The Connecticut state legislature recently held a public hearing on an
anti-data disaggregation bill, S.B. 359. If passed, the act would prohibit the Connecticut Department of Education from collecting disaggregated data about the academic performance of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. This legislation would set a dangerous precedent
by institutionalizing new systemic barriers that prevent the most neglected within the AAPI community from being seen, heard, and served. It would also prevent further potential progress to be made that has broad-based, national support from diverse civil rights communities.
Some recent media statements have framed data disaggregation as "racist," "discriminatory," or akin to an "Asian registry" like those that led to the Japanese internment camps during WWII. Passage of this anti-data disaggregation policy would reinforce these inflammatory and false narratives about data disaggregation. It would also prevent respectful dialogue on the true costs and benefits of collecting data, in a way that does not perpetuate unfounded fear.
SEARAC vows to continue fighting back against this dangerous and misleading rhetoric, and demand visibility and recognition of our diverse AAPI students' experiences. Read
NBC's coverage of the bill quoting our executive director, Quyen Dinh. You can also watch a
video from a popular MTV show discussing data disaggregation.