to support these four new front-line social workers, in addition to BPS' 55 current school-based social workers, as well as student interns deployed to schools. The director will provide supervision of school-based social workers as well as assistance, and will develop partnerships with mental health organizations and higher education institutions, focused on advancing mental health for all BPS students. "We are all grateful to Mayor Walsh for once again putting Boston Public Schools' students first," said Boston School Committee Chairperson Michael Loconto. "Our school staff assist students with real-life issues that go beyond academics everyday. It is heartening to see the City of Boston using savings to invest in our students despite declining state aid." Mayor Walsh has increased the BPS budget by $170 million, or 18 percent, over the past five years. During the same time, BPS has continued to achieve its highest four-year high-school graduation rate and more high-ranking Level 1 and 2 schools than ever before. The FY19 budget features investments in individual school budgets, extended learning time, hiring effective teachers, supports for students experiencing homelessness, and an empowerment program for young men of color, among other vital supports. "This additional investment is important and crucial for the social and emotional well-being of Boston Public School students," said City Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George, Chair of the Education Committee. "I'm glad that the testimonies given by school psychologists, nurses, and social workers at School Committee meetings were not unheard. We are heading in the right direction and I hope that soon these professionals will be in every Boston Public School." The FY19 budget increases funding to individual schools by $40 million, which includes approximately $30 million toward higher teacher salaries and an additional $10 million in further investments. Those additional investments are focused on the district's highest-need schools and supporting schools in transition due to enrollment shifts. In the FY19 budget, no school will see a financial impact for the first one percent of an enrollment decline. In total, BPS has proposed dedicating $3.8 million to ensure smooth transitions for schools with fluctuating enrollments, including a $1 million reserve to support lower performing schools. The district will provide an additional $3 million to schools through the Opportunity Index to assist high-need students through the Opportunity Index, an innovative tool that quantifies differences in experiences, opportunities, and needs between students, allowing BPS to allocate resources more equitably BPS will also use the Opportunity Index to reallocate $5.8 million in external partnership funding to schools with our highest-need students.   The increased funding from the City comes despite the Governor's proposed budget that would decrease net state education aid to Boston by $21 million. While Mayor Walsh has increased BPS' annual budget by $170 million since taking office, the state's Chapter 70 funding has only increased by $8 million. The Commonwealth also continues to underfund charter school reimbursements for cities and towns, which under the Governor's proposed budget translates into $27 million in lost funding in Boston in FY19 alone and more than $100 million over the last five years. The City is bridging this gap and contributing additional resources to strengthen BPS' efforts to provide each of its students a high-quality education in a 21st-century learning environment. The approved budget will be submitted to the Boston City Council for final approval later this spring.

ACE NextGen mixer | April 11th 6.30 PM | Fuji at Assembly

ACE NextGen mixer | April 11th 6.30 PM | Fuji at Assembly

Our sales mixer is next week! Join our networking event, paired with a panel discussion on Sales for Small Businesses. Our panelists are renowned business people with expertise in real estate, law and entrepreneurship. The discussion will be moderated by Kit Pang, CEO at BostonSpeaks. The discussion will  include anecdotes of how the panelists learned to be good at sales, and about times when they failed at sales and what helped them to pick up.  - Nancy Lee, president and managing attorney of Lee & Associates, P.C. - Jeff Chin, MassChallenge Finalist, serial entrepreneur and BBJ Best Real Estate Business in 2001 - Janak Sanariya, founder and CEO of Kahoots Software, and Adjunct Professor at Boston University - Katie Ng-Mak, Sales Director at HubSpot - Jesse Nandhavan, founding partner at The Conjugate Group, LLC Check out our speaker Katie Ng-Mak's interview here for a sneak peek on her views about what the ideal sales persona looks like in the current business world and how it is expected to evolve in the future. We are kicking off the event with appetizers and networking at 6.30PM. The panel will begin at 7.30PM with our speakers sharing their experiences and answering questions from the audience. 6:30PM-7:30PM - Relationship Building & Appetizers 7:30PM-8:00PM - Intros & Best Practices followed by moderated discussion 8:30PM-9PM - Meet the panelists 9PM-9:30PM - Mix & Mingle Event is $5 for non-members and FREE for paid members. Our membership is $100 charged annually and members get first priority for all our events, with either discounted or free tickets. Join our membership here. Members please email infonextgen@nationalace.org to RSVP. Purchase Ticket

