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 aย letterย 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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โWe 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 donโt know how many of us live in the Bay Area, or even the city of Richmond.โ
Director, Asian Senior/Adult Daycare Center
โI 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 weโre also Cambodians. There are only 260,000 of us in the United States according to the 2010 Census, so having everyone counted is important.โ
Technical engineer
โItโs 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 Iโm planning my dance classes or looking out to a crowd during a performance.”
Director, Cambodian American Girls Empowering
โIโm the son, nephew, and grandson of Vietnamese refugees who benefited from ESL education and other social programs, and I feel like weโve come full circle now that Iโm 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.โ
ESL Teacher
โWhen 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.โ
Institute for Higher Education Policy
“Without data disaggregation, this system makes students like me invisible, our needs are downplayed, and resources arenโt 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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"We must reimagine our immigration system to center healing, justice, and dignity and fight for a world where families are no longer forced to live in fear and where communities can thrive, whole and free.โ
SEARAC strongly denounces President Trumpโs travel ban and unequivocally condemns his Administrationโs use of military force against peaceful protesters in Los Angeles demanding dignity, safety, and justice for immigrants.
Read SEARAC`s full statement at the link in our bio.
Jun 11
An increasing number of Southeast Asian Americans are being detained and deported, separated from their families without a second chance. Instead of transforming our immigration system to center humanity and dignity for all, this administration is focused on a building a mass deportation machine that will tear families apart, weaken and traumatize communities, and leave intergenerational wounds. We cannot continue this cycle of trauma.
Posted @withregram โข @seacvillage We are heartbroken by the deportation of 158 Vietnamese and Laotian folks last week. We wanted to share and circulate this statement created by Vo Danh.
Jun 5
SEARAC is thrilled to see AB 1242 move forward! AB 1242 will strengthen language access for our communities by updating the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act and make sure translations done by AI have humans overseeing them. Thank you to @asmstephanienguyen for her leadership and to all our partners in the CA AA & NHPI Health Equity Coalition!
Posted @withregram โข @ocapica97 ๐๏ธ OCAPICA and our incredible AANHPI partner organizations @asianhealthservices @socalpicrt @causeusa @searac @pihp_oc @asianresourcesinc @advancingjusticesocal @pacificislandertf came together at the Capitol to provide testimony in support of AB 1242 by @asmstephanienguyen โ a vital step toward health equity for our communities. ๐๐ฝ
AB 1242 addresses the need for language access for not only Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations, but for all communities in California.
Weโre proud to advocate for change and uplift the diverse voices that make up the AANHPI community. Letโs keep the momentum going โ equity begins with access. ๐ช๐ฝ๐๐ฌ
Thank you to these amazing organizations for voicing your support @childrennow @chirla_org @pivotorg @cpcainsights @western_center @nourishcalifornia @endchildpovca
Jun 2
This AANHPI Heritage Month, the SEARAC team attended conferences, movie premieres, and gatherings to uplift SEAA strength, histories, and resilience. SEARACโs California team joined our partners at the Hmong History and Cultural Studies, honored Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day, and celebrated Hmong American Day at the State Capitol. We also celebrated the launch of our docuseries "Southeast Asian American Journeys" at CAAMFest and joined the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies for their Legislative Leadership Summit.
Thank you to @caamedia @apaics_org @hipcalifornia @taaforg @ocdehistory for the opportunities to come together this AANHPI Heritage Month and to celebrate Southeast Asian American experiences, voices, and power.
Today is the last day of Give in May and we invite you to commemorate 50 years of Southeast Asian refugee resettlement a gift to SEARAC. Give today at the link in our bio.
May 31
Earlier this month, the SEARAC team joined our friends at @caamedia for the premiere of our docuseries, Southeast Asian American Journeys. This landmark series, part of the Our Roots, Our Power campaign, commemorates the 50th anniversary of Southeast Asian American (SEAA) refugee resettlement and uplifts unique stories of community strength, survival, and self-determination.
We are grateful to our partners, storytellers, producers, filmmakers @smellydurianface @joualeelens @oanhnhi.nguyen, and โ most of all โ the heroes of these episodes for this opportunity.
May 29
