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Home News Bibliography 2001 - 2005
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Gwinn, Mary Ann, “Noted South Asian authors coming here to assist Chaya weekend fundraiser will feature readings”, The Seattle Times, May 3, 2001. Chaya – idea came about in mid-1990s when noticing South Asian women calls around domestic violence. Three paid employees and 50 volunteers. Bahadur, Gaiutra, “Indian Population booms, census report says; South Asian Immigrants”, Austin American-Statesman, May 15, 2001. Report shows that South Asians are the fastest-growing group among Asians and have doubled since 1990. Labor shortage in high tech America – Austin’s Silicon Hills – has fueled part of the growth. 200,000 Indians are in the U.S. on temporary visas according to Georgetown University study. Indian Abroad Center for Political Awareness – advocacy and research group in DC. Varghese, Romy, “The New New Yorkers; Helping One Another; South Asian Groups try to move toward unity”, Newsday (New York), July 19, 2001. The move to get the groups together for more talks follows a one-day conference, Desis Organizing 2001, which took place in May at New York University Law School. It drew around 20 groups and addressed in various roundtable discussions several issues important to the South Asian community such as youth, immigrant rights and racism. In follow-up meetings, youth organizations met again late last month with the Elmhurst-based youth group South Asian Youth Action to continue their dialogue. South Asian Action and Advocacy Collective (SAAAC) first proposed the May conference. Supporters of a coalition believe it can become a forum for the planning of advocacy strategies. Some also hope the coalition could be a tool to effect political change in the city. Rep from Chhaya Community Development Corporation in Queens said the May conference provided contacts for her community housing work. Morris, Gary, “Bollyfest QFilmistan, a festival of gay films from South Asia”, SF Weekly, August 29, 2001. Festival put on by Trikone. Zoll, Rachel, “Islam in America dominated by South Asians, blacks; maintains ties overseas”, Associated Press, November 4, 2001. Immigrant from Pakistan, India and other South Asian country and U.S. born blacks comprise the majority of Muslims. 77% of Arabs are Christian according to a survey done by Arab American Institute. Muslim communities are thriving in L.A., Detroit, Chicago, New York and other cities. Cho, David, “No Borders Between Them: Away from conflict, area Indians and Pakistanis found common ground”, Washington Post, January 19, 2002. Estimated 250,000 Pakistanis in the United States. 1.6 million Indians in the United States according to the Center for Immigration Studies. Despite their differences both the nation’s immigrants are planning rallies to demonstrate solidarity and launching a peace movement. Manager of Washington Bengals cricket team unite the two nations in the field. Blake, John, “South Asians Confront stereotype as ‘model minority’”, Cox News Service, February 2, 2002. More than 70,000 South Asians now live in the Atlanta metro area. Indian American population alone increasing 230% from 1990-2000. Estimated to own nearly half the roadside hotels and motels in state. Breaking traditions: career, marrying outside of community, queer. Raksha director - organization for South Asians in Atlanta - when applying for a grant to South Asian youth, was told that she didn’t need it because South Asian youth didn’t have problems. Vijay Prashad of Karma of Brown Folks says to commit to model minority suicide – be outspoken, individualistic and not let success downgrade other people of color. M. Poole, Shelia, “Film explores South Asian ‘closet’: Gay brother inspires woman from India to do a documentary”, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, March 20, 2002. “For straights only – The story of a culture in the closet” is a 22min. documentary. Won praise among South Asian community groups and Gay and Lesbian associations in Atlanta and India. Traces references to gays and lesbians back over 1000 years. “Bombay Boys,” “Bombay and Fire,” also tackle South Asian homosexual issues. Dietrich, Heidi, “To be gay and Muslim”, Alternet, April 9, 2002. 250 gay Muslims attended an Al-Fatiha conference in San Francisco last year. Attorney General, Janet Reno added a clause to immigration law which offers asylum to those who are prosecuted in their own countries for being homosexuals. Trikone, a support network for South Asian gays. Suhasini, Gloria, “SAYA’s Sayu Bhojwani is appointed commissioner for immigrant affairs”, Desi Talk, May10, 2002. Executive director of South Asia Youth Action (SAYA), a multi-service youth agency she founded, is named commissioner for immigrant affairs in New York. Davila, Florangela, “Indians, Pakistanis sidestep conflict. Seattle’s South Asians focus on shared traits”, Seattle Times, June 10, 2002. 