華時代全球短片節 4/13 哈佛科學中心見

2018华时代全球短片节启动仪式｜大师作品放映会

华时代全球短片节由华加视频（HUAPLUS）在2017年8月发起，是目前唯一的全球性质的华人短片电影节，旨在展示和支持全球华语短片创作，关注华人题材，扶持华人导演，以电影为契机，促进华人文化的全球传播。

2018年，华时代全球短片节波士顿启动仪式将在世界著名的哈佛大学举行。专场中，《舌尖上的中国》第一季导演任长箴和《柳如是》导演吴琦将为观众放映自己的作品，并从中国传统饮食文化和中国美学的角度探讨纪录片的制作。届时，《冈仁波齐》导演张杨，奥斯卡选片人陈玲珍女士更会在互动环节上与到场的观众亲切交流。

与大师们面对面的机会实属难得，不容错过！

4.13

星期五

7:00PM-9:00PM

Harvard University Science Center

1 Oxford Street

Cambridge, MA 02138

  活  动  内  容  

• HISFF主席张杨致辞
• 任长箴 － 《舌尖幕后故事》放映及分享

• 吴琦 － 《人面桃花》放映及分享
• 观众互动 － 张扬、陈玲珍、任长箴、吴琦

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嘉宾介绍

张杨 － 中国内地男导演, 编剧, 第六代导演之一。曾执导《爱情麻辣烫》、《洗澡》、《昨天》、《向日葵》、《落叶归根》、《飞越老人院》、《冈仁波齐》、《皮绳上的魂》等影片。1997年，张杨凭借电影处女作《爱情麻辣烫》获得第18届中国电影金鸡奖最佳导演处女作奖和第5届北京大学生电影节最佳导演。1999年，因执导电影《洗澡》在西班牙第47届圣塞巴斯蒂安国际电影节上获“最佳导演银贝壳奖”。2001年，导演的电影《昨天》获得第四届曼谷国际电影节最佳影片“金翼奖”。2005年，张扬凭借影片《向日葵》再次获得圣塞巴斯蒂安国际电影节最佳导演奖。

陈玲珍 － CNEX主席，著名独立纪录片制片人，奥斯卡选片人，视纳华仁CNEX的共同创办人暨执行长，CNEXStudio执行长，同时也是中欧国际工商学院的资深顾问。她曾参与监製的影片包括获得威尼斯影展地平线最佳纪录片的《1428》、金马奖最佳纪录片《音乐人生》、《街舞狂潮》、《大同》、香港国际电影节纪录片评审团大奖《少年小赵》，以及荣获阿姆斯特丹国际纪录片电影节新人单元评委会大奖，并入围日舞影展主竞赛世界纪录片单元的《塑料王国》。现担任奥斯卡影艺学院会员、奥斯卡金像奖纪录片选片委员，以及中华新世代影像文创协会常务监事。

吴琦 － 导演/制片人/编剧/出品人，传统电影审美代表人物，CCTV著名纪录片导演，摄像，纪录电影《周恩来外交风云》曾获金鸡、华表、大学生电影节的最佳纪录片奖。2001年-2006年任CCTV-10《人物》栏目执行行制片人、导演及电视文献纪录片《百年历程》总制片人，电影频道《似水流年我们的银幕记忆》导演，自导自编的新文人电影《柳如是》获得2012华语传媒大奖最佳新人奖，并成为2016年北京国际电影节特别展映影片。曾担任中美合拍电影《空袭》中方编剧/导演。

任长箴 － 著名纪录片导演。1998年毕业于北京广播学院电视系电视编辑专业，2000年至2005年担任中央电视台社教中心《人物》栏目导演，2005年至2009年参与奥运会、世博会等国家项目宣传工作。2010年起，创办“任长箴纪录片工作室”，2015年受聘于中国传媒大学电视学院，担任实践课特邀讲师。曾任《中华百工》总导演、《侣行》第三季总导演、《舌尖上的中国》中第一集《自然的馈赠》导演。

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主办：华加、亚洲文化中心

联合主办：哈佛大学中国学生学者联合会

波士頓僑界歡送經文處處長賴銘琪榮調 (黃定國圖片專輯)

AG HEALEY STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO EPA’S ROLLBACK OF CRITICAL FEDERAL VEHICLE EMISSIONS STANDARDS

AG HEALEY STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO EPA’S ROLLBACK OF CRITICAL FEDERAL VEHICLE EMISSIONS STANDARDS

BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey today issued the following statement in response to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt’s announcement that the agency will rollback critical federal limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light-duty trucks:

“These common sense rules have done more than any other measure to increase miles per gallon, improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions, and save drivers money on gas. Scott Pruitt has once again illegally handed EPA decision-making over to climate-deniers and fossil-fuel lobbyists, while sticking the American people with dirtier air and higher prices at the pump. Since the public can no longer depend on the EPA to protect their interests, we are working with our state partners to defend the rule.”

