Censo Lote: The Census-Themed Game of Mexican Bingo
“¡YO CUENTO!”
“I COUNT!”
That’s the phrase players yell when they win Censo Lote, the census-themed Mexican bingo game LUPE has created to animate participation in the 2020 Census.
In colonias and community centers throughout the Rio Grande Valley, neighbors are enjoying the lively game with the message that we all count and we should be counted in the decennial population count.
With colorful card images and accompanying educational descriptions, community members learn about the stakes of an accurate Census count.
Download Your Digital Copy of Censo Lote Here.
Our Efforts to Animate a Complete Count in Rio Grande Valley Colonias
We count. In the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, our communities are hard working. As Latinos, we sacrifice so our families can get ahead. An accurate Census count means more resources and political voice for our region, which will help our families and our community thrive.
But distrust of the government under the Trump administration and Trump's vicious rhetoric toward immigrants and Mexican Americans means that we are fighting an uphill battle. Every person we reach with our 2020 Census campaign Unidos Contamos will be critical for the future wellbeing of the region.
High-Stakes Population Count
An undercount of the economically struggling Rio Grande Valley would mean that much needed federal dollars would be allocated in a smaller proportion as compared to our actual population. That means that schools, hospitals, roads and other services we all depend on would struggle to keep up with the growing region without the full support of the federal government.
The political power of the Rio Grande Valley is also at play in the 2020 Census. The outcome could strengthen or dilute the power of Hispanics in Austin and Washington, depending on how fully we are counted.
That means we need to make sure Rio Grande Valley colonias are counted. Colonias are rural subdivisions that fall behind city neighborhoods in their services, housing quality, and infrastructure. They are some of the hardest to count neighborhoods and they are located in some of the hardest to count counties in the US — Texas's majority Hispanic border counties.
LUPE is part of Hidalgo County's Complete Count Committee and is collaborating with the Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network.
