Dec 27, 2018
Quyen Dinh, Executive Director of Southeast Asia Resource Center (SEARAC), is deeply connected to the Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian communities she serves. As the daughter of Vietnamese refugees she knows first hand the challenges faced by new immigrants with limited resources. SEARAC, a national civil rights organization, is energized by a network of 40 community-based nonprofits that advocate for pro-immigrant policies at the state and federal levels. SEARAC trains young people to share their stories and policy recommendations to their elected representatives. Quyen explains the looming threat of the Trump administration's Public Charge proposal, which would penalize immigrants who access programs that aid families in need. She updates us on the latest round of deportations that are returning Vietnamese and Cambodian people to home countries that some have only fragile connections to. Quyen's trajectory in America fuels her belief in, and support for, others following her path.