The Garifuna Experience Podcast

Episode 33 - The Road to Census 2030 Starts Now!

• Jose Francisco Avila • Episode 33

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Why are we talking about 2030 in 2026? Because the blueprint for our community’s power over the next decade is being drawn TODAY.

In this vital episode of The Garifuna Experience Podcast, hosts José Francisco Ávila (Chairman of the Garifuna Coalition USA, Inc.) and Gregoria Flores Núñez (Executive Director of Garifuna Community Services, Inc.) pull back the curtain on the multi-year battle for Garifuna visibility.

The U.S. Census is more than a population count—it is a $1.5 trillion roadmap that determines the funding for our schools, the quality of our healthcare, and the strength of our political voice. For the Garifuna people, being "invisible" in official data means being ignored in the city budget.

In this episode, we discuss:

  •  The launch of the Garifuna Complete Count Committee and why grassroots organizing must start five years early.
  • The Identity Gap: Analyzing why thousands of Garífunas were missed in 2020 and how we are fixing the "Hispanic vs. Race" classification hurdle.
  • Legislative Advocacy: Our work with the newly established NYC Office of the Census and our support for the "New York Counts Act."
  • Data as Power: How an accurate count directly translates to better resources for New York City and beyond.
  • How to Join Us: Why we need you to become a "Garifuna Census Ambassador" today. (Click here to join)

“If they don't count us, they won't fund us—and if they don't fund us, they won't hear us.”

Don’t let our community be sidelined for another ten years. Tune in to learn how you can help secure our collective prosperity and progress.

Resources:

Books by José Francisco Ávila

Soundtrack

Happy New Year 2026!  

HOST: Mabuiga!  Hello, and welcome to The Garifuna Experience Podcast. I’m your host, José Francisco Ávila. As we begin a new year, we are starting our special series, Hidden Voices: The Garifuna Demographic undercounted and Underrepresented.

We're shifting our focus to a topic absolutely critical for our community’s future: building the infrastructure for a complete and equitable count in the 2030 Census. Getting counted correctly is how we secure our power, prosperity, and progress.

1. Laying the Groundwork: The NYS Census Launch

HOST: The road to 2030 starts now. I recently attended the virtual New York State Census 2030 Launch, a vital gathering that brought together experts, advocates, and partners from across New York to kick off the conversation and begin laying the groundwork.

The session was essential. We reviewed crucial lessons from 2020, discussed current priorities, and, most importantly, equipped participants with strategies for how every stakeholder can get involved. The central theme? Visibility and funding are intrinsically linked to data.

📌 The Challenge of Identity: Being Seen and Counted

HOST: For too long, our identity has been obscured in official data. The challenge is this: Garifuna people are often categorized as a subset of a larger ethnic group, such as Hispanic or Latino.

While many of us come from Spanish-speaking countries like Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, our history, heritage, and language are distinct. We are certainly part of the Hispanic world, but our identity goes deeper. We’re a people forged from a unique, powerful blend of African, Arawak, and Kalinago ancestors.

Our analysis of our community led me to reflect on something key: the predominant focus on cultural identity.

Many sources highlight the Garifuna community as an important cultural group, but not as a distinct demographic category for data collection purposes. Therefore, we are undercounted and Underrepresented.

That is why we are mobilizing NOW: not only so that our identity is recognized, but also to ensure the resources and representation our community deserves in the next decade.

HOST (Advocacy Statement): "As we move toward the 2030 Census, we’re working aggressively to improve how this data is collected. This is a crucial step for ensuring that our community's contributions and experiences are finally seen and counted."

2. 📊 Why Accurate Data Is Our Power

HOST: Why is this visibility so critical? Accurate and complete data about Garifuna ethnic and racial identity are absolutely fundamental because they guide the allocation of over $1.5 trillion in federal funding annually!

If they don't count us, they won't fund us. Specifically, accurate data secures:

  • Federal Funding: Resources for education, health, housing, economic opportunities, and infrastructure.
  • Fair Redistricting: Ensuring our voice is heard in political representation at all levels.
  • Civil Rights: Providing the statistical basis to enforce policies that combat discrimination and eliminate unfair disparities.

