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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Read Caitlyn`s full reflection at the link in our bio.
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If you haven’t yet made a year-end gift to SEARAC, now is the perfect time to invest in the next 50 years of the Southeast Asian American legacy.
Your support fuels our movement to build power with SEAAs and stand in solidarity alongside other immigrant and refugee communities. Give today at bit.ly/donatetosearac
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Read the blog post from Vanessa Keodara at the link our bio.
Dec 29
Get these SEARAC gifts before they’re gone!
This is your last chance to get beautiful commemorative merchandise for the 50th anniversary of Southeast Asian refugee resettlement in the United States. These designs will be leaving the SEARAC store at the end of this year. Order now to receive your shipment by December 25th!
Browse the SEARAC store at searac.org/shop-searac-merch/
Dec 26
We celebrate the introduction of a national resolution recognizing the 50th anniversary of Southeast Asian American resettlement. Our stories have shaped this nation for five decades and Southeast Asian American voices deserve to be honored, heard, and uplifted.
Stand with us as we commemorate 50 years of strength and community power by signing onto SEARAC’s open letter at bit.ly/seaa50resolution.
Dec 24
