All Californians should access necessary health care regardless of their immigration status or where they were born.
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Featured story
SEARAC Unites With California Partners to Celebrate Our Right to Heal
SEARAC joined our California-based advocacy and health services partners to host the third annual “The Right to Heal: Centering Mental Health Multi-Racial Equity in California.”
Learn more
“Everyday I woke up crying because I gave birth to him but couldn’t do anything about his medical bills. I cried every time I looked at the medical bills because I couldn’t afford them. I didn’t even want to take my son into the hospital if it was going to be that expensive.”
as featured in our video “A Mother’s Love”
“Before the Medicaid expansion, I was without health insurance for a long time and was only able to access the free health clinics in the East Bay to address this recurring stomach issue that I had. I would be in immense pain. With the Medicaid expansion, I have been able to see a doctor and receive regular check-ups regarding my illness. I know that having Medi-Cal has prolonged my lifespan.”
Southeast Asian Americans Speak Out to Protect the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Expansion report
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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
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
