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.
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SEARAC Responds to President’s FY2025 Budget Proposal
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, the Biden administration released the Fiscal Year 2025 President’s Budget. The annual budget proposal details the President’s priorities for the upcoming fiscal year and, though non-binding,…
Learn more“My commitment to educational advocacy is shaped by my personal experience as a low-income, immigrant Southeast Asian student in the U.S public school system and my professional experiences as a teacher and youth facilitator. As a high school student, I experienced firsthand a lack of a culturally inclusive education and witnessed an unequal distribution of resources between my high school and the wealthier, predominantly white high school just across the bridge. Yet, I did not have the language to name what I was experiencing.”
SEARAC LAT 2019 participant
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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Latest related posts
SEARAC`s Rising Up report confirms what our communities have known all along: when Southeast Asian American students have access to culturally relevant curricula, heritage language learning, mental health supports, and educators who see them, they thrive.
Graduation and college enrollment are up for our communities, but federal cuts to education programs are threatening these gains. "Progress is possible because of community power," says SEARAC`s Quyên Đinh. Let`s keep building it!
Read SEARAC`s report and the full story from @asamnews at the link in our bio!
Aug 21
Repost from @seaajourneys_doc. Catch 𝗧𝗘𝗕 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗪 at this year`s Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, MN
Friday 8/28 at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday 8/29 at 8:30 p.m.
Location: Pet Pavillion, located at the corner of Murphy Ave & Underwood
Free with fair admission, limited seating begins at 8 p.m., and audiences can vote for their favorite film
curated by @squarelakefestival
Aug 20
Our immigration system must be rooted in dignity, respect for human life, and the opportunity for transformation. Recent coverage from @nytimes highlights the continued targeting of Southeast Asian Americans for detention and deportation, creating a "double punishment" for people who have already served their time, like Mong Tran.
Like many SEAA refugees, Mong`s family fled violence in their homeland, and she arrived in the United States as a child. She made a mistake in her youth and served her sentence. Afterward, she rebuilt her life—raising children and opening her own business. Despite this, she was deported to Vietnam, a country she barely knows. This "double punishment" re-traumatizes immigrant and refugee communities who are simply trying to heal and live safely with their families.
We need policy solutions like the Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act #SEADRA, which would protect Southeast Asian refugees and immigrants, keep families together, and restore due process.
Learn more about SEADRA at the link in our bio!
Aug 19
When Southeast Asian American communities are invested into, we can build leaders who will advocate for policies rooted in equity, justice, and healing. SEARAC is deeply grateful to our LAT 2026 sponsors who were able to make LAT possible. Thank you to our lead funder, @statefarm, whose generosity has made LAT possible for more than two decades. We also want to thank our additional sponsors for investing in Southeast Asian American leaders: @aarp, @blueshieldcafoundation, District Capital Management, @ocanational, and @thekresgefoundation .
LAT is made possible through support from our funders and donors! Join our movement to build a pipeline of leaders. Learn more at the link in our bio or visit bit.ly/givetosearac
Aug 12
Last month, SEARAC held our 27th annual Leadership & Advocacy Training program and 23 leaders from across the country are continuing the legacy of Southeast Asian American advocacy power on Capitol Hill. Guided by our wonderful facilitators, including our friends at @nationalcapacd, Diverse Elders Coalition, and @advancingjustice_aajc, our participants gained tools to successfully lead meetings with their elected officials and uplift the experiences of their communities. They elevated key issues like data disaggregation in education, access to quality healthcare, and the protection of family immigration.
We are so proud of our #LAT2026 cohort we are inspired by the bravery, resilience, and joy you shared with us. SEARAC is deeply grateful to our partners, sponsors, and the congressional offices who welcomed our participants.
✨ Read our highlights at the link in bio.
Aug 11