HOST: In a significant step forward, the 2020 Census was the first-time specific terms like 'Afro-Latino' and 'Garifuna' were officially added to the code list for Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. This was a huge win for visibility, but the numbers show us how much work there is left to do:

  • Only five thousand seven hundred fifty (5,710 people) in the United States explicitly identified as Garifuna when first asked about their Hispanic origin.
  • However, when asked about their race, 14,946 people responded with Garifuna, and 24,745responded with Afro-Latino.

This fascinating data shows that for many of us, our identity is intrinsically tied to our race and heritage, often more so than just a place of origin. We must educate our community to use these specific write-in options to secure a full and accurate count.

3. 🚨 Major Update: The Garifuna Complete Count Committee 

HOST: To lead this monumental educational effort, I am thrilled to formally announce a strategic partnership.

Two prominent Garifuna advocacy groups—Bronx-based Garifuna Community Services, Inc. and Garifuna Coalition USA, Inc.—have formally created the Garifuna Complete Count Committee  for the 2030 U.S. Census.

This essential, collaborative effort will implement locally based, targeted outreach campaigns specifically designed to overcome historical barriers to participation.

Gregoria Flores Núñez, Executive Director of Garifuna Community Services, Inc., shared this powerful message: "Being counted in the 2030 Census is not just about numbers; it's about empowerment and ensuring our community receives the support it deserves."

And here is the vision we share for The Garifuna Complete Count Committee 

"The launch of the Garifuna Complete Count Committee in 2025 is a vital strategic move. It is needed to better reflect the Garifuna demographic and its needs, and it begins with the accurate count of every Garifuna resident. We are mobilizing not just to be recognized, but to secure the resources and representation that our community deserves for the next decade."

We bring proven experience to this fight: Garifuna Community Services, Inc.  was a 2020 NYC Complete Count Fund grant recipient, and the Garifuna Coalition USA, Inc.  partnered with the U.S. Census Bureau for the 2010 Census.

4. 📝 Action and Advocacy Update

HOST: Our commitment means engaging with lawmakers now to ensure the infrastructure for the 2030 count is robust.

Collaboration with the New York City Council

HOST: We recently met with New York City Council Member Julie Menin (Who has declared victory in New York City council’s speaker race.) to align our outreach with Intro. No. 1225-2025, which proposes establishing an Office of the Census within the NYC Charter. We are happy to inform  that the bill was passed by the Council on Thursday, December 4th. The bill heads to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s desk and rulemaking will likely be done sometime this year. We will remain vigilant and will keep you posted.

Collaboration with the New York State Assembly

HOST: We have also engaged Assemblymember Landon C. Dais regarding his proposed "New York Counts Act" (A05864),  proposed New York State Assembly bill from the 2025 legislative session aimed at ensuring an accurate government census count.

Key provisions of the bill include:

  •  Establishing Offices, It would create the Office of Census Counts and the New York State Census Counts Commission, defining their powers and duties to help manage and promote census participation.
  •  Preventing Impersonation, The bill establishes the specific offense of "impersonation of a census enumerator," classifying it as a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment or a fine.
  • Appropriation of Funds It would appropriate $15 million to the department of state for the purposes of carrying out the act's provisions

We requested a meeting with Assemblymember Dais to align our efforts with his vital state legislation.

The Garifuna Complete Count Committee is also actively seeking to join the working groups of the New York State Census Partnership, ensuring our unique expertise on hard-to-count Garifuna communities is part of the statewide plan.

5. 👋 Outro

(SOUND: Garifuna music begins to rise slightly under host)

HOST: And that wraps up another illuminating episode of The Garifuna Experience Podcast.

We are building the future right now. Our work with the Garifuna Complete Count Committee and our legislative partners is critical to make sure that The Garifuna Demographic is counted, so that we can be represented.

Thank you for listening and remember this vital message: The future of the Garifuna people is in our hands. By ensuring a complete count, we are driving Power, Prosperity, and Progress for our community.

Until next time, stay united, stay proud. Sungubei Lidan Aban Ayo!

HOST: Find new episodes of The Garifuna Experience every Tuesday. 

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, and iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Garifuna Experience Podcast. Your support helps us share our vital Garifuna experience with more people around the world.

(SOUND: Garifuna music swells and fades out)

Head Shot

José Francisco Ávila

Host