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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AANAPISIs and MSIs have helped millions of students of color, including Southeast Asian Americans, access higher education. These programs have been essential for low-income and first-generation college students, and they have improved how colleges and universities educate students of color. We condemn the Trump Administration`s continuation of its attacks on higher education and on non-straight and non-white communities.
Read our full statement at the link in our bio.
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For decades, Southeast Asian refugees have lived under the shadow of detention and deportation policies that punish our families long after we’ve rebuilt our lives. Now, two of our community members—one from Vietnam and one from Laos—have been secretly deported and imprisoned in Eswatini for more than six weeks. They remain locked away in Eswatini’s largest prison without charges, without legal counsel, and without access to their families. Their attorney, Tin Thanh Nguyen, has been repeatedly denied the ability to speak with them or confirm their safety. These deportations are cruel, unlawful, and dangerous. They are a direct attack on our Southeast Asian refugee communities. SEARAC stands in solidarity with the families, attorneys, and human rights defenders fighting for their freedom.
Read the full statement from Tin at the link in our bio!
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DYK: Adults 50+ are at increased risk from COVID-19? Don’t let COVID spoil your summer. It’s not too late — getting the vaccine now can help protect you from severe illness. Discover more with @cveepsocial at cveep.org/stayupdated
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Instead of investing in healthcare, education, and basic needs, Congress chose to expand deportations and give the Trump Administration more power to target immigrants and refugees. SEARAC remains committed to mobilizing and defending our communities, including Southeast Asian families, against unjust detention and deportation.
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This month, SEARAC proudly joined our California partners including @aypalpower, @cerieastbay, @firmunity, @hipcalifornia, and @varoundtable for the #PardonRefugees rally as a part of the Pardon Refugees Coalition, a collective effort to fight for pardons for Southeast Asian refugees and immigrants facing deportation. The day was a reminder of our collective strength and the urgent need to keep families and communities together.
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