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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SEARAC is thrilled to share our 2024 annual report with our community members, partners, funders, and allies. This report uplifts all that we achieved together in 2024, including our advocacy work in education, health, and immigration at the national and California state levels, as well as our leadership development and coalition-building efforts. Read the report at the link in our bio!
Thank you to designer @anmadethis for presenting this report so beautifully 💙
And if you’re inspired after reading about our accomplishments in 2024, join our movement with a donation so that we can keep fighting in the years ahead. We can’t do it without you. Donate today: bit.ly/donatetosearac
Aug 6
Join @hopefulencounter for their upcoming screening of "Southeast Asian American Journeys" on Aug. 11 from 6-9pm PT at 3253 E Shields Ave. Fresno, CA. Three episodes from the docuseries produced by @searac and @caamedia will be screened!
Jul 31
Southeast Asian American stories deserve space to be explored, uplifted, and celebrated. "Southeast Asian American Journeys," a powerful docuseries produced in association with the @caamedia, offers a look into the unique experiences of Southeast Asian communities across the United States. SEARAC celebrates @joualeelens, the director of one of the episodes called "Teb Chaw (Land)," for their recent screening at Walker Art Center`s Hmong Filmmaker Showcase and TCFF MNmicro Film Fest.
Stay tuned for updates on future screenings of "Southeast Asian American Journeys" and if you are interested in partner screenings, learn more at the link in our bio.
Jul 30
Recent reporting from @cnn spotlights the impact of the Trump Administration`s cruel immigration policies on Southeast Asian Americans, many of whom arrived in the United States as refugees fleeing war, violence, and persecution. Ma Yang, a Hmong American woman, has been torn apart from her loved ones, displaced from her home in Milwaukee, and sent to a country she has never even been to. Quyen Dinh, SEARAC Executive Director, shared, “Our communities lost our entire homelands and livelihoods because of the destruction of our home countries, because of US decisions and US hands and US forces. When you accept a refugee, it is for the duration and the lifetime of the harm that you have done and have created.”
Read the full article at the link in our bio.
Jul 28
“Communities should never have to choose between being visible and being safe.” – Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director
Health care is a human right, and handing over personal data to ICE puts everyone’s access to care at risk. All communities, including Southeast Asian American communities, must be able to seek and receive health care free from fear of potential detention and deportation—and with the confidence that their private data is protected.
Jul 23
