Support the 2012 Run For SEARAC Fundraiser!

SEARAC is proud to introduce you to our 2012 "Run for SEARAC" team!  Our runners have been training hard for their races happening from Washington, DC to Long Beach, CA throughout the months of November and December. These runners have generously designated SEARAC as their charity of choice, and as they prepare to race, they want to reach out to you for support! Help them reach their goal of raising $3,000 for SEARAC by December 27th! Donations must be submitted online by 11:59 pm PDT on December 27, 2012.

Donating:

• $10 will help SEARAC pay for sending faxes to decision makers about important issues impacting Southeast Asian Americans
• $25 will provide SEARAC transportation to one meeting on Capitol Hill
• $50 will help SEARAC pay for monthly phone calls to Capitol Hill
• $100 will help SEARAC keep our internet up and running for sending e-mails to legislative staff
• $200 will help us pay for our monthly communications service which maintains our listserv and supporter database

Each runner has also chosen a SEARAC policy issue to highlight as he or she runs for SEARAC.

MEET OUR RUNNERS AND FIND OUT WHY THEY ARE RUNNING FOR SEARAC!

Regina Nguyen

Donate to Regina's page.

Regina attended SEARAC's Leadership and Advocacy Training in 2006 and, inspired by the community leaders she met, later went on to become one of the co-founders of the Mid-Atlantic Vietnamese Student Associations. She currently serves as an advisor to MAUVSA's executive board. Motivated by a scene in the movie Zombieland touting the importance of cardio, Regina began to train to run seriously in 2009. She has since run in numerous 5Ks, 8Ks, 10 milers, one grueling 15K and three half marathons. She has taken her passion for health and wellness a step further, now working at Medifast Weight Control Centers and losing over 40lbs.

Issue Area: Health

"Through this campaign, I want to bring attention to the health care issues that are affecting Southeast Asian American communities.  Southeast Asian American communities need to be able to access affordable preventative care. The best way to stay healthy is to prevent sickness before it happens, so let's work to increase accessibility to health care for our community!"

Race Details: Glow in the Dark 5K - Washington, D.C. 

Quyen Dinh

Donate to Quyen's page.

Quyen is the Education Policy Advocate with the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center. When asked why she is running for SEARAC, Quyen shared: "Running is my favorite form of self-care so I thought it'd be great that I can use this to help care for SEARAC too!"

Issue Area: Education

"I am honored every day to work with CBOs across the nation to give national voice to the needs and resilience that exists for Southeast Asian students across the nation. It is their stories, and my family's stories, that I bring to Capitol Hill and coalition meetings - stories that reveal how many of our students are still being left behind by our education system, stories that reveal that our students still need access to quality education, and stories that reveal promising best practices that should exist nationwide so that our communities can truly thrive."

Race Details: Zombie Runner Bay Trail Half Marathon - Palo Alto, California

Rattana Yeang

Donate to Rattana's page.

In addition to working as a Data Analyst at the Department of Research, Assessment, and Data for Oakland Unified School District, Rattana also volunteers his time as a member of SEARAC's board of directors. On November 22nd, he will be running in Long Beach's Turkey Trot to raise $1000 to support SEARAC's work while also raising awareness about the educational issues that affect Southeast Asian Americans.

Issue area: Education

"The work of advocacy in education for many Southeast Asian Americans is challenging. Part of the problem deals with the fact that disaggregated data on Southeast Asian Americans is not readily available. The other part of the problem has to do with the misconception that all Asian Americans are Model Minorities. In reality, this belief makes it difficult to draw attention to the educational needs of individual ethnic groups, and for many Southeast Asian Americans, the educational disparities are enormous and troubling, but often overlooked. SEARAC's work is important in bringing these policy issues to light, and that's why I am running to support SEARAC."

Race Details: Long Beach's Turkey Trot - Long Beach, California

Fam SaeChao

Donate to Fam's page.

In addition to serving as the Operations Manager at SEARAC, Fam has extensive experience as an organizer and advocate for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Fam tells us why she is running for SEARAC this year: "I have been running off and on for four years now. I started running because it's the one thing that allows me to be completely absorbed in nature. It's also the one physical activity that has helped me stay grounded and to de-stress, especially after a long day of rallying or meeting with officials about the impact of U.S. immigration policy on my community. Running has become a time where I can let go and think about what is important to our communities."

Issue Area: Immigration

"I am running for the dreams of many families to remain united with their loved ones, and I run for the dreams of undocumented students to be able to go to college and have a path toward United States' citizenship. SEARAC's work toward fair immigration reforms for all communities is incredibly important, and I invite you to join me in supporting SEARAC!" (The above photo is of Many Uch, a SEARAC advocate for just immigration policies, as he addresses AAPI advocates during an immigration rally that Fam attended.)   

Race Details: Jingle All The Way Run (8K) - Washington, DC

Nero Nguyen

Donate to Nero's page.

Nero Nguyen is the co-founder and former CEO of Northern Virginia's online tutoring giant: AkariTutoring.com. He, Tran Pham, and Justin Nguyen started this company with the mission to provide jobs for qualified college students while providing competitive tutoring rates to students in K-12.

Issue Area: Education

"I was inspired by New Jersey State Senator Jim Phelan who recently stated that the United States is currently ranked 26th in the world when it comes to school performance. As the most powerful country in the world, we have a huge obligation to improve our education system. Education is extremely important in shaping our future generations, and with the current global economic crisis, it's even more important for us to educate our kids and provide them with the necessary means and skillsets to impact our world and improve our way of life. SEARAC's work on education is important because Southeast Asian Americans often fall through the cracks of current education policies and fall victim to the model minority myth. I want to help bring attention to the fact that education is a very important issue for our community and our community's future."

Race Details: Glow in the Dark 5K - Washington, D.C.

Eric Nguyen

Donate to Eric's page.

Eric is the Development and Operations coordinator at SEARAC. In college he was really into running but has been out of shape and out of routine with his running. When he learned about SEARAC's running campaign, he saw it as a chance to do two things: get back in shape and run to support elders in the Southeast Asian American community.

Issue Area: Aging

"My grandparents have always played a large role in my life and I am excited to not only raise money for this cause, but to also bring awareness to the fact that our aging population is in need of support."

Race Details: Glow in the Dark 5K - Washington, D.C.

Natalie Nguyen

Donate to Natalie's page.

Natalie Nguyen is the California Community Coordinator for the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC). Natalie works in collaboration with community partners to document and develop enrollment “best practices” for implementation and health-related educational materials that CBOs may utilize to educate community members about the impact of the Affordable Care Act. When asked why she is running for SEARAC, Natalie shared: “I run to raise awareness of the health issues Southeast Asian Americans face every day and to help SEARAC!”

Issue Area: Health

“I am running to reduce health disparities within Southeast Asian American communities. SEARAC’s work in health reform highlights how important it is to provide culturally competent health care services to Southeast Asian refugees. With the arrival of Affordable Care Act (ACA), thousands of Southeast Asians nationwide will be eligible for affordable health insurance. SEARAC continues to work with local and statewide government, under the ACA, to ensure that our communities are able to properly access the health care they so desperately need.”

Race Details: 2012 Davis Turkey Trot 5K - Davis, California