The census is the largest publicly available dataset with SEAA data. It directly influences political representation and funding for our communities.
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Hmong Leaders Meet with Census Director on Hmong Misclassification
On Thursday, May 23, 16 Hmong and Asian American advocates met with Director Robert L. Santos of the US Census Bureau to discuss the need to reclassify the Hmong as Southeast Asian. The meeting comes as a result of a letter and petition with over 1,700 signatures to Director Santos asking the Bureau to address the issue and meet with community leaders.
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“We talk about how it is so important for us as a group of people to participate in the census, so we show up in the data. Once that data comes out, we will have information about ourselves. Right now, we don’t know how many of us live in the Bay Area, or even the city of Richmond.”
Director, Asian Senior/Adult Daycare Center
“I want to help Cambodians and other minorities be counted in the 2020 Census. We are a minority of a minority group. We are Asians, but we’re also Cambodians. There are only 260,000 of us in the United States according to the 2010 Census, so having everyone counted is important.”
Technical engineer
“It’s vital for us to know each other as a community, locally and nationally. Where are we, how many of us are there, and how can we use our collective numbers to be changemakers? These are questions I find myself asking when I’m planning my dance classes or looking out to a crowd during a performance.”
Director, Cambodian American Girls Empowering
“I’m the son, nephew, and grandson of Vietnamese refugees who benefited from ESL education and other social programs, and I feel like we’ve come full circle now that I’m a first-generation college graduate and ESL teacher. I know that the type of services my school district and I are able to provide relies on data from the Census, so it is so important that educators encourage their community members to complete it.”
ESL Teacher
“When individuals are invisible in data, they remain invisible in policy conversations. To understand how groups within the AAPI community fare in higher education and the specific challenges each face, we must disaggregate data along racial and ethnic lines. Doing so will reveal where inequities exist and, in turn, unlock the full power of postsecondary education to spur social mobility, economic health, and a stronger society.”
Institute for Higher Education Policy
“Without data disaggregation, this system makes students like me invisible, our needs are downplayed, and resources aren’t offered. Data disaggregation allows for students like me to be seen, to get the resources we need, and to reach our fullest potential.”
Minnesota student
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Latest related posts
Have you checked out SEARAC`s October 2025 newsletter? Read about our community`s wins from last month including celebrating the passage of SCR 96 – a California resolution that commemorates the 50th year of our communities’ resettlement – as well as a screening of our docuseries in Sacramento. Read more at the link in our bio. Sign up for our newsletter at bit.ly/SEARACnews
Nov 12
Join SEAC Village and SEARAC for a screening of “Threads,” an episode from the “Southeast Asian American Journeys” docuseries produced by CAAM and SEARAC, at UNC-Chapel Hill on Nov. 20. This special event will also feature a screening of Fighting for Family as well as a panel discussion highlighting Southeast Asian American resilience. We are thrilled to host this event alongside UNC’s Southeast Asian Student Association, Carolina Asia Center, and UNC’s Asian American Center with support from AARP. Registration is requested and you can sign up here: tinyurl.com/SEASAscreening (case-sensitive)
About Threads: Threads is a sprawling portrait of indigenous Montagnard refugee community, threading intergenerational storytelling and history-making in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.
Directed by Quyên Nguyễn-Lê
About Fighting for Family: Fighting for Family tells one family’s story from refugee flight to school-to-prison-to-deportation pipeline while highlighting the power of community resistance.
Directed by Lan Nguyen
Nov 10
The White House has announced the lowest refugee admissions cap in US history at just 7,500 for fiscal year 2026. In the announcement, the Administration specified the prioritization of white Afrikaners from South Africans for resettlement.
The current refugee system was formalized in the 1980 Refugee Act, a bill that SEARAC (then known as the Indochina Resource Action Center) helped pass and was one of the primary means to help resettle over 1.2 million Southeast Asian refugees in the United States. Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, responds, "Refugee protections must not be selective. It must reflect our shared humanity. History has shown that refugee resettlement is not a partisan issue; it is a moral one, rooted in justice and equality for all people seeking safety."
Read the full press release at the link in our bio.
Read the full statement at the link in our bio!
Nov 6
Join @searac and @iumienoforegon for a screening of @seaajourneys_doc on Dec. 1!
RSVP at bit.ly/rsvp12125.
Nov 5
The open enrollment period for health insurance started on Nov. 1 in most states. However, Congress remains at a standstill over extending the enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, which expire at the end of this year. The enhanced tax credits greatly improved health insurance enrollment and make insurance more affordable for millions of individuals and their families. By allowing these tax credits to expire, more than 24 million Americans will see their premiums rise by $1,000 or more.
As the shutdown continues, more and more families will also lose their SNAP access. Full SNAP funding ceased on Nov. 1 and is only restored when Congress funds and reopens the government. Over the weekend, the courts ordered the Trump Administration to give partial or full SNAP payments. The Trump Administration announced today that it will give families partial payments drawn from a lawfully designated SNAP emergency fund, which the administration previously refused to do.
SEARAC remains committed to uplifting Southeast Asian American communities and ensuring that our stories are heard. We invite you to share your story: bit.ly/SEARACShutdownSurvey
Read our full statement at the link in our bio.
Nov 3
