Policy Priorities

  • Data Equity

    Southeast Asian Americans face unique challenges and disparities that are often hidden under aggregated “Asian American” data. Our coalition aims to end the practice of lumping dozens of diverse communities of Asian descent into one broad “Asian” category and to increase visibility for SEAAs. In California, we build on the passage of Assembly Bill 1726 (to disaggregate health data for AANHPI groups) to support and improve data equity efforts across our health and education systems.

  • Education

    Southeast Asian American history is a part of American history, and all students benefit from learning about our communities’ unique stories and experiences. We advocate for language equity, support and resources, and meaningful ethnic studies curricula in our education systems. Our coalition helped pass Senate Bill 895, which requires California to develop a model curriculum incorporating Cambodian, Hmong, and Vietnamese American refugee histories.

  • Health

    Southeast Asian Americans have some of the highest rates of limited English proficiency and are more likely to live in poverty. Experiences with war, genocide, and displacement have also left many SEAAs with disproportionate physical and mental health challenges. We advocate for health access, culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and community-defined best practices for care. In California, we support improvements and accountability to the state’s behavioral health system under the Behavioral Health Services Act.

  • Immigration

    Southeast Asian Americans are at least three times more likely to be deported on the basis of an old criminal conviction, compared to other immigrants. Many refugees are part of the school-to-prison-to-deportation pipeline due to experiences with poverty, underserved schools, and racialized bullying. In California, we advocate for individuals at risk of deportation and to dismantle state-level incarceration and immigration systems that disproportionately harm SEAA communities.

  • SEARAC is a co-sponsor of AB 1537 (Bryan), which would prohibit certain law enforcement officers from taking secondary employment with Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other immigration authorities. This does not include service with any branch of the United States Armed Forces.

  • AB 2600 (Bonta) would establish a statutory right to legal counsel for individuals in California facing deportation proceedings, prioritzing those in immigration detention. Legal representation is a critical lifeline that defends due process rights and helps keep California families together and free.

  • AB 1878 (Patel) would standardize precise racial and ethnic data collection across California state agencies to ensure taxpayer dollars are efficiently serving and representing all Californians. This would help our state implement new federal standards (Statistical Policy Directive 15) that include more Southeast Asian groups. More detailed data about our communities can reveal hidden disparities and improve outcomes.

  • AB 1242 (Nguyen) would revise and expand requirements under the state's Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act and require the California Health and Human Services Agency to designate a Language Access Director. The Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act ensures that all community members, regardless of what language they speak, receive the support they need from public programs through appropriate language access.

2026

SCR-96 (Wahab) commemorates 50 years since Southeast Asian refugees began resettling in the United States, honors their sacrifices, recognizes their contributions, uplifts the principles of second chances, rehabilitation, and intergenerational healing for Southeast Asian Americans who resettled in the United States and California, and resolves the Legislature’s continued pursuit of comprehensive policies for Southeast Asian American communities.

2025

  • SEARAC and members of the SEAA Collaborative championed AB 1726, which requires California public health data to be disaggregated by AANHPI subgroups and reflect the incredible diversity of our communities. Disaggregated data exposes the unique health needs of SEAAs and gives community leaders the specific insights they need to create more effective public health strategies. Today, we engage state and local officials to ensure access to this critical data and full implementation of this legislation.

  • We can address the impacts of ACEs, intergenerational trauma, and toxic stress that youth in SEAA communities may face by supporting bills like AB 1110 (Arambula), which will advance culturally competent ACEs screenings and the disaggregation of ACEs data by race & ethnicity. Learn more about ACEs from our partner ACEs Aware here.

2024