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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Latest related posts
Posted @withregram • @advancingjusticesocal We`ve received reports that Vietnamese, Laotian, & Cambodian community members were detained during their routine check-ins with ICE. Those affected include those who arrived in the U.S. before `95 as refugees, were previously ordered removed from the U.S., & are required to check-in with ICE periodically under an order of supervision.
This trend`s contrary to long-established practices in which these community members wouldn`t be detained or deported, partly due to agreements between the U.S. & the gov of Vietnam & Cambodia. Under those agreements, they have significantly limited who they`ll accept for deportation, allowing many community members to remain in the U.S., stay with their families, & build their lives over the past several decades.
If you have an upcoming check-in with ICE, or if someone has already been detained, please call #AJSOCAL for a legal consultation. If you forsee any interaction with ICE, here`re some steps to prepare & protect yourself & your loved ones.
Know your rights
-You have the right to remain silent & request an attorney.
-You shouldn`t sign anything without legal advice.
Prepare important documents
-Gather your legal documents, identification, & any paperwork related to your immigration & criminal cases. Keep them in a safe & accessible place.
-Give a trusted person access to these documents so they may consult an attorney on your behalf if necessary.
Consult with an immigration attorney
-Speak with a lawyer about your case & legal options.
-Ask about any steps you can take to prevent detention or removal. You may be eligible for post-conviction relief or other immigration relief.
Stay connected with support networks
-Reach out to local advocacy groups that support immigrant communities.
-Stay informed about any changes in policies that may affect your case. Since this situation`s evolving, ICE’s policies may shift again.
Make a safety plan
-Share important contact info with family, friends, or community members.
-Designate someone to reach out to an attorney or an advocacy group if you`re detained.
#Immigrants #stayinformedandstaysafe #informedimmigrant
Mar 19
Posted @withregram • @advancingjusticesocal We`ve received reports that Vietnamese, Laotian, & Cambodian community members were detained during their routine check-ins with ICE. Those affected include those who arrived in the U.S. before `95 as refugees, were previously ordered removed from the U.S., & are required to check-in with ICE periodically under an order of supervision.
This trend`s contrary to long-established practices in which these community members wouldn`t be detained or deported, partly due to agreements between the U.S. & the gov of Vietnam & Cambodia. Under those agreements, they have significantly limited who they`ll accept for deportation, allowing many community members to remain in the U.S., stay with their families, & build their lives over the past several decades.
If you have an upcoming check-in with ICE, or if someone has already been detained, please call #AJSOCAL for a legal consultation. If you forsee any interaction with ICE, here`re some steps to prepare & protect yourself & your loved ones.
Know your rights
-You have the right to remain silent & request an attorney.
-You shouldn`t sign anything without legal advice.
Prepare important documents
-Gather your legal documents, identification, & any paperwork related to your immigration & criminal cases. Keep them in a safe & accessible place.
-Give a trusted person access to these documents so they may consult an attorney on your behalf if necessary.
Consult with an immigration attorney
-Speak with a lawyer about your case & legal options.
-Ask about any steps you can take to prevent detention or removal. You may be eligible for post-conviction relief or other immigration relief.
Stay connected with support networks
-Reach out to local advocacy groups that support immigrant communities.
-Stay informed about any changes in policies that may affect your case. Since this situation`s evolving, ICE’s policies may shift again.
Make a safety plan
-Share important contact info with family, friends, or community members.
-Designate someone to reach out to an attorney or an advocacy group if you`re detained.
#Immigrants #stayinformedandstaysafe #informedimmigrant
50 years after war and violence displaced our Southeast Asian communities, our families are STILL being torn apart.
When we fight for passage of the Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act and the New Way Forward Act, we fight for community members like Ma Yang, a mom of 5 who has lived in Milwaukee since she was a baby, deported to a country she barely knows after already serving her time.
🔍 Read her story at the link in our bio.
📧 Sign up for our email list at https://bit.ly/SEARACnews or at the link in our bio to learn how you can support our advocacy.
Mar 17
50 years after war and violence displaced our Southeast Asian communities, our families are STILL being torn apart.
