Our Impact

Our mission

SEARAC is a national civil rights organization that builds power with diverse communities from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam to create a socially just and equitable society. As representatives of the largest refugee community ever resettled in the United States, SEARAC stands together with other refugee communities, communities of color, and social justice movements in pursuit of social equity.

Our history

SEARAC’s start began in 1979 as the Indochina Refugee Action Center in response to the war and US militarization in Southeast Asia. By 1975, hundreds of thousands of people had been forced to flee their homes in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Families sought to escape unimaginable violence and persecution, finding safety across borders and oceans. SEARAC’s founders wanted to ensure that the United States welcomed these refugees with dignity.

Establishing the country’s first formal resettlement system

SEARAC’s advocacy laid the foundation for the United States’ first formal refugee system through the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980, which created the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Throughout the 1980s, SEARAC championed the human rights of refugees at the national level while supporting community-led support networks. 

Building Southeast Asian American collective power to drive policy change

Today, SEARAC continues to demand equity for Southeast Asian Americans, as well as all immigrants and communities of color. 

We fight for Southeast Asian Americans to have what they need to support their communities. 

We commit to co-powering the next generation of leaders and advocates.

Together, we work toward creating a socially, politically, and economically just society for all communities to enjoy for all generations.