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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Huge thank you to Asian Americans Advancing Justice for hosting SEARAC at their powerful two-day Summit in Atlanta, GA this month.
“Raise Your Voice, As We Rise” gathered advocates, community leaders, partners, volunteers, and changemakers from across the country to move the work forward on immigrant and civil rights, strengthen democracy, and ensure a more just and equitable society for all.
Apr 22
Huge thank you to Asian Americans Advancing Justice for hosting SEARAC at their powerful two-day Summit in Atlanta, GA this month.
“Raise Your Voice, As We Rise” gathered advocates, community leaders, partners, volunteers, and changemakers from across the country to move the work forward on immigrant and civil rights, strengthen democracy, and ensure a more just and equitable society for all.
2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Southeast Asian refugee resettlement and we invite you to join us in honoring our refugee legacy. SEARAC is looking to feature blog posts written by and about Southeast Asian Americans on a wide range of topics celebrating the diversity of our communities.
If you are interested or if you have further questions, please reach out to Elaine Sanchez Wilson, SEARAC Senior Director of Communications, at elaine@searac.org.
Apr 21
2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Southeast Asian refugee resettlement and we invite you to join us in honoring our refugee legacy. SEARAC is looking to feature blog posts written by and about Southeast Asian Americans on a wide range of topics celebrating the diversity of our communities.
If you are interested or if you have further questions, please reach out to Elaine Sanchez Wilson, SEARAC Senior Director of Communications, at elaine@searac.org.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War this year, artist Linh My Truong presents Threads of Passage: From Vietnam to America, an interactive art exhibition exploring the Vietnamese American refugee experience and its enduring legacy across generations. Through textile, video, and interactive technology, the exhibition invites viewers to engage with stories of escape, survival, and the ongoing navigation of diasporic and multicultural identity.
See the exhibition in Detroit, MI at the Annex Gallery from April 26 – May 18!
Apr 20
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War this year, artist Linh My Truong presents Threads of Passage: From Vietnam to America, an interactive art exhibition exploring the Vietnamese American refugee experience and its enduring legacy across generations. Through textile, video, and interactive technology, the exhibition invites viewers to engage with stories of escape, survival, and the ongoing navigation of diasporic and multicultural identity.
See the exhibition in Detroit, MI at the Annex Gallery from April 26 – May 18!
In February, both the House and Senate passed their versions of a budget resolution. This is the first step in a legislative process called budget reconciliation, which allows the Senate to approve changes to laws with only 50 votes, rather than the usual 60 votes. Swipe through to learn more about budget reconciliation process, the timeline, and its impact on California.
Read the full newsletter at the link in our bio.
Stay tuned for the next edition by signing up for our newsletter at bit.ly/SEARACnews.
Apr 19
In February, both the House and Senate passed their versions of a budget resolution. This is the first step in a legislative process called budget reconciliation, which allows the Senate to approve changes to laws with only 50 votes, rather than the usual 60 votes. Swipe through to learn more about budget reconciliation process, the timeline, and its impact on California.
Read the full newsletter at the link in our bio.
Stay tuned for the next edition by signing up for our newsletter at bit.ly/SEARACnews.
Thank you to @hmong.national.development for the opportunity to speak about the current political climate and how it is all too familiar for Southeast Asian refugee communities. Quyen Dinh, SEARAC Executive Director, spoke on the plenary – United for Progress: AAPI Strategies for Resilience and Growth. “This political climate, the actions of this administration – Southeast Asians have lived it before, and we know where this story ends. Millions never made it on the oceans or across the Mekong. There is no reason to repeat it.”
Apr 18
Thank you to @hmong.national.development for the opportunity to speak about the current political climate and how it is all too familiar for Southeast Asian refugee communities. Quyen Dinh, SEARAC Executive Director, spoke on the plenary – United for Progress: AAPI Strategies for Resilience and Growth. “This political climate, the actions of this administration – Southeast Asians have lived it before, and we know where this story ends. Millions never made it on the oceans or across the Mekong. There is no reason to repeat it.”