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.

Key resources:

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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.

“Queer Southeast Asian Americans have always existed, even if our experiences are not always represented in media or in community spaces. Sharing our voices allows others with similar identities to feel seen, valued, and empowered.” 

Showing up as our true selves allows others to feel safe being themselves, too. We are proud to celebrate alongside the LGBTQ+ community this Pride Month and uplift the stories of our queer Southeast Asian American community.

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LGBTQ+ trailblazers marched, organized, and fought so that we are able to show up fully as ourselves today. This Pride Month, we honor their legacy and stand together in pursuit of social equity for all. Hunny Hach from @uccoflongbeach shares their hope that pathways continue to open up for queer Southeast Asian Americans!

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This Pride Month, we’re celebrating the beautiful intersection of queer identity and Southeast Asian American culture. Ravi Seng from @thecambodianfamily shares: “Being Southeast Asian American adds a unique layer of joy to being queer, and it’s been wonderful to see it play out.” Ravi reminds us that our identities don’t compete for space and we can embrace all of who we are!

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June is a month of exemplifying intersectionality: SEAA communities are celebrating Pride Month, Immigrant Heritage Month, and World Refugee Day! It’s a time to embrace all aspects of our identities and take pride in who we are and where we come from. Thank you to @nataliepbui, SEARAC’s first-ever artist-in-residence, for beautifully capturing the joy and vibrancy of our communities through her art. 

June reminds us that there is space for the fullness of who we are to exist. We celebrate the refugee legacy of our Southeast Asian American community and honor those who paved the way for us to celebrate Pride.

#pride #pridemonth #RefugeePride #ImmigrantPride #WorldRefugeeDay

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Join SEARAC now in keeping Southeast Asian American families whole and defending our communities against violent ICE kidnapping and raids. Southeast Asian Americans are experiencing immigration detention and deportation more than ever before. Our family members and community members are being deported at rates more than 10x higher than in any previous presidential administration.

We need your support to continue SEARAC’s vital work with Southeast Asian American refugees and immigrants. Together, we are connecting vulnerable families with legal services, uplifting the unique experiences of our community through advocacy and storytelling, and building a pipeline of leaders who will lead us through this difficult time and into a more just, equitable world. Join SEARAC’s crowdfunding campaign today on Chuffed.org at the link in our bio!

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