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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Washington community, we’re thrilled to announce that @seaajourneys_doc will be shown on Dec. 10 in Seattle! The film screening will be hosted at @theatreoffjackson and will feature a Southeast Asian author book sale from @mamsbookstore.
Join this community celebration and buy tickets at seaa.click4tix.com
Nov 21
SEARAC continues to urge our elected officials to protect the Department of Education and preserve the many programs that Congress created to guarantee equal access to educational opportunities for every student.
Read our full statement at the link in our bio.
Nov 20
“For me, gold has come to symbolize memory: the resilience, stories, and traditions my mother’s generation carried across oceans.“
For the descendants of Southeast Asian refugees, this year’s 50th commemoration of our community’s story is a time for pause. For her recent blog post, Polly Woodbury, an LAT 2025 participant and the founder of jewelry brand Angkorian Collection, shares how the process of healing can take many forms. For Polly, it has been a combination of pursuing higher education to focus on Cambodian mental health, reconnecting to her Cambodian roots, and honoring the strength and artistry of her ancestors through jewelry. Polly reminds us that healing is a generational effort, with each new generation reclaiming what was lost and carrying forth the courage of their ancestors. Read Polly’s full blog here: https://shorturl.at/SMpcI
Nov 20
This month, SEARAC joined our friends at @firmunity and @stonesoup.fresno for a vibrant, community-wide screening of @seaajourneys_doc. The evening featured cultural performances, a community discussion, and a special screening of the series.
It was a joyful community celebration of the enduring legacy of Southeast Asian Americans in Fresno and beyond. Read the full press release here: shorturl.at/dCyWU or at the link in our bio!
Nov 19
SEARAC`s online merch store is live! Shop brand new items – including water bottles, baseball hats, and yard flags in our Bonfire storefront – that feature our “Our Roots, Our Power” logos. Alongside these new items, you’ll also have a chance to shop unique designs from SEAA artists created in honor of our community’s 50th anniversary and built around the “Made by Refugees” tagline. These designs will be leaving the SEARAC store at the end of this year, so don’t miss your chance to get them now!
Shop today at searac.org/shop-searac-merch or at the link in our bio.
Nov 18
