Include Southeast Asian American ethnic studies in school curricula

Six people wear traditional attire adorned with flowers

Learning about the histories, culture, and experiences of our diverse communities, including SEAAs, benefits all students.

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“I’m constantly telling people about our history, or some of the struggles we are going through, because they don’t get to learn about it. [Teachers] don’t teach it in school. I have to educate people about us, and that’s hard.”

From our “Can You See Me” report

“Next year, it will be 50 years since our Hmong families left their homeland to escape war and come to America, and yet many people still don’t know why we are here and who we are.”

AAPI Coalition of Wisconsin

“Recognizing the Laotian refugee experience in our schools not only provides Southeast Asian American youth with the visibility, acknowledgment, and celebration they deserve but also enriches the education of all students by deepening their understanding around a subject that is historically overlooked.”

Laotian American National Alliance
Shania smiling.

“Ethnic studies is particularly important for Asian Americans because the racialization of Asian Americans is deeply haunted by American and European military intervention and imperialism in Asia and the foundations of settler-colonialism and anti-Blackness in the United States.”

SEARAC intern
People pose, some jumping in the area, around a sign saying Made By Refugees

People Power in Action

Post-its and handwritten messages on a posterboard labeled with the year 1975

Increase federal funding for Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions

These colleges and universities are essential for increasing higher education access and success to low-income, first generation Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students, including SEAAs.

Increase federal funding to support SEAA students’ success

SEAAs’ refugee history, their invisibility in education data and policy, and systemic racism create barriers to our students’ educational success. Our government must address the disparities that SEAA students experience and invest in their futures.

Thank you for joining us during this Week of Commemoration. We remain committed to honoring and uplifting the voices of Southeast Asian American communities across the United States.

Our fight for visibility, equity, and justice does not end with this 50th commemoration. It is a milestone in a much longer journey. We invite you to join us in reimagining a more just future for all — during these next 50 years and beyond.

Today, we honor the story of Lao Americans. From demanding the cleanup of unexploded ordnance to advocating for the protection of SEAAs from unjust detention and deportation, Lao American leadership embodies the power and persistence of the Southeast Asian American diaspora — the will to survive, resist, and thrive against all odds.

Read our full letter at the link in our bio!

Thank you for joining us during this Week of Commemoration. We remain committed to honoring and uplifting the voices of Southeast Asian American communities across the United States.

Our fight for visibility, equity, and justice does not end with this 50th commemoration. It is a milestone in a much longer journey. We invite you to join us in reimagining a more just future for all — during these next 50 years and beyond.

Today, we honor the story of Lao Americans. From demanding the cleanup of unexploded ordnance to advocating for the protection of SEAAs from unjust detention and deportation, Lao American leadership embodies the power and persistence of the Southeast Asian American diaspora — the will to survive, resist, and thrive against all odds.

Read our full letter at the link in our bio!

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Today, SEARAC honors the 50th commemoration of Hmong American refugee resettlement and the incredible legacy the Hmong community has built over five decades. 

As we mark this 50-year milestone, we reflect on a history shaped by loss, resilience, and hard-won progress. The Hmong community continues to navigate the challenges of displacement and systemic barriers, even as it builds power across generations. SEARAC remains committed to amplifying Hmong voices and ensuring that their contributions continue to be recognized and valued.

Read our full letter at the link in our bio.

Today, SEARAC honors the 50th commemoration of Hmong American refugee resettlement and the incredible legacy the Hmong community has built over five decades.

As we mark this 50-year milestone, we reflect on a history shaped by loss, resilience, and hard-won progress. The Hmong community continues to navigate the challenges of displacement and systemic barriers, even as it builds power across generations. SEARAC remains committed to amplifying Hmong voices and ensuring that their contributions continue to be recognized and valued.

Read our full letter at the link in our bio.

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This month, Cambodian American communities across the country observed days of remembrance as a time of solemn reflection for victims and survivors of the Cambodian Genocide, which claimed the lives of about a quarter of the country’s population (an estimated two million people) between 1975 and 1979 under Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge regime. 
 
For loved ones lost in Cambodia, we mourn and hold their spirits close to our hearts. In their memory, we uphold our commitment to confront injustice wherever it emerges. 
 
Today, we also celebrate the incredible will of the Cambodian American people, many of whom continue to heal from the trauma and have rebuilt their communities with courage and grace. Their stories are a testament to human strength and the enduring spirit of survival. 
 
Let this day serve as a reminder of our shared humanity, as inspiration to speak out against hatred and violence in all their forms.

Learn more at the link in our bio!

This month, Cambodian American communities across the country observed days of remembrance as a time of solemn reflection for victims and survivors of the Cambodian Genocide, which claimed the lives of about a quarter of the country’s population (an estimated two million people) between 1975 and 1979 under Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge regime.

For loved ones lost in Cambodia, we mourn and hold their spirits close to our hearts. In their memory, we uphold our commitment to confront injustice wherever it emerges.

Today, we also celebrate the incredible will of the Cambodian American people, many of whom continue to heal from the trauma and have rebuilt their communities with courage and grace. Their stories are a testament to human strength and the enduring spirit of survival.

Let this day serve as a reminder of our shared humanity, as inspiration to speak out against hatred and violence in all their forms.

Learn more at the link in our bio!

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Congress is pushing a budget plan that would slash food and healthcare programs for children and families — just to fund tax cuts for billionaires and ramp up immigration enforcement that will harm immigrant and refugee communities, including Southeast Asian Americans.

The stakes couldn’t be higher and we need your help. Join us in urging Congress to keep families together, protect access to lifesaving care, and support education opportunities. Take action today!

👉 Go to the link in our bio or visit bit.ly/CareOverCuts (case sensitive) and tell Congress to vote NO on the reconciliation bill.

Congress is pushing a budget plan that would slash food and healthcare programs for children and families — just to fund tax cuts for billionaires and ramp up immigration enforcement that will harm immigrant and refugee communities, including Southeast Asian Americans.

The stakes couldn’t be higher and we need your help. Join us in urging Congress to keep families together, protect access to lifesaving care, and support education opportunities. Take action today!

👉 Go to the link in our bio or visit bit.ly/CareOverCuts (case sensitive) and tell Congress to vote NO on the reconciliation bill.

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