Media outlets around the country have been covering the charges brought against Colleen LaRose, known by her handle on the internet “Jihad Jane.” LaRose is accused of recruiting men and women from around the globe to the cause of “violent jihad.” LaRose has been in federal custody since October, but the unsealing of the charges against her have shed light on a number of issues. One particularly interesting aspect of LaRose’s case is that it exemplifies the flaws in the arguments for the use of racial profiling. A native-born American with blond...

Every ten years, the U.S. Census Bureau, a federal government agency, conducts a count of every individual living in the United States. In a few weeks, the Census Bureau will be sending out Census forms to households across the country. The forms ask ten basic questions, including name, age, sex, race, date of birth, and telephone number. Information gathered on the Census is crucial as it affects the allocation of government funding for local public works projects, the drawing of electoral district lines, the demographic picture of minority communities living in this country,...

In recent years several European countries with proud labor protections have struggled with permitting Muslim girls to wear head scarves and hijabs in classrooms.   In our country, this intermittently volatile topic has been turned on its head. In late February 2010, the Oregon Senate and House sent Governor Ted Kulongoski a bill that would remove an 87 year old ban on teachers wearing religious clothing.  Incredibly, Oregon schools have permitted teachers to wear Christian crosses, but prohibited turbans and head scarves.  Constitutional principles of separation of church...

Check out this post by SAALT Executive Director, Deepa Iyer, about the need to take stock of the misguided, ineffective and damaging policies instituted after 9/11. As we come up on the 10-year mark, it is important for all Americans to understand how programs like NSEERS (Special Registration) and the expanded net of immigration and national security powers have hurt communities around the country. Read more here.

SAALT-NJ would like to invite you to our first SAALT Circle Coffeehouse for 2010! SAALT Circle Coffeehouses are informal, facilitated discussion circles where like-minded South Asians can come together to learn and talk about critical issues impacting the local community. This month, SAALT-NJ is kicking off it’s 2010 Coffeehouse series on February 28th from 2-4PM.  We’ll be talking about how religious institutions and local service providers can collaborate to better serve the needs of the South Asian community.  If you were able to attend the SAALT-NJ Conference...

As Census 2010 approaches, organizations around the country are working to ensure that their community is counted. I wanted to highlight SEVA and the Indo American Center - two members of the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations who are working to increase participation in their regions. SEVA in New York is working in the Richmond Hill neighborhood which had very low response rates in Census 2000. They have launched the South Asian 2010 Census Committee and a Richmond Hill 2010 Census Committee and are working on spreading the word about how the census is conducted,...

Night of 1,000 Conversations is February 22-28. All around the country, community members will be coming together to discuss civil rights and civil liberties issues and take action to protect them. Start the Conversation in your area in 3 simple steps: Fill out the form here to let us know that you want to host or plan a Conversation. You can also fill out the form to be connected to others in your area interested in planning or hosting a local Conversation. Receive Conversation materials via email. Bring your friends, family and networks together to start the Conversation...

When family, friends, and community members heard that I was an immigration lawyer, often I would be asked, “How can I bring my mother over to the United States?” or “When will I get my green card? I’ve been on an H-1B visa for years,” or “I’m planning on getting married - what is the immigration process like for sponsoring my fiancee?” I am still frequently asked those questions, but, especially in recent years, more and more South Asians are fearing deportation and wondering what their options are. So, I wasn’t surprised...

Today, we launched a new project called “Say it Loud: South Asians Share Stories for Immigration Reform“. This spring, as Congress and the Administration debate immigration reform, we are working with the South Asian community around the country to collect stories that show how our community is affected by the broken immigration system. The US immigration system can be fixed and we are working to effect policy change on a national level. Your stories and personal experiences with the immigration can be powerful tools to lend support to immigration reform. We are...

As Census 2010 approaches, SAALT is committed to making sure South Asians  accurately complete and return the Census forms. We have launched a new campaign - Census 2010: South Asians Count! and we encourage you to check out the resources we have available for the South Asian community. Our Census 2010 factsheet is available in English, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Tamil, and Urdu. The factsheet answers questions including: Why should you participate in Census 2010? Can I get help to complete the Census form? What does the Census form ask? What does the Race...