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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SEARAC`s online merch store is live! Shop brand new items – including water bottles, baseball hats, and yard flags in our Bonfire storefront – that feature our “Our Roots, Our Power” logos. Alongside these new items, you’ll also have a chance to shop unique designs from SEAA artists created in honor of our community’s 50th anniversary and built around the “Made by Refugees” tagline. These designs will be leaving the SEARAC store at the end of this year, so don’t miss your chance to get them now!
Shop today at searac.org/shop-searac-merch or at the link in our bio.
Nov 18
SEARAC is proud to launch our new Rooted in Power Giving Circle! We invite you to join us in fueling and sustaining SEARAC’s work. This is an opportunity for SEARAC to expand our network of supporters for our vital work and offer exclusive benefits for our most dedicated donors.
This season of giving, join our new Rooted in Power Giving Circle today and become an essential contributor to a healthy, thriving Southeast Asian American community.
Learn more here: searac.org/donate-to-searac
Nov 17
Last month, we celebrated a historic milestone for our communities! California Senate Concurrent Resolution 96 (SCR 96), introduced by Sen. Dr. Aisha Wahab (D–Silicon Valley), was passed. SCR 96 honors 50 years since the mass resettlement of Southeast Asian refugees to the United States.
The resolution uplifts the resilience, contributions, and leadership of Southeast Asian American communities and calls for continued commitment to equity, disaggregated data, language access, health equity, education, and intergenerational healing.
To mark this victory, SEARAC joined Sen. Wahab’s office and Southeast Asian American Collaborative partners for a celebration at the California State Capitol, featuring powerful remarks from SEAA community leaders, elders, and policymakers.
This resolution is more than recognition, it’s a testament to our communities’ strength, survival, and vision for the next 50 years. Read more at the link in our bio.
Nov 14
After 43 days, the longest government shutdown in history ended last night after Congress passed a bill that was signed into law by the President. Extensions to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which help American families afford health care coverage, were not included in this package.
Quyên Đinh, Executive Director of SEARAC, stated, “Southeast Asian American families rely on those subsidies to afford health insurance. Without them, many families will be forced to decide between basic necessities or lifesaving care."
Nov 13
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