Nasreen is the Communications and Social Media Fellow at SAALT. This blog was updated on April 5, 2012. “I don’t expect anyone to protect me, especially a policeman. They feel like they’re above the law, instead of enforcing it. But, what are you going to do?” These words slipped out of my brother’s mouth calmly and matter-of-factly, an 18-year-old on the eve of enlisting with the US Navy. With cases like Shaima Alawadi and Trayvon Martin under the media spotlight, his words hit me hard in the knowledge that my American-born and raised brother is gladly signing...

South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) joins a broad array of organizations and communities in expressing deep concerns regarding ongoing reports revealing the New York City Police Department (NYPD)’s practices that have resulted in targeted surveillance of Muslim community members. During late 2011 and early 2012, a series of reports by the Associated Press came to light regarding NYPD practices with a discriminatory focus on Muslims communities both within and well beyond New York City. NYPD activities allegedly included the construction of secret files on Muslims,...

On a Tuesday evening, fresh off a long weekend, a group of individuals gather together to discuss an important issue in the South Asian community. One by one they arrive, united by a common goal. Who they may be during the day is irrelevant for the moment, for tonight – tonight they are philosophers, they are activists. Tonight, they are participants in the powerful act of discussion and understanding as they share their opinions and lead others to enlightening ideas. Welcome to the DC SAALT Circle. SAALT Circles are bimonthly discussion groups that provide a space for individuals...

Pete Hoekstra Hoekstra for Senate 190 Monroe Avenue NW, Suite 300 Grand Rapids, MI 49503 February 6, 2012 Re: Anti-Chinese Television Advertisement and Website Dear Mr. Hoekstra: As a national, nonpartisan, non-profit organization that elevates the voices and perspectives of South Asian individuals and organizations to build a more just and inclusive society in the United States, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) writes to express our deep concerns over your campaign’s recent television advertisement and associated website. We urge you to publicly apologize...

Jai Shankar, a longtime DC resident, is facing deportation for the United States after reporting a crime to local police. Below is an action alert from DC Tenants’ Advocacy Coalition. Please take a few moments to sign the petition and call ICE to prevent Jai’s deportation. Imagine calling the police to report a crime and finding yourself instead handcuffed and detained. This is what happened to long-time DC resident Jai Shankar after he called the DC police to report his stolen camera. Jai recently testified at a DC hearing as to why we need a bright line between...

The following is a guest post by Prerna Lal, co-founder of Dreamactivist.org. Meet Hadi Syed Zaidi. He’s an upstanding 25-year-old American of Pakistani descent. His grandmother is a U.S. citizen and his parents emigrated from Pakistan when Hadi was merely 4 years old. For the last three weeks, Hadi has been locked up in a detention center in California awaiting deportation from the only country he calls home. His crime? None. Hadi doesn’t even have a speeding ticket. Shortly after 9-11, the Department of Homeland Security engaged in one of the most egregious cases of...

As a Muslim, over the past few weeks, I have been repeatedly approached about the Lowe’s TLC controversy. I’ve signed the petitions and voiced my concern, but when sitting back and taking stock of the situation, a greater fear pervades my mind. As a society, we have become indifferent on the borders of apathy. Controversy surrounding Islam has been the norm for the past 10 years. This is just another drop in the bucket of an ever increasing well of anti-Muslim sentiment. While Lowe’s has the right to spend its advertising money how it sees fit, the act of pulling ads...

The Bay Area has seen two attacks on South Asian residents in just the past three weeks. On November 21st, a 32 year old Indian man was assaulted outside a Lucky store in San Jose. The group of assailants punched him, spat on him and called him a terrorist. No suspects have been apprehended, leaving the victim to deal with the cost of a broken jaw and six missing teeth. And on the evening of December 4th, a Sikh man in his mid-50s was stabbed in the torso as he waited for a flight at Fresno Yosemite International Airport. The suspect was arrested as he ran from the airport,...

The following is a letter from SAALT Executive Director Deepa Iyer. Dear Friend, Today, The New York Times’ Campaign Stops section carried SAALT’s opinion piece about xenophobia and racism in our political discourse. As the presidential election approaches, we must raise our voices against political scapegoating of South Asians, Muslims, and Arab Americans. At a time when our communities are still grappling with post-9/11 backlash, and hate crimes against Muslims have staggeringly increased, such remarks foster a climate that can be hostile for many in the community. Read...

The FBI recently released its annual Hate Crime Statistics report. It showed a 50% increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes over 2009 levels, and a spike of 11% in anti-Latino hate crimes. This isn’t a coincidence. These numbers follow a period of marked xenophobia in politics, from the enactment of Arizona’s draconian new immigration law to anti-mosque activity nationwide. These numbers may not even tell the whole story. Undocumented populations - including South Asians - are susceptible to such violence, but are loath to report incidents for fear of deportation and...