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.
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SEARAC Commemorates the 17th Anniversary of AANAPISIs
Since its founding, AANAPISIs have served thousands of first-generation and low-income students, including Southeast Asian Americans (SEAAs).
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“I think that AANAPISIs are important because it allows for Asian American students, like myself, to come together and feel a sense of belonging. This space has allowed me to build relationships I know will last a lifetime. ANNAPISIs allow for there to be a community-based foundation for Asian American students who need that.”
alumnus of Irvine Valley College, an AANAPISI located in CA
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“We need to be actively thinking about creative spaces and after-school programs that encourage participation from refugee parents in preparing their children for college. More importantly, we need to address language access. Without the ability to read documents or understand robocalls, parents are further barred from being informed on their child’s educational attainment and success.”
Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell
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“We need to invest far more in our school systems so that Southeast Asian American students, and all students of color, have a high quality education – at every level and no matter what path they choose to take.”
SEARAC board member
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In October, SEARAC and our friends at Hmong Innovating Politics and Iu Mien Community Services hosted a screening of Southeast Asian American Journeys. What’s special about this docuseries is that it was made by Southeast Asian Americans, about Southeast Asian Americans, and for Southeast Asian Americans. 2025 marks the 50th commemoration of Southeast Asian refugee resettlement to the United States and we are proud to uplift the beauty and strength of Southeast Asian American and American stories that are too often overlooked.
Oct 31
☎️We call on Congress and the White House to support a budget that reopens the government and protects healthcare so that our working class families can thrive.
Oct 30
SEARAC celebrates the passage of California SCR 96, which honors 50 years since Southeast Asian refugee resettlement in the United States. This resolution, introduced by state Sen. Dr. Aisha Wahab aishabbwahab, uplifts the resilience and leadership of Southeast Asian American communities and reaffirms the need for equity in data, language access, health, education, and healing.
We’re grateful to Sen. Wahab and our partners across California for advancing this historic recognition of our community’s strength, contributions, and vision for the future. Read the full press release at the link in our bio.
Oct 29
Join @searac, @firmunity, and @stonesoup.fresno for a screening of @seaajourneys_doc in Fresno, CA on Nov. 7. We are thrilled to share this evening of celebration and power with our community. RSVP through the QR code or at the link in our bio!
Oct 29
The US deportation machine continues to unjustly detain and deport communities across the country, including Southeast Asian communities. Our friends at @vietlead are helping to ensure community members living with final orders of removal and their loved ones are supported through their new resource which features emergency planning support, guides, and information for families to be as prepared as possible. SEARAC remains steadfast in our commitment to fighting for dignity and humanity in our immigration system. Check out the resource at vietlead.org/deportation. Get @reshare_app • @vietlead Our new Immigration Resources pages are now live on our website (in both English and tiếng Việt)! These are resources specific to Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Lao Philadelphians facing deportation due to criminal convictions, written by our team with years of experience working with our community members living with final orders of removal.
With ICE raids in full throttle in our community, we are receiving more outreaches to our small team during a period of organizational changes. However, we are committed to supporting you and your family as best we can with these resources and our new Community Defense office hours, where we can answer any questions you may have about these resources or the immigration landscape. Also keep an eye out for our videos going over the resource pages that we’ll release by the end of the month!
Swipe to also find our graphics in Vietnamese. Please share widely!
Resources in English: vietlead.org/deportation
Tài Nguyên bằng tiếng Việt: vietlead.org/deportation-viet
Links in our bio!
Oct 28