6-year-old Chaya serves South Asian women. Launching magazine The South Asian. Local film group – Tasveer. “Protest against felicitation of Sadhvi Ritambra”, Indian Express, August 2, 2002. A group of organizations held a protest against the felicitation of Sadhvi Ritambra at the Ganesh Temple in Queens. It’s a place for peace not for fundamentalist religious leaders like her to represent the Sangh Parivar. Some NRI groups involved: INSAF, SAMAR media collective, the Forum of Harmonious India. Johnson, Chip, “4 Seeking to Represent Fremont’s South Asians”, San Francisco Chronicle, October 25, 2002. ß South Asian community in Fremont has grown to 25,000. 2 from Federation of India are running for candidate. Roy, Sandeep, “U.S. Pakistan and Indian Communities split on Iraq war”, Pacific News Service, March 25, 2003. Indian American forum for Political Education in New Jersey. 1.9m Indian Americans in the United States with 323,000 in California. 204,000 Pakistani Americans, 27,000 live in California. Advocacy group head for National Council of Pakistani Americans in DC thinks war is unnecessary. Founder of Al-Fatiha, a group of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Muslims finds little comfort in being in good books of the U.S. American Muslim alliance wants voices to be heard. Alliance and Pakistani American Democratic Forum participated in a candlelight vigil in Milpitas, California to show their concern. Raouf, Neda, “Nonprofit fills service gaps for South Asians; Social worker helped start agency that aids immigrants with different cultures, languages”, Long Beach Press-Telegram, April 19, 2003. 1991 – started South Asian Help and Referral Agency (SAHARA). Committed to serving needs ranging from medical and legal to personal crises and unique challenges faced by immigrants. 50 volunteers, speak all major languages. 367 new calls. 200 related to family issues. 67 from victims of violence. 80% of group’s work involved helping women who have been victims of violence, and 39 women are currently receiving help to leave abusive situations. Naseer, Muneera, “Hotline helps Asian Domestic Abuse Victims”, St. Louis Post- Dispatch, May 8, 2003. New group: South Asian Women’s Empowerment Regional Association (SAWERA) is offering the 24 multilingual hotline for women who shy away from more mainstream resources. Co-founder of Apna Ghar said the first telephone call came to Chicago shelter from an 18-year-old St. Louis woman. Doesn’t have emergency shelter but long-term goals include court advocacy, counseling, establishing full time staff and providing case management services. Mathews, Karen, “Immigrant registration constitutes racial profiling panel told”, The Associated Press State & Local Wire, October 3, 2003. Immigration lawyers and advocates have complained that the registration program amounts to racial profiling and does nothing to prevent terrorist attacks because terrorists are unlikely to register. Desis Rising Up and Moving, a South Asian immigrant advocacy group said the policy amounts to an immigration raid in which the targets turn themselves in. She said more than 13,000 people who complied with the law are in deportation proceedings because they were in the United States illegally. Jayadev, Raj, “Sikh cab drivers say racism, recession put them in the crosshairs”, Pacific News Service, October 27, 2003. SMART has taken steps to connect attacks on Sikhs to this racial issue. “Asian American Community Services” Columbus Dispatch (Ohio), November 21, 2003. The Asian American Community Services provides a variety of services to help refugees from South Asian countries living in Franklin County. “What is Safe Sex” The Boston Globe, February 8, 2004. A doctoral candidate in comparative media studies is organizing Boston's first gay South Asian film festival in April. It will feature 25 flicks, and plans to bring people from Bombay, L.A., and New York to discuss the subject. Davila, Florangela, “Seattle area re-emerges as immigrant ‘gateway’”, Seattle Times, February 29, 2004. Demographic study by The Brookings Institution (think tank in DC) 1 in 6 people in Seattle are foreign born. U.S. foreign-born population grew 57% in 1990s. Other info about immigration patterns to different cities in U.S., based on Census data. High tech boom brought South Asians. Evans, Melissa, “Activist Discuss Peace in South Asia: East Bay Forum Addresses Pakistan-India Standoff; Afghanistan’s internal strife”, Alameda Times-Star, April 19, 2004. Included South American Voting Youth (SAAVY). Watanabe, Teresa, “Anti-Muslim Incidents Rise, Study Finds; Group says hate crimes and harassment in California tripled in 2003 from previous year”, Los Angeles Times, May 3, 2004. Reports of hate crimes and harassment against Muslims in California tripled last year from the year before, the highest number ever recorded outside the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11, according to a report to be released today by The Council on American-Islamic