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Policy and Advocacy

Policy and Advocacy

Download a copy of SAALT's Report, Community Resilience, released on the ten-year anniversary of September 11th.

Over 2.7 million South Asians live and work in the United States today. Individuals of South Asian descent have contributed enormously to American society in terms of constituting a vital part of the country’s workforce; becoming increasingly active participants in the political system; and enriching the cultural and religious diversity of the United States. Yet, policies and mistreatment, such as racial and religious profiling, immigration enforcement, xenophobia and hate crimes, and limitations on accessing services and benefits, prevent many South Asians from fully and equally participating in American civic and political life.

SAALT's policy and advocacy began in the days after September 11th, 2001, when the South Asian community experienced unprecedented levels of backlash in the form of profiling, discrimination, xenophobia and arbitrary detentions. Today, SAALT's policy and advocacy work includes the following strategies:

Monitoring federal, state, and local policies that could affect the South Asian community
Presenting the needs and concerns of the South Asian community in meetings and communications with key legislative and administrative policymakers
Developing community education tools on the impact of various policies to South Asian community members and community-based organizations
Providing tools for South Asian community members to proactively respond to specific legislation and policy initiatives
Participating in coalitions with ally organizations within and outside of the South Asian community that support policy change that would improve the lives of South Asians

As part of our work in articulating the policy priorities of the South Asian community, SAALT focuses its expertise on the following core issue areas:

Hate Crimes and Xenophobia
Immigration and Immigrant Rights
Racial and Religious Profiling
Voting Rights

In addition to these core issue areas, SAALT also endeavors to highlight various other issues of concern, including civic and political engagement, civil rights, data collection, economic justice, gender equity, health care, immigration, LGBTIQ rights, and youth empowerment. Many of these issues are highlighted in A National Action Agenda. This groundbreaking document, a collaborative effort by the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations, analyzes a range of issues affecting the South Asian community and provides recommendations for policymakers, community-based organizations, stakeholders, allies, media, and the general public to meet these needs.

Articulating policy objectives rooted in the experiences of South Asians across the country and in all walks of life is a crucial step towards effectively addressing issues that impact our communities. SAALT’s policy work is driven by the needs and experiences of individual South Asians affected by various policy initiatives, as articulated by the community-based organizations that serve them. Presenting a comprehensive national policy agenda can also complement and amplify ongoing advocacy, organizing and educational efforts already being implemented at the local level.

To learn more about SAALT’s policy work, please contact Priya Murthy, Policy Director, at (301) 270-1855 or priya@saalt.org.

SAALT is thankful for the support of Southwest Airlines, our official airline.