The Hmong community is an integral part of the Southeast Asian American refugee legacy but has recently been misclassified as ‘East Asian’ rather than ‘Southeast Asian’ by the US Census Bureau. This mistake erases our Hmong community’s identity and conceals the inequities we experience as refugees from Southeast Asia. Hmong voices and stories matter and the US Census Bureau must honor the Hmong community’s self-identification as Southeast Asian Americans.
We’re mobilizing our communities to tell the US Census Bureau that it must correct its mistake.
Take Action
Demand Congress to Align with the Census Bureau’s Commitment to Inclusivity and Fairness
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
“While the Census Bureau has made tremendous progress in making Southeast Asian refugee communities visible in the 2020 Census, misclassifying the Hmong community is a significant step back with major policy, identity, and cultural ramifications.”
SEARAC Executive Director
If she’s not napping, you can often find Phun at a cafe, on a trailhead, or at an airport gate.
Communications Associate
