April 28, 2023 IN: Press Room
Celebrating Community Resilience During this Season of Remembrance
Nearly five decades ago, Saigon fell and the lives of Southeast Asian families from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam were forever changed as they navigated oceans, highlands, and rivers to survive.
Our elders left the rubble of our fallen homelands. There was uncertainty and there was fear, but what prevailed after the dust settled was hope, resilience, and an unwavering belief in us — their descendants. Together, we remember and honor the unthinkable decisions and the impossible sacrifices that our families made. We also hold those who did not survive the tragedies, and who made the ultimate sacrifice with their life, close to our hearts.
Today and every day, we honor the legacies of those who came before us by fighting for our right to heal, our right to be seen, and our right to family. SEARAC fights for access to affordable health care coverage that is culturally and linguistically appropriate. We fight for better data on SEAA student needs and outcomes as well as ethnic studies on our histories, challenges, and resilience. We fight for the dignity and rights of SEAA refugees with old criminal convictions to stay together with their families.