Center for Southeast Asians
Family, social and educational services for the community

 Our Mission
The mission of the Center for Southeast Asians (CSEA) is to promote the prosperity, heritage and leadership of Southeast Asians in Rhode Island

Our Vision
Southeast Asians are active participants in the social, civic, and political life of Rhode Island. Our generations work together to preserve the traditions and culture of Southeast Asians, plan for the future, achieve economic prosperity and ultimately enrich our communities.

The Center for Southeast Asians is a welcoming, vibrant and trusted resource for the advancement of the Southeast Asian community. We foster the knowledge and skills necessary to be the leaders of today and tomorrow. We promote cultural diversity, understanding, and preservation.

Our Guiding Principles
​We are united and grounded by our history and rich traditions and cultures.
We are committed to the success of our clients, helping them to move ahead. As such we provide our clients with the skills and knowledge necessary to be self sufficient and advocates for their own needs.
We hold the highest standards for performance and integrity.
We are accountable to our community to produce results.
We value collaboration and build partnerships to advance our programs and services.

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Services

​Community services
Services include parent engagement and financial empowerment.


Social services
Services include the , Victims Assistance program(VOCA), Volunteer Income Tax Assistance(VITA), Affordable Care Act Assistance(ACA), Meals Cafe and DREAM Research Studies.


Education services
Services include Literacy / Workforce Development.
Information: Emily Lewis @emily.lewis@cseari.org 
​or  401.274.8811 ext. 236

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Center for Southeast Asians International Language Bank ILB
A fee-for-service program that provides in-person interpretation, document translations, over-the-phone interpreting, and 24-hour emergency services by qualified experts. These services are offered to all members in our community who need assistance bridging the language barriers between providers/clients. We are currently offering over 20 different languages 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.   ILB is the sole proprietor of CSEA. Proceeds from the ILB goes to support CSEA’s other community-based programs.

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"Words Matter"  
​WPRI12 –  March 18, 2021

Please join us as we celebrate our journey and progress as a community. 

We arrived in America as refugees from Southeast Asia, with very little in our pockets, but plenty of hopes and dreams. We worked in the factories and other odd end jobs to support our families, slowly paving our way to become business owners, restaurateurs, and working professionals. 

Many of us are rooted in two worlds: one, the green rice fields of our memories; the other, a new world, dense and urban.  Over time, our children have adapted and grown, now graduating high school and college with hopes and dreams to give back to their community. As the future of Southeast Asians in Rhode Island, we are committed to reaching out to our community, especially those who have not established a sure footing. 

Having come so far, we now set our sights on going further. We are proud to be celebrating the heritage, the rich culture, and the evolution of Southeast Asians in Rhode Island--and in America.

To Report a Hate Crime 

If you believe you are a victim of a hate crime or believe you witnessed a hate crime:
STEP 1: Report the crime to your local police.
​STEP 2: Quickly follow up this report with a tip to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

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Vaccine Update – March 5, 2021

There are now three COVID-19 vaccines available: 

Pfizer (two doses required) 
Moderna (two doses required) 
Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (one dose)

All three vaccine options are safe and will help protect you  from getting different strains of COVID-19. They help prevent  serious illness, hospitalization, and death. The best vaccine  option for you is the one that is available to you first.  

If you are eligible to get vaccinated, visit www.vaccinateri.org to view your vaccine options and make your appointment.  The more people who get vaccinated with any of the  
available vaccines, the sooner the pandemic will end. 

If you need help signing up for an appointment, call 2-1-1 anytime to talk to a trained specialist. Help is available in your  native language. Assistance is also available to persons living  with differing abilities. 
COVID-19 vaccination is also offered at many CVS and  Walgreens locations in Rhode Island.
Contact your local  pharmacy for more information.

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Center for Southeast Asians & Elisha Project Share Market 

CSEA has joined The Elisha Project Share Market in a food revolution! A food revolution aiming to eliminate the food inequalities that exist in our communities. If you are a friend is in need, please contact us for more information at 401.274-8811
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