SEAAs’ refugee history, their invisibility in education data and policy, and systemic racism create barriers to our students’ educational success. Our government must address the disparities that SEAA students experience and invest in their futures.
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SEARAC Responds to President’s FY2025 Budget Proposal
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, the Biden administration released the Fiscal Year 2025 President’s Budget. The annual budget proposal details the President’s priorities for the upcoming fiscal year and, though non-binding, provides…
Learn more“My commitment to educational advocacy is shaped by my personal experience as a low-income, immigrant Southeast Asian student in the U.S public school system and my professional experiences as a teacher and youth facilitator. As a high school student, I experienced firsthand a lack of a culturally inclusive education and witnessed an unequal distribution of resources between my high school and the wealthier, predominantly white high school just across the bridge. Yet, I did not have the language to name what I was experiencing.”
SEARAC LAT 2019 participant
We need to be actively thinking about creative spaces and after-school programs that encourage participation from refugee parents in preparing their children for college. More importantly, we need to address language access. Without the ability to read documents or understand robocalls, parents are further barred from being informed on their child’s educational attainment and success.”
Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell

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Today, the House passed the budget reconciliation bill by a 218-214 vote, with two Republicans joining Democrats to vote against its passage. The bill drastically increases funding for deportations while slashing funding for Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical programs that provide for peoples’ basic needs.
Quyen Dinh, SEARAC Executive Director, shared, “Despite this outcome, we stand proud of the Southeast Asian American leaders who joined us in-person during SEARAC’s Leadership and Advocacy Training to meet with congressional offices as well as those who took action by sending hundreds of emails to their elected officials urging them to vote no on this dehumanizing bill. We know that while we may have lost today, we will remember the results of these votes as we mobilize ourselves to defend the progress our communities have made over the last 50 years."
Jul 3

Nearly 1 in 5 Southeast Asian Americans live at or near poverty—and for many, federally funded education programs are the difference between falling behind or moving forward.
Many SEAA students rely on school support systems built for low-income families.
Cutting these funds means SEAA students will lose the resources they need to thrive.Our children deserve equal chances—not underresourced classrooms. Tell your Representative to vote NO at bit.ly/seaatakeaction and/or call (202) 224-3121 #OurRootsOurPower
Jul 3

The Republican spending bill demands massive cuts to food security programs like SNAP and the national free lunch program. These programs feed millions of families struggling to get by.
We say: No cuts to our communities’ food and futures. Tell your Representative to vote NO at the link in our bio, through bit.ly/seaatakeaction and/or call (202) 224-3121 #OurRootsOurPower
Jul 2

June is a month of exemplifying intersectionality: SEAA communities are celebrating Pride Month, Immigrant Heritage Month, and World Refugee Day! It`s a time to embrace all aspects of our identities and take pride in who we are and where we come from. Thank you to @nataliepbui, SEARAC`s first-ever artist-in-residence, for beautifully capturing the joy and vibrancy of our communities through her art.
This year, Southeast Asian American communities across the country are honoring the 50th commemoration of Southeast Asian refugee resettlement to the United States. June reminds us that there is space for the fullness of who we are to exist. We celebrate the refugee legacy of our Southeast Asian American community and honor those who paved the way for us to celebrate Pride.
#pride #pridemonth #RefugeePride #ImmigrantPride #WorldRefugeeDay #ImmigrantHeritageMonth
Jun 30

Nearly 1 in 5 Southeast Asian Americans live at or near poverty—and for many, federally funded education programs are the difference between falling behind or moving forward.
Many SEAA students rely on school support systems built for low-income families.
Cutting these funds means SEAA students will lose the resources they need to thrive.
Our children deserve equal chances—not underresourced classrooms. Tell your US senators to vote NO at the link in our bio and/or call (202) 224-3121 #OurRootsOurPower
Jun 26