BACKGROUND:

Globally, the transportation sector is the fastest growing source of dangerous greenhouse gas pollution. Cars and light duty trucks make up 60 percent of the country’s transportation sector and are the main driver for U.S. dependence on oil, including foreign imports. According to the United States Energy Information Administration, the transportation sector has surpassed the electric power sector and is now the nation’s largest source of carbon dioxide emissions. 

Under the federal Clean Air Act, EPA is required to establish national standards for greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. In 2010, EPA adopted such standards for new passenger cars and light-duty trucks for model years 2017-2025 and beyond.

The 2022-2025 standards that are slated to be rolled back would slash carbon emissions by cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 540 million metric tons, the equivalent of removing 422 million cars from the road, as well as improve vehicles’ fuel economy – resulting in net benefits of nearly $100 billion total, including a net savings of $1,650 for each consumer over the lifetime of a new vehicle.

In January 2017, EPA determined, in its “midterm evaluation,” that the 2022-25 standards are readily achievable by the auto industry. After an extensive technical review, based in significant part on information from industry, advocates, and other interested parties, EPA found that “automakers are well positioned to meet the standards at lower costs than previous estimated.”

In March 2017, President Trump issued an executive order directing the agencies to reconsider the standards for model years 2022-2025. In June, AG Healey and 13 other attorneys general sent a letter to Pruitt threatening legal action if he moved forward with rolling back the standards.

2018 National AAPI Business Summit scheduled on 5/15

GLOBAL GATHERING EXPLORES FUTURE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HEALTH CARE

GLOBAL GATHERING EXPLORES FUTURE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HEALTH CARE

BOSTON — April 3, 2018— Partners HealthCare, the nation’s largest academic research enterprise, today announced the fourth annual World Medical Innovation Forum, which will bring more than 1,500 health care and technology leaders together in Boston from April 23 to April 25, 2018 to discuss the expanding role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health care.

The event will examine how cognitive computing, machine learning and big data are having a transformative impact on medicine.  It is open to investors, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, clinicians, academic researchers, app developers, data scientists, health care policymakers and information technology leaders.

Keynote “Fireside Chats” will be delivered by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, Nuance CEO Paul Ricci, Novartis CEO Vasant Narasimhan, IBM Senior Vice President for Cognitive Solutions and Research John Kelly, U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma, and surgeon, professor and author Atul Gawande.  Other C-level speakers and panelists will include Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and executives from Google, Microsoft, Dell EMC, Persistent Systems, GE, Philips, Siemens Healthineers, Boston Scientific, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squib, Vertex, Pfizer, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, Novartis, Amgen, Humana, Wolters Kluwer Health, Cisco, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Blue Cross Blue Shield.  In all, the Forum will feature more than 140 speakers, including leaders from health care, technology and life sciences, top investors, and dozens of Harvard Medical School faculty.

The Forum is chaired by Anne Klibanski, MD, Chief Academic Officer, and Gregg Meyer, MD, Chief Clinical Officer, both of Partners HealthCare.

“In an industry driven by data and analysis, AI is a game changer,” said Meyer.  “AI methodologies, such as those relating to deep neural networks modeled after the human brain, target historic health care challenges, including quality, access and cost. The Forum will help advance this evolution in health care technology.”

Over three days, the Forum will examine AI as it relates to such diverse issues as drug and medical device development, data security, health care costs, workforce development, investment opportunities, and its impact in specific medical disciplines such as radiology, pathology, ophthalmology, anesthesia, and neuropsychology.

  

“From R&D to care delivery to patient engagement to population health management, AI can improve care while driving innovation and economic growth,” said Klibanski.  “The Forum will illuminate transformational opportunities in health care while addressing the complex societal raised by AI.  As always, our goal at Partners HealthCare is finding ways to improve care for our patients.”

Features of the Forum will include a “First Look” at AI breakthroughs and solutions of the future being developed by early career Harvard researchers, and “Discovery Cafe” workshops hosted by senior Harvard faculty. Topics addressed during the Forum will include Anesthesiology, Clinician Empowerment, Clinical trials, Cost and Access, Data Engineering, Data Security, Drug Development, Drug Discovery, Electronic Health Records, Gene Sequencing, Hospital Management, Medical Devices, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, Pathology, Radiology, Reimbursement, Research, Venture Investing, and Workforce Development.

