Made By Refugees: Launching Our COVID-19 Critical Relief Fund

During these unprecedented times of struggle, resistance, and resilience, from the Black Lives Matter movement to COVID-19, we at SEARAC understand that the communities most impacted by inequity must be the faces and voices calling for changes. That is why we are proud to announce the launch of our COVID-19 Critical Relief Fund, which is supporting organizations doing the dual work of racial solidarity and community response.

While our Southeast Asian American communities have historically struggled to access affordable, culturally competent healthcare and social services, the COVID-19 pandemic has only deepened these issues. It is more important than ever that we support the most vulnerable within our communities who are facing issues like eviction, ineligibility for unemployment, lack of food security, heightened risk of contracting COVID-19, and barriers to health care treatment.

        

Starting today, we will be selling limited-edition “Made By Refugees” and “Made by Immigrants” posters and art prints, exclusively designed by My Tien Pham, graphic designer, artist, and SEARAC Leadership and Advocacy Training alumnus. Her illustrations create visual art that put women of color, emphasizing on Southeast Asian American women and experience, at the forefront of contemporary graphic art. Additionally, we have opened our Bonfire T-shirt store, where we will be offering our Made by Refugees, Made by Immigrants, and I Stand with SEARAC shirts.

To purchase your poster, click here

To purchase your T-shirt, click here.

Posters and T-shirts will be available until Monday, July 27.

All proceeds collected from this fundraiser will go directly to the emergency relief funds of two organizations providing critical support to particularly vulnerable Southeast Asian American communities: the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) and the Southeast Asian Freedom Network (SEAFN).

NAKASEC organizes Korean and other Asian Americans towards social, racial, and economic justice. We’re proud to support the organization’s COVID-19 mutual aid emergency fund, which was created specifically for low-income undocumented immigrants and families excluded from COVID-19 government aid packages.

Originally formed in 2001 to organize against the deportation of Cambodian Americans, SEAFN currently comprises of eight SEAA-led organizations from across the country, and works to mobilize SEAA communities in base-building, grassroots organizing, and movement building through a gender and queer justice lens. We’re proud to support SEAFN as it fights for the release of detained community members, who are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 infection due to detention conditions.

If you are able to purchase a poster and / or T-shirt, we thank you for helping to support our communities.

Check out our Community Stories blog throughout the month of July to read more about how COVID-19 is impacting Southeast Asian American refugee communities.