2026
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SEARAC paneled at the Immigrant Day of Action conference in Sacramento, CA, to examine how ICE has disproportionately targeted Southeast Asian communities through routine check ins, harmful narratives, and surveillance. Panelists highlighted community-led strategies aimed at protecting immigrant communities, such as sharing campaigns for pardons and educating state legislators on closing the loopholes from the California Values Act (SB 54).
SEARAC joined the California Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Health Equity Coalition and met with over 55 state senate and Assembly offices to advocate for priorities in language access, data equity, and stopping anti-Asian hate.
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SEARAC joined CPEHN and the Health4All coalition at a press conference and rally to stand up against harmful and discriminatory proposals in Gov. Gavin Newsom's revised state budget. The proposed cuts within the 2026-27 May Revise threaten health care coverage, public benefits, and education for immigrants and vulnerable communities across California, including many SEAA families who rely on Medi-Cal.
Led by the Health4All coalition, SEARAC joined partners urging CA legislators to hold corporations accountable in paying their fair share for Medi-Cal. In addition to community rallies, 273 letters from advocates and impacted community members were hand-delivered to urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign the joint Legislature budget agreement.
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SEARAC continues to highlight the 5-episode docuseries at various AAPI film festivals across the state, joining conversations that spark intrigue and build a tighter community around the messaging of intergenerational healing through narrative storytelling.
SEARAC with leading partners in immigration and anti-deportation advocacy, panel at the Immigrant Day of Action Conference in Sacramento, CA.
Mobilization at the Capitol to raise awareness for equitable healthcare coverage for all Californians.
Featured episodes of Teb Chaw (Land) and Muoz-doic Mixtape at the Sacramento Asian Pacific Film Festival.
2025
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SEARAC celebrates the passage of California Senate Concurrent Resolution 96 (SCR 96), introduced by state Senator Dr. Aisha Wahab (D–Silicon Valley), which honors 50 years since the mass resettlement of Southeast Asian refugees to the United States. The resolution uplifts the resilience, contributions, and leadership of Southeast Asian American (SEAA) communities and calls for a continued commitment to advancing equity through policies that promote disaggregated data, language access, health equity, education, and intergenerational healing.
We extend deep gratitude to Senator Wahab, her co-sponsors and her team to champion the effort, and to our partners from the SEAA Collaborative who envisioned this resolution together. This milestone is an opportunity for reflection and renewal as SEAA communities across the country commemorate their shared histories and to bring into fruition a collective future rooted in healing and belonging.x
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Under the visionary leadership of SEAA filmmakers, Southeast Asian American Journeys explores the lived experiences of five communities across the United States. SEARAC partnered with SEAA Collaborative members to host community screenings in Long Beach, Sacramento, and Fresno through Summer to Fall 2025.
SEARAC thanks partners from Families in Good Health (FiGH), United Cambodian Community (UCC), Iu Mien Community Services (IMCS), Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP), Fresno Immigrant and Refugee Ministries (FIRM), and Stone Soup Fresno for their leadership and for the support of their local sponsors from the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Peet’s Coffee Elk Grove, the Sacramento County, and Community Media Access Collaborative (CMAC) in Fresno. A special thanks to The Asian American Foundation and Weingart Foundation for their sponsorship and support on the screening series.
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Over the years, SEARAC has been working in collaboration with the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) to develop three ethnic studies model curricula. This opportunity was created through SB 895 and AB 167 to develop a model curriculum related to Cambodian, Hmong, and Vietnamese history and cultural studies. The curriculum projects will assist educators in teaching Southeast Asian American history and culture to K-12 students in California.
Since October 2024, Orange County Department of Education and Santa Clara County Office of Education hosted a series of conferences throughout California for K-12 educators to be informed about the Southeast Asian ethnic studies model curricula. Youth panelists from various organizations within the SEAA Collaborative coalition shared their perspectives on the curricula rollout and importance of partnering with community leaders and members, educators, and artists to uplift why students can benefit from learning about our communities’ unique history and experiences.
We thank partners from Vietnamese American Roundtable (VAR), International Children Assistance Network (ICAN), United Cambodian Community (UCC), Khmer Girls in Action (KGA), Fresno Immigrant and Refugee Ministries (FIRM), and Hmong Cultural Center of Butte County (HCCBC) for their participation at the respective conference. A special thanks to filmmakers Oanh-Nhi Nguyen and Quyên Nguyen-Le for their participation at the VAEMC conference in Garden Grove, CA.
SCR 96 California Resolution Ceremony at the Capitol West Steps in Sacramento, CA.
Docuseries community screening and panel in Long Beach, CA.
Presentation and youth panel for the Hmong Historical and Cultural Studies ethnic studies model curriculum conference in Fresno, CA.
2024
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Launched in July 2024, the CA Policy Seeding and Leadership Cohort is a 9-month applied learning experience for staff at SEAA Collaborative member organizations interested in growing as advocates for their communities at the state level. As we look toward celebrating the SEAA community’s 50th anniversary of resettlement in the United States, the Cohort is guided by the question: How do we plant the seeds for new policy solutions or campaigns for Southeast Asian American (SEAA) communities to thrive in CA?