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.
Featured story
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.
Learn more
“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
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on the SEARAC community, and to learn more about how you can get involved.
Latest related posts
SEARAC is hiring a strategic planning consultant! Help guide our 2027–2030 strategy and align our work with this political moment to serve and empower Southeast Asian American communities. Applications due Feb. 25. Learn more at searac.org/careers.
Jan 28
All communities deserve safety, dignity, and the freedom to live without fear. The violence, chaos, and death that ICE are bringing to neighborhoods and cities across the country must end. In just weeks, ICE actions in Minnesota have led to fatal shootings and widespread fear as agents carry out raids, racial profiling, and brutality in our streets. Our loved ones are being terrorized and harmed. Congress must bring accountability to the Department of Homeland Security and put a stop to the violence. Tell your Senator to reject any bill that funds ICE at bit.ly/rejectICEfunding.
Read the full statement from @searac, @caalmn, @hap_mn, @hmong.national.development, and @releasemn8 at the link in our bio or here: https://tinyurl.com/2h8cbutc
Jan 27
The recent deportations of longtime members of the Rhode Island Lao community — many of whom came to the United States as child refugees, built families, and contributed to their communities — are deeply heartbreaking and unjust. Reporting from @yahoonews and Rhode Island Current spotlights the harm of unjust detention and deportation policies and their devastating impact on Southeast Asian American communities. SEARAC stands in solidarity with the Rhode Island Lao community and our friends at @prysmfam, who are supporting impacted families and demanding dignity and justice.
Read the full article here: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/rhode-island-lao-community-left-104553510.html or at the link in our bio.
Jan 21
Applications are OPEN! SEARAC’s 2026 Leadership and Advocacy Training (LAT) program is now accepting applications.
Join SEARAC and rising leaders from across the country to deepen your understanding of the issues impacting Southeast Asian American communities and build the advocacy skills needed to advance change at the federal level.
🗓 Apply by Feb. 8
🔗 bit.ly/LAT2026app or link in bio
Tag a future leader who should apply!
Jan 15
We’re grateful to the Seattle community for uplifting Southeast Asian American experiences through a screening of our docuseries, @seaajourneys_doc. This special event was made possible by @theatreoffjackson n and included a book sale featuring works by Southeast Asian authors from @mamsbookstore.
Moments like this inspire us to keep creating space for Southeast Asian American stories in 2026 and beyond.
📸 Photos courtesy of Bryna Antonia Cortes
Jan 13
