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
From #immigrant caregivers navigating enforcement fears, to #LGBTQ+ caregivers seeking recognition for chosen family, belonging in #caregiving is deeply shaped by policy. SEARAC is proud to join the Diverse Elders Coalition, @nhcoa , and @sageusa to bring that conversation to @asaging On Aging 2026 through story, data, and practical tools for change. Join us April 20 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta in Room Courtland. #OnAging2026
Apr 10
Today we recognize the wage gap between Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women and white non-Hispanic men. AANHPI women earned about 83¢ to every $1. And that`s just the average — for Southeast Asian women the gap is far worse.
We need to come together to break down economic barriers that affect the AANHPI community. Regardless of our race, gender, income, or immigration status, #AANHPIEqualPay benefits us all.
Apr 9
All families deserve to be together, but cruel and inhumane immigration policies are tearing families apart. Despite serving his sentence, Van Vu was still detained by ICE and his family has been left to pick up the pieces. This “double punishment” is re-traumatizing immigrant and refugee communities who are trying to heal and live in safety with their families. Read the article from @publicradiotulsa at the link in our bio.
Repost from @publicradiotulsa: Van Vu and his wife, Mai Nguyen, are refugees from Vietnam. Vu arrived in the U.S. in 1981 at the age of four. He and his four siblings fled the country still reeling from the devastation of the Vietnam War.
“We have this trauma growing up,” Nguyen said, “and we made something else of ourselves.”
That dream, however, was abruptly halted when Vu was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a routine check-in this year.
Vu and thousands of other Southeast Asian immigrants have been confined to ICE detention over non-violent convictions that are decades old.
Read the story at publicradiotulsa.org
Apr 9
We’re proud to support SB 1422 — the Medi-Cal Access Restoration Act, authored by one of our longtime #Health4All champions, @senatormed.
Alongside co-sponsors @LCHC_CA, @healthaccessca, @caimmigrant, and the #Health4All coalition, we’re advocating to end the freeze on Medi-Cal enrollment and restore equitable access to care for our communities.
When people lose access to preventive care, they don’t stop getting sick. They delay treatment, skip life-saving procedures, and are forced to rely on emergency rooms — shifting costs onto local hospitals and health systems.
#SB1422 will restore full coverage, expand preventive care, and protect California’s public health system. 🩺
🔗 Learn more about #SB1422 → Bit.ly/SB1422-Facts
Apr 8
Our fourth key finding from SEARAC`s latest education report, Rising Up, acknowledges that as the federal government
abandons its responsibility to protect educational access and
opportunity, states, school districts, colleges, and universities must step up to safeguard educational equity.
Read the full report and our newly released executive summary at bit.ly/RisingUpSEARAC or at the link in our bio.
Apr 4
“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
