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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⚠️ Action alert: There are just 5 DAYS LEFT to defend our communities against the US Census Bureau`s harmful proposal. Southeast Asian Americans rely on detailed census data to reveal existing disparities. Getting rid of this data does not get rid of inequity.
The deadline to submit a comment is this Monday, Nov. 2nd. We are so close to our goal of 500 comments. 🙌 With so much at stake, add your voice today at bit.ly/SEARACcensusalert or the link in our bio.
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Thank you to the 420 people who have submitted comments via our online form letting the Census Bureau know that it needs to keep race and ethnicity questions in the next census. đź‘Źđź‘Ź We need 80 more to reach our goal of 500. Submit your comment by Nov. 2 at the link in our bio and please continue to share bit.ly/SEARACcensusalert widely!
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With just under 2 weeks until the deadline, we are still 100 short of our goal of 500 people telling the Census Bureau why we must continue to collect race and ethnicity data during the next census. Submit your comment by Nov. 2 at bit.ly/SEARACcensusalert or the link in bio.
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Thank you to the @internationalexaminer for uplifting data from our recent fact sheet, which shows that 42% of deportations to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam recorded since 1998 occurred in fiscal years 2025 and 2026 alone.
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Detailed data reveal the truth behind the model minority myth. Removing race and ethnicity questions would hide very real educational disparities and leave our families out of the decisions that shape our futures. We will not stand by and let our government erase our communities.
🎉 Comment campaign update: We need just over 100 comments to reach our goal of 500. Submit your comment by Nov. 2 and send a strong message to the Census Bureau from the SEAA community. Link in bio
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