Ensure meaningful implementation of data equity laws

We convene a data equity workgroup in partnership with the California Department of Public Health, to ensure data laws are compliant and best practices are institutionalized. We focus on Assembly Bill 1726 as a case study, which mandates the disaggregation of health indicators into more specific AA and NHPI subgroups.

Key resource:

This policy brief presents key challenges to implementing California Assembly Bill 1726, which passed in 2016 and requires the California Department of Public Health to break down broad demographic data it collects into more specific Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander subgroups.

Members of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Asian Health Services, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities, and Southeast Asia Resource Action Center.

Featured story

“Data disaggregation is a decades-long advocacy issue that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities have fought for and will continue to fight for until our communities are thriving. EPIC understands data disaggregation is one of the critical ways to uncover and address NHPI health and social inequities. AB 1726 would make the health outcomes of additional NHPI ethnic groups including Tongans and Fijians visible.”

Empowering Pacific Islander Communities

“Southeast Asian Americans (SEAAs) experience unique health inequities due to our experiences with war, genocide, and displacement. For example, heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death for SEAAs in California, potentially linked to toxic chemicals used during the violence in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Almost half of SEAA Californians are limited English proficient and experience linguistic and cultural barriers to accessing care. Community leaders and policymakers need disaggregated data in order to identify disparities various populations face and create evidence-based solutions that improve health outcomes for all.”

SEARAC
A group of people perform outdoors

People Power in Action

Ensure accurate SEAA representation and self-identification

The census is the largest publicly available dataset with SEAA data. It directly influences political representation and funding for our communities.

Fifty years ago, over a million Southeast Asian refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam arrived to the United States to seek safety from war, genocide, and violence. This led to the largest resettlement of refugees in American history. 

This year is the Southeast Asian American community’s power year, and we are celebrating the introduction of our national resolution recognizing 2025 as the 50th anniversary of the resettlement of Southeast Asian refugees. Join SEARAC and community partners for a community celebration on Dec. 16 from 1-2 pm ET/10-11 am PT and RSVP at bit.ly/seaa50celebration. 

Take part in honoring the Southeast Asian American legacy of survival, strength, and courage.

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TODAY IS THE DAY! Join SEARAC, CAAM, and community partners from across the country for our special virtual screening of our docuseries, Southeast Asian American Journeys. We will be sharing our five part docuseries, including our episode "Between Us" which follows LGBTQIA+ Khmer and Vietnamese cultural workers in southern California as they contemplate the in-betweenness of belonging, healing, and carving out spaces of their own. 

How to attend the virtual screening: 
Visit SEARAC's Facebook or Youtube channels (@SEARAC) at 4 pm ET/1pm PT. The full five part docuseries will be livestreamed and includes a Q&A and panel discussion!

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Our special virtual screening is 1 day away and we can't wait to share our award-winning documentary series with you. Southeast Asian American Journeys shines a powerful light on Southeast Asian American stories that are too often ignored in mainstream media. We hope that you join us in celebrating the remarkable experiences of our communities across the country, such as Hmong refugee farmers transforming local foodways in a diversified Minnesota. 

Join us tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 13 from 4-6 pm ET (1-3 pm PT) for this special event. RSVP at bit.ly/journeysrsvp and tune in live on Facebook and YouTube from anywhere in the country.

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