SEAeD 2013 & Beyond
The SEAeD Coalition continues to advocate for the educational equity of the Southeast Asian American (SEAA) community at the local, state and national level: WA House Bill 1680 & 1815, the White House AAPI Request for Information (RFI) report submission, and local capacity building efforts. In addition, we are in the planning phase of developing a fellowship program for our SEAA students. Sign up for our listserv and attend our meetings for more information.
Advocacy in Olympia
I went down to Olympia to testify on behalf of House Bill 1815 earlier this year. HB 1815 would have provided language access to ensure all Washington public schools are effectively communicating with parents in a language they can understand. I felt compelled to speak and give a voice to our communities, to show we care about our children’s education and the challenges our communities face. I believe my testimony provided objective evidence of the challenges faced by us to help our legislatures make informed decisions. As I once heard someone say, “If we don’t show up to the table for discussion, we will be on the menu”.
Testifying down in Olympia gives a voice to our communities to ensure we are represented and heard - Seng Vue (SEAeD, Council Member; Hmong Association of WA, President)
Rising SEAs - University of Washington
On the 1st of June, the SEA3eD Coalition had the opportunity to support and partner in the first ever University of Washington Rising SEAs (Southeast Asians) outreach event. SEA3eD Coalition members, Kao Saechao, Ekk Sisavatdy, Zer Vue, Seng Vue, Ay Saechao, and Ammara Kimso conducted college access and identity development workshops for over 60 students and families. Congratulations to Latana Thaviseth, UW SEA Recruiter, and Tony Vo UW Student Ambassador for coordinating an amazing event! Acknowledgements to the University of Washington, Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity for their commitment to serve all underrepresented groups, including Southeast Asian Americans.
2013 Rising SEAs, University of Washington
The Southeast Asian American Movement: We Count
It has been nearly forty years since the first arrivals of refugees from Southeast Asia were displaced by the Vietnam War, Secret War in Laos and the Khmer Rouge conflict. From a starting population of 130,000 in 1975 to that over 2.5 million currently, the Southeast Asian American community is one of the largest growing populations. Equally as pressing is movement to address SEAA issues of educational access and equity. Data disaggregation is among the forefront of this effort and numerous voices far and wide are calling for action.
During this last Washington legislative session, Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos sponsored House Bill 1680 that would require our school districts to disaggregate the collection of student data. On June 6th, the White Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders and the National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education hosted iCount: Equity Through Representation Symposium (edstream.ed.gov/webcast/catalog/).
Southeast Asian Resource Action Center (SEARAC) recently published a policy brief, “Moving Beyond the Asian Check Box” to demonstrate a national demand for data disaggregation.
At the University of Washington and South Seattle Community College, student support positions were created to establish an educational pipeline for Southeast Asian American students with Latana Thaviseth as the UW SEA Recruiter and Ammara Kimso as the South Seattle CC Asian Cultural Specialist.
The SEAeD Coalition and its allies have been involved in these efforts and will continue to advocate for the educational equity of all communities, including Southeast Asian Americans. Your participation is vital and encouraged. Feel free to contact the coalition via email: seadcoalitionwa@gmail.com for more information or to be included on our listserv.
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