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 excited to announce that Between Us, an episode from the Southeast Asian American Journeys docuseries produced by Quyên Nguyen-Le in association with SEARAC and the CAAMFest, will be screened at the 22nd International Queer Women of Color Film Festival on June 14. Between Us follows the multilayered stories of queer Khmer and Vietnamese cultural workers in southern California as they contemplate the in-betweenness of belonging, healing, and carving out spaces of their own.
Learn more and RSVP here: https://qwocmap.org/films/festival/between-us/ or at the link in our bio!
Jun 2
Join us tomorrow for SEARAC`s final installment of our “Rising Up” webinar series at 2:30 pm – 3 pm ET, when we will discuss findings and recommendations for improving SEAAs` participation in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.
CTE programs can offer a low-cost pathway toward high-demand careers by combining classroom education with hands-on training toward an industry credential.
We`ll also welcome research consultant Theresa Chen and Natalie Truong of @advancingjustice_aajc Link to sign up in bio.
Jun 1
For millions of Californians, Medi-Cal is a lifeline, especially those who are aging, low-income, live with disabilities, or have various immigration statuses. @CAgovernor is proposing to cut care for the members of our community who are struggling the most in his #CAbudget. Now is the time to get loud and fight back!
Help us make sure #CAleg hears our plea; share this post, make a call, and send a letter at the link in @healthaccessca bio!
May 28
🚨Today, the California state Assembly PASSED AB 1537 by Asm. Bryan, the No Side Jobs for ICE Act!
As ICE tears families apart and terrorizes local communities, it’s also spending millions trying to recruit local law enforcement into its ranks. Despite the protections passed in CA, nothing in state law prevents local police and sheriffs from ‘moonlighting’ as deportation agents.
AB 1537 will CLOSE this loophole and bring urgently needed transparency. THANK You to Asm. Bryan (@isaacgbryan), the co-authors, all legislators who voted “aye,” and all of the community organizations that came out in support. Now, on to the Senate!
May 27
Every student deserves to be seen and heard. Our data must reflect their unique lived experiences. When Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students are lumped into broad categories, their struggles and their strengths both become invisible.
This AANHPI Heritage Month, SEARAC proudly supports the reintroduction of the All Students Count Act of 2026. This bill would require the federal government to collect and report education data disaggregated by distinct AANHPI ethnic groups.
Thank you to Sen. Mazie Hirono and Rep. Pramila Jayapal for championing this bill.
🔗 Learn more at the link in our bio.
#AllStudentsCount #CountUsAll
May 21
