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.

Key resources:

SEARAC Executive Director Quyen Dinh speaks at an AAPI rally led by NAKASEC to defend DACA.

Featured story

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

People Power in Action

Six people wear traditional attire adorned with flowers

Include Southeast Asian American ethnic studies in school curricula

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

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.

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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SEARAC presents the Rising Up fact sheet series, a five-part set of briefs that go into a deeper dive of selected findings from our Rising Up: The Southeast Asian American Educational Journey report.

The fact sheet series was accompanied by a parallel five-part webinar series  focused on pressing issues impacting Southeast Asian American students today, highlighting key data, community context, and actionable solutions for policymakers, advocates, and educators. Access the fact sheets and learn more at the link in our bio!

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SEARAC's May newsletter is now live. Check out the most recent updates from our national and California policy teams and enjoy a recap of how our team celebrated AANHPI Heritage Month! 

Check it out at the link in our bio!

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