May is #AANHPIHeritageMonth and this year also marks the 50th commemoration of Southeast Asian refugee resettlement. SEARAC is proud to uplift Southeast Asian American community, culture, and heritage in celebration of our refugee legacy. Today, we're sharing content from @chamrefugeescommunity in Seattle and Lacey, WA. Learn about the Cham who call Washington State home, and discover a recipe for ai pai pageng in the images here 😋 For SEARAC, the term "Southeast Asian American" is a political identity encompassing the unique and diverse ethnicities and cultures from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam -- all of whom were impacted by war and genocide in those countries in the 1970s. We look forward to sharing more from our communities throughout May. Thank you to Kylie, SEARAC's previous communications intern, for building this series for APAHM. (fb)

Early this morning, the House of Representatives passed its budget reconciliation bill package. Quyên Đinh, Executive Director of SEARAC responds: "This budget bill, passed through in the dead of night, is an unconscionable attack on the safety of Southeast Asian Americans and all families and communities. The House's decision to massively increase funding for anti-immigrant policies will cause even more chaos, fear, and disruption to our communities. The Trump Administration is tearing apart countless families and unlawfully deporting community members without their due process rights. This bill will supercharge such state violence -- and all at the direct expense of programs that millions of people rely on to access to food and health care. SEARAC denounces this budget reconciliation bill, and we urge the Senate to reject this harmful legislation." (fb)