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.
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SEARAC Policy Brief Highlights Opportunities, Challenges to Achieve Data Equity for AA and NHPI Communities in California
SEARAC is proud to release “AB 1726: A California Case Study on Disaggregating Public Health Data by Race and Ethnicity,” a new policy brief that presents key challenges to implementing California Assembly Bill 1726, which passed in 2016 and requires the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to break down broad demographic data it collects into more specific Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) subgroups.
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“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.”
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Latest related posts
In October, SEARAC and our friends at Hmong Innovating Politics and Iu Mien Community Services hosted a screening of Southeast Asian American Journeys. What’s special about this docuseries is that it was made by Southeast Asian Americans, about Southeast Asian Americans, and for Southeast Asian Americans. 2025 marks the 50th commemoration of Southeast Asian refugee resettlement to the United States and we are proud to uplift the beauty and strength of Southeast Asian American and American stories that are too often overlooked.
Oct 31
☎️We call on Congress and the White House to support a budget that reopens the government and protects healthcare so that our working class families can thrive.
Oct 30
SEARAC celebrates the passage of California SCR 96, which honors 50 years since Southeast Asian refugee resettlement in the United States. This resolution, introduced by state Sen. Dr. Aisha Wahab aishabbwahab, uplifts the resilience and leadership of Southeast Asian American communities and reaffirms the need for equity in data, language access, health, education, and healing.
We’re grateful to Sen. Wahab and our partners across California for advancing this historic recognition of our community’s strength, contributions, and vision for the future. Read the full press release at the link in our bio.
Oct 29
Join @searac, @firmunity, and @stonesoup.fresno for a screening of @seaajourneys_doc in Fresno, CA on Nov. 7. We are thrilled to share this evening of celebration and power with our community. RSVP through the QR code or at the link in our bio!
Oct 29
The US deportation machine continues to unjustly detain and deport communities across the country, including Southeast Asian communities. Our friends at @vietlead are helping to ensure community members living with final orders of removal and their loved ones are supported through their new resource which features emergency planning support, guides, and information for families to be as prepared as possible. SEARAC remains steadfast in our commitment to fighting for dignity and humanity in our immigration system. Check out the resource at vietlead.org/deportation. Get @reshare_app • @vietlead Our new Immigration Resources pages are now live on our website (in both English and tiếng Việt)! These are resources specific to Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Lao Philadelphians facing deportation due to criminal convictions, written by our team with years of experience working with our community members living with final orders of removal.
With ICE raids in full throttle in our community, we are receiving more outreaches to our small team during a period of organizational changes. However, we are committed to supporting you and your family as best we can with these resources and our new Community Defense office hours, where we can answer any questions you may have about these resources or the immigration landscape. Also keep an eye out for our videos going over the resource pages that we’ll release by the end of the month!
Swipe to also find our graphics in Vietnamese. Please share widely!
Resources in English: vietlead.org/deportation
Tài Nguyên bằng tiếng Việt: vietlead.org/deportation-viet
Links in our bio!
Oct 28