The World Medical Innovation Forum is organized by Partners HealthCare Innovation, a division of Partners HealthCare dedicated to advancing the worldwide commercial application of the unique capabilities of Partners’ Harvard faculty.  

Sponsors of the Forum include GE, Nuance, Nvidia, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cisco, Dell Technologies, Siemens Healthineers, Wolters Kluwer Health, Amgen, Boston Scientific, MGH & BWH Center for Clinical Data Science, Mintz Levin, Northern Light Venture Capital, Persistent Systems, Philips, Pure Storage, and Vertex.

AG HEALEY FILES LAWSUIT CHALLENGING LAST-MINUTE ADDITION OF CITIZENSHIP QUESTION TO THE CENSUS

 AG HEALEY FILES LAWSUIT CHALLENGING LAST-MINUTE ADDITION OF CITIZENSHIP QUESTION TO THE CENSUS

BOSTON – Arguing that the last-minute addition of a widely-criticized citizenship question will jeopardize the accuracy of the federal census, undercount Massachusetts residents, and reduce federal funding to the state, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey today filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s decision to add the question.

AG Healey joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general who argue that, by adding a citizenship question, the Census Bureau will cause significant decrease in participation, resulting in a dramatic population undercount. The attorneys general contend that an undercount violates the constitutional purpose of the Census — to conduct an accurate count of all people in the nation — which threatens states’ fair representation in Congress and the Electoral College, and will deprive states of a fair share of billions of dollars in federal funding.

“Adding an untested citizenship question at this point would sabotage the accuracy of the 2020 Census and threaten federal funding for critical programs in Massachusetts,” said AG Healey. “We are suing to ensure a fair and accurate Census that counts everyone.”

Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, who is the official federal census liaison for the Commonwealth, shares the AG’s concerns.

“This suit is essential to protecting our political representation and the financial aid that we receive from the federal government,” said Secretary Galvin.

A population undercount would deprive states of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds that are allocated in part based on census data, including funding for education, housing, and infrastructure nationwide. Federal funding also supports essential public programs including Medicaid and SNAP benefits. This proposal would then limit funds designed to support some of the most vulnerable populations in each state, including low-income communities, the elderly, and children—regardless of citizenship.

The attorneys general also argue that the Trump Administration failed to engage in required processes for adding questions to the Census, which typically take years to complete. The attorneys general emphasize that citizenship was not included in the list of topics for the 2020 Census submitted to Congress on March 28, 2017, and that the question has not undergone any field testing.

The Census Bureau announced its decision to add the citizenship inquiry after less than four months of consideration. The question’s addition was prompted by a request from the Justice Department on December 12, 2017, which only came to public attention following news reports. The Justice Department asserted that person-by-person citizenship information was necessary to ensure proper enforcement of Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The attorneys general argue that adding the citizenship question would have the opposite effect. They say that a nationwide, person-by-person citizenship inquiry will actually harm minority representation by driving down participation among both citizens and noncitizens in immigrant communities—a concern that is even more acute in today’s political climate. Four former census directors, who were appointed by Presidents from both political parties, agree that adding a citizenship question will depress response rates, and is therefore unlikely to yield the accurate citizen voting-age population data sought by the Justice Department.

To the extent that the Voting Rights Act requires a calculation of the number of eligible voters in a given jurisdiction, the Census Bureau already provides an adequate—and far less intrusive—source of citizenship information based on sampling from surveys such as the American Community Survey.

The attorneys general argue that adding an untested citizenship question to the Census is therefore unnecessary as well as damaging to accuracy because of its impact on response rates. The resultant population undercount would jeopardize the Census Bureau’s ability to determine how many people are in each state, threatening states’ fair representation in Congress and the Electoral College.

AG Healey previously led a coalition of attorneys general in sending a letter to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, urging the agency to reject the request by the U.S. Department of Justice to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 census.

The lawsuit, led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and joined by Massachusetts, was also joined by the attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Washington D.C., as well as the cities of Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Providence, and Seattle, the city and county of San Francisco, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Ann Lynch of AG Healey’s Civil Rights Division, Assistant Attorney General Mercy Cover of AG Healey’s Consumer Protection Division, and Jonathan Miller, Chief of the Public Protection & Advocacy Bureau.