2020 Census Provokes Mixed Reactions On Citizenship Question
Hartford resident Georges Annan-Kingsley, right, is an artist and political refugee from the Ivory Coast. Photo by Vanessa de la Torre for Connecticut Public Radio
Like many of his neighbors, Bernie Michel came to Hartford from somewhere else.
In Michel’s case, Ohio.
But for more than two decades he’s lived in Asylum Hill, an area of Hartford that’s become a resettling haven for immigrants and refugees — so many that the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association established its Welcoming Committee five years ago to make the newcomers feel more at home.
“It’s become … part of the culture,” Michel said at a recent neighborhood event honoring refugees. “It’s no surprise to see people from all different places coming together.”
The last Census in 2010 showed Asylum Hill as a microcosm of racial diversity. And in more recent years, Michel said he’s noticed new residents from places like the Congo, Iraq, Syria, Thailand, and Nepal.
While the Welcoming Committee steers clear of asking neighbors about their citizenship status, the 2020 Census is planning to ask that question — and that has stirred mixed reactions across the country and in communities like Hartford.