When we fight for passage of the Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act and the New Way Forward Act, we fight for community members like Ma Yang, a mom of 5 who has lived in Milwaukee since she was a baby, deported to a country she barely knows after already serving her time.
🔍 Read her story at the link in our bio.
📧 Sign up for our email list at https://bit.ly/SEARACnews or at the link in our bio to learn how you can support our advocacy.
Every single student across the United States deserves access to quality education. This means investing into our education system, rather shutting down key programs that benefit children, students, families, and educators. The Trump Administration`s attack on the Department of Education will harm our communities. Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, shared, "This is an attack on children and students, especially students who have long been denied full access to education and opportunity, including Southeast Asian Americans. Nearly 14% of SEAAs are low-income, and a quarter have not attained a high school diploma."
Mar 12
Every single student across the United States deserves access to quality education. This means investing into our education system, rather shutting down key programs that benefit children, students, families, and educators. The Trump Administration`s attack on the Department of Education will harm our communities. Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, shared, "This is an attack on children and students, especially students who have long been denied full access to education and opportunity, including Southeast Asian Americans. Nearly 14% of SEAAs are low-income, and a quarter have not attained a high school diploma."
We are joining together to demand our families are kept whole and our freedoms protected. Mahmoud Khalil should be safe in his home with his 8-month-pregnant wife, not in immigration detention far from his family and loved ones. The abduction of Mahmoud Khalil is an attack on our freedoms – to speak what we believe, learn, and live safely. Support the demand for his immediate release: https://shorturl.at/Lm86S
Posted @withregram • @detentionwatch This is it. Period.
Over the weekend, ICE targeted Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist at Columbia University. Khalil is a permanent resident. Support the demand for his immediate release: https://shorturl.at/Lm86S
Remember:
➡️ Immigrants in detention can be undocumented or documented immigrants, including people whose immigration status is not current, expired or is under review. The immigration detention system is fundamentally inhumane and unjust.
➡️ ICE operates within a culture of secrecy. Obscuring abuses and purposefully transferring people from detention center to detention center to disconnect them from their loved ones and support community.
➡️ Suppression of dissent is a key tactic of the administration. The ramp up of targeting activists to silence political opposition is a clear example of the rise of authoritarianism and undermining of democratic values under Trump.
Mar 11
We are joining together to demand our families are kept whole and our freedoms protected. Mahmoud Khalil should be safe in his home with his 8-month-pregnant wife, not in immigration detention far from his family and loved ones. The abduction of Mahmoud Khalil is an attack on our freedoms – to speak what we believe, learn, and live safely. Support the demand for his immediate release: https://shorturl.at/Lm86S
Posted @withregram • @detentionwatch This is it. Period.
Over the weekend, ICE targeted Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist at Columbia University. Khalil is a permanent resident. Support the demand for his immediate release: https://shorturl.at/Lm86S
Remember:
➡️ Immigrants in detention can be undocumented or documented immigrants, including people whose immigration status is not current, expired or is under review. The immigration detention system is fundamentally inhumane and unjust.
➡️ ICE operates within a culture of secrecy. Obscuring abuses and purposefully transferring people from detention center to detention center to disconnect them from their loved ones and support community.
➡️ Suppression of dissent is a key tactic of the administration. The ramp up of targeting activists to silence political opposition is a clear example of the rise of authoritarianism and undermining of democratic values under Trump.
On March 1, the Trump Administration released an executive order (EO) establishing English as the official language of the United States. This is of particular concern given the high rates of Southeast Asian Americans (SEAAs) who speak English less than very well. Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, shared, “Language should never be a barrier to seeking support or exercising our fundamental rights. This EO is rooted in racism, signaling that immigrants and refugees do not deserve access to public services if they speak a language other than English."
Swipe through for our full statement.
Mar 7
On March 1, the Trump Administration released an executive order (EO) establishing English as the official language of the United States. This is of particular concern given the high rates of Southeast Asian Americans (SEAAs) who speak English less than very well. Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, shared, “Language should never be a barrier to seeking support or exercising our fundamental rights. This EO is rooted in racism, signaling that immigrants and refugees do not deserve access to public services if they speak a language other than English."
Swipe through for our full statement.