HISTORY

Southeast Asian Freedom Network (SEAFN) was formed in 2001 to create a united front against the deportation of Cambodian refugees. Chhaya Chhoum of Bronx, NY put out a national call to community organizers to solidify a national Southeast Asian grassroots movement, defend our communities from deportation, and move our collective work out of isolation. After two decades, SEAFN has evolved into a national movement family of local organizations dedicated to the mobilization of Southeast Asian communities towards abolition. 

SEAFN organizes a core network of seven Southeast Asian-led organizations across the country, including:

Mekong NYC (NY); Freedom, Inc. (WI); MN8 (MN); ManForward (national); KhAAG (WA); VietLead (PA/NJ); Providence Youth Student Movement (RI). 

  • WHO WE ARE

    We are descendants of the rivers, mountains, jungles and coastlines of Southeast Asia. We come from many lineages, including Khmer, Lao, Montagnard, Hmong, Viet, Khmu, Iu Mien, and many more. We are descendants of people who fight fiercely for the safety and dignity of our families and communities. We are organizers, artists, and visionaries. We are creating the kind of world that we want to live in, without the destruction of U.S. imperialism. We are humble members of a global family, dreaming of better ways of being in relationship with our planet.

  • WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR

    We are fighting for life. Our lives are valuable. We cannot be discarded by government agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We are fighting for family. Our families continue to be violently ripped apart by immigration authorities and the legacy of the U.S. military, creating lasting instability and poverty. We’re fighting for our future. All of us, not just Southeast Asian refugees and immigrants, are in danger as a result of a dying planet. As the governments and militaries continue to be the greatest polluters, we are fighting to save our collective future.

  • PARTNER WITH US

    Without you, we can’t do the work we do. Our work is made possible through community support. You can sustain our work by donating. Also pledge your support to end deportations of Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees. As always, we work in solidarity with other movements, and we recognize that a commitment to Black liberation and Indigenous sovereignty is crucial to freedom for all. We look forward to continuing being in partnership with you.