SEAAs and other immigrant and refugee communities want a fair chance to thrive, but we cannot do so while we are subject to a dehumanizing, unjust immigration system.
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The New Way Forward’s Impact on Southeast Asian Americans
There are 15,000 Southeast Asian Americans with a final order of removal. About 80% of removable Southeast Asian Americans have a criminal conviction. Many of these individuals were refugees who have never lived in their countries of origin and no longer have any family ties to Cambodia, Laos, or Vietnam.
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“It felt like I was being double punished. A terrible crime that I committed when I was a youth would eventually lead to my deportation to a country that I had no ties to. I felt like I was unworthy, not valued, that all that I’d done to change my life, to build community while I was inside, doesn’t matter.”
featured in our anti-deportation PSAs
“If I can change back the hands of time, education and knowledge would be the best for any young person trying to figure themself out. Please be aware that I am still human even though I made a mistake in the past. I do have family that loves me, and I love them, too.
featured in our anti-deportation PSAs
“If we were deported, our family wouldn’t be as happy as they are now. We draw them together and the positive mindset we bring—that heals them and heals our community. I believe deportation is really double punishment for our family, for us, and for our community.”
featured together with impacted community member Tith Ton in our anti-deportation PSAs
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Southeast Asian Americans carry the courage and resilience of our families, who braved dangerous journeys in search of refuge and safety. When Hmong farmers Chue and Tou Lee lost their crops to the devastation of Hurricane Helene, they knew they could rebuild and regrow — after all, their families had done it before when they fled Laos and created a new life for themselves in North Carolina. Tou Lee shared, “Everybody is actually not depressed. They said, ‘This is nothing, we can go back and grow this in a day or two.’ It’s an optimistic view coming from a land and time where everything literally was taken from you.” On the eve of commemorating the 50th anniversary of SEA resettlement, we remember that we are inheritors of courage, strength, and resilience.
Read the full article from @citizentimes & @usatoday at the link in our bio.
Posted @withregram • @usatoday Tou Lee walks through a muddy field as he surveys the damage to his 11-acre farm, which suffered more than $62,000 in damage from Hurricane Helene.
Set in the small Burke County town of Morganton about an hour east of Asheville, Lee’s One Fortune Farm is part of a community of Hmong farmers who have been growing produce here for decades since they immigrated as refugees after the Vietnam War.
The hurricane was a big hit for a small family farm, but Lee said other people have lost much more.
“We’re very fortunate,” he said.
Read more of his story at the link in our bio.
Dec 16
Southeast Asian Americans carry the courage and resilience of our families, who braved dangerous journeys in search of refuge and safety. When Hmong farmers Chue and Tou Lee lost their crops to the devastation of Hurricane Helene, they knew they could rebuild and regrow — after all, their families had done it before when they fled Laos and created a new life for themselves in North Carolina. Tou Lee shared, “Everybody is actually not depressed. They said, ‘This is nothing, we can go back and grow this in a day or two.’ It’s an optimistic view coming from a land and time where everything literally was taken from you.” On the eve of commemorating the 50th anniversary of SEA resettlement, we remember that we are inheritors of courage, strength, and resilience.
Read the full article from @citizentimes & @usatoday at the link in our bio.
Posted @withregram • @usatoday Tou Lee walks through a muddy field as he surveys the damage to his 11-acre farm, which suffered more than $62,000 in damage from Hurricane Helene.
Set in the small Burke County town of Morganton about an hour east of Asheville, Lee’s One Fortune Farm is part of a community of Hmong farmers who have been growing produce here for decades since they immigrated as refugees after the Vietnam War.
The hurricane was a big hit for a small family farm, but Lee said other people have lost much more.
“We’re very fortunate,” he said.
Read more of his story at the link in our bio.
SEARAC spoke with @prismreports to provide historical context for the 15,000 Southeast Asian Americans with a final order of removal from the United States. Read their article to learn how US military intervention 50 years ago, the refugee resettlement process, and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 have upended our communities.
Read the article at the link in our bio!
Dec 14
SEARAC spoke with @prismreports to provide historical context for the 15,000 Southeast Asian Americans with a final order of removal from the United States. Read their article to learn how US military intervention 50 years ago, the refugee resettlement process, and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 have upended our communities.
Read the article at the link in our bio!
Southeast Asian American educators and community members are celebrating the launch of SEAA ethnic studies resources for classrooms across California, as highlighted in recent @latimes coverage.
In 2018, SEARAC advocated for and helped pass SB 895, paving the way for a model curriculum centered on SEAA experiences. Over the past two years, we`ve collaborated closely with the @ocdehistory @ocdeptofed to ensure SEAA history and stories are meaningfully included. When SEAA youth see themselves represented, they feel empowered and more connected to their communities. Read the full story in the LA Times via the link in our bio!
Dec 13
Southeast Asian American educators and community members are celebrating the launch of SEAA ethnic studies resources for classrooms across California, as highlighted in recent @latimes coverage.
In 2018, SEARAC advocated for and helped pass SB 895, paving the way for a model curriculum centered on SEAA experiences. Over the past two years, we`ve collaborated closely with the @ocdehistory @ocdeptofed to ensure SEAA history and stories are meaningfully included. When SEAA youth see themselves represented, they feel empowered and more connected to their communities. Read the full story in the LA Times via the link in our bio!
Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, shared, "Today, President Biden commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 individuals who had been released from prison and on home confinement, and pardoned 39 people. SEARAC celebrates this historic moment, the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history and a restoration of opportunity for these individuals. Many more are still waiting for their second chance, like the 15,000 Southeast Asian Americans with deportation orders eager for the day they can live without fear of being separated from their families and communities. We urge the President to use his executive power to restore opportunity for all who have been caught by this country`s broken immigration and criminal legal systems."
Dec 12
Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, shared, "Today, President Biden commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 individuals who had been released from prison and on home confinement, and pardoned 39 people. SEARAC celebrates this historic moment, the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history and a restoration of opportunity for these individuals. Many more are still waiting for their second chance, like the 15,000 Southeast Asian Americans with deportation orders eager for the day they can live without fear of being separated from their families and communities. We urge the President to use his executive power to restore opportunity for all who have been caught by this country`s broken immigration and criminal legal systems."
This month, SEARAC’s Senior California Program Manager, Thuy Do, joined partners, including @cerieastbay and @asianprisonersc, immigrant organizations, and community members at the People’s March & Rally in Sacramento to advocate for dignity and humanity in our immigration system. Together, we’re fighting to stop mass deportations and building a future where all Californians—regardless of immigration status—can thrive. 💪💙
Dec 11
This month, SEARAC’s Senior California Program Manager, Thuy Do, joined partners, including @cerieastbay and @asianprisonersc, immigrant organizations, and community members at the People’s March & Rally in Sacramento to advocate for dignity and humanity in our immigration system. Together, we’re fighting to stop mass deportations and building a future where all Californians—regardless of immigration status—can thrive. 💪💙