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
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“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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SEARAC`s May newsletter is now live. Check out the most recent updates from our national and California policy teams and enjoy a recap of how our team celebrated AANHPI Heritage Month!
Check it out at the link in our bio!
Jun 8
In our latest blog, SEARAC LAT alum Allie Soisouvanh Price reflects on what Lao New Year means to her as a proud daughter of Lao refugees and why celebration itself is a form of advocacy. Shaped by the impact of the Secret War, Allie’s family found healing through community, culture, and joy. Allie writes,“Lao New Year is our way of reclaiming ourselves, reclaiming our identities, and reclaiming the joy that was taken from us because of the war.”
Read Allie`s full blog at the link in our bio!
Jun 4
In April 1975, Saigon fell and the Khmer Rouge seized power, unleashing a brutal reign of terror. In the years that followed, Cambodian, Hmong, Iu Mien, Lao, Vietnamese, and other Southeast Asian communities resettled across the United States. They survived unimaginable loss. And they have spent over 50 years making this country richer—culturally, economically, and civically.
This anniversary deserves national recognition. Urge your Member of Congress to cosponsor the Southeast Asian American 50th Anniversary Resolution.
Take action: bit.ly/SEAA50to250
#SEAA50 #SEAAResolution
Jun 3
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