Relations. The report attributed the increased incidents to several factors, including a "lingering atmosphere of fear" stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks, fallout from the Iraq war, anti-Islam rhetoric from some conservative religious leaders, increased reporting of incidents by communities to the council, and U.S. anti-terrorism policies, which Muslims allege adversely affect them. They include the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission and the state Senate's Office of Research, which last month issued a draft report concluding that Arab, South Asian and Muslim immigrant communities had borne a "substantial share" of scrutiny by federal agencies. Hajela, Deepti, “In diverse America, language issues proving a challenge to the promise of Brown”, The Associated Press, May 8, 2004. In New York, "the school system is so under-resourced and overstretched to begin with, they can't begin to deal with the needs of the native English speakers," said executive director of South Asian Youth Action, a Queens-based support organization. Joseph, George, “Councilman John Liu promotes closer ties between Indians and Chinese”, India Abroad, May 10, 2004. Flushing Hindu Temple at Queens, one of the first Hindu temples in the U.S. Liu visited the temple to display solidarity with the Indian Community for backing him during the election for becoming the first Asian to have been elected to the City Council of New York. Dublish, Chhavi, “U.S. Asian’s domestic abuse woes”, BBC News, May 12, 2004. Domestic violence in the South Asian community in the U.S. is on the rise. 30 organizations have sprung up in 15 years to help victims. Rhor, Monica, “U Mass study details Asian-American diversity challenges facing community defy simple fixes, authors say”, The Boston Globe, May 27, 2004. Growing Indian and Vietnamese communities were joined by enclaves of Cambodians, Hmong, Laotians, Japanese, Koreans, Thai and Pakistanis. Indians’ median household income is $72,000. Indians’ income: $20,000 above the median income for the entire population. 1/4th of Cambodian and Pakistani population living in poverty. J. Wakin, Daniel, “Even Muslims on the move stop at prayer time”, The New York Times, May 28, 2004. Estimated half of the cabdrivers are Muslims: from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Africa and Middle East. 96th Street mosque is visited for mid-day Friday prayers. Tickets are now being given for double-parked taxis, earlier overlooked. Mosques carry forms now saying the drivers were praying, for use in family courts. Complaints from neighbors have been made due to increased attendance. However, tickets are being given no more. Chaudhry, Lakshmi, “Battered wives trapped by their visas”, AlterNet, June 9, 2004. Growing class of little known battered wives of computer professionals. New class of visa for battered women. 1994 Violence Against Women Act’s reauthorization would create a “T” visa for mental or physical survivors of abuse to live and work in the United States indefinitely and apply for a permanent green card after three years. INS can issue up to 10,000 visas per year. Sakhi received over 150 complaints in six months. 1998 congress doubled the H-IB visas to 115,000. Melvani, Lavina, “Eating their hearts out”, Little India, June 10, 2004. AALDEF’s South Asian Workers’ Project for Human Rights (SAWPHR). New York: Indian Americans, second largest Asian American population. More than doubled in a decade, comprised principally of recent immigrants. More than _ Indian Americans in the city are immigrants almost twice the proportion of other city residents. One in five Indian Americans - 35,666 in New York- live below poverty lin Andolan a worker’s advocacy group in Jackson Heights. Restaurant Opportunity Center of New York (ROC-NY) restaurant workers group. Advocacy groups like ROC-NY, Workers’ Awaaz, and Andolan are trying to educate workers about their rights. Bertrand, Donald, and Knight Ridder, “Advocacy Group Report Says South Asians in New York City Needs Are Many”, Tribune Business News, June 14, 2004. South Asians in New York City are experiencing severe economic difficulties, higher rates of unemployment and increased levels of discrimination and harassment, a new report by an advocacy group contends. The South Asian Council for Social Services launched the 41-page report, “Unlocking the Golden Door,” in August 2001 to assess the needs of the community. Included among 626 people surveyed are Indo-Caribbean whose ancestors migrated to the Caribbean. The majority of those surveyed live in Queens. Frank, Sarah, “Groups try to inspire U.S. Asians to join vote”, Chicago Tribune, September 25, 2004. South Asian Progressive Action Collective (SAPAC) outreach to Asian Americans to persuade them to vote. Community leaders are pushing hard for Asian Americans to become more politically active. At the same time, they are appealing to candidates to pay attention to what they call a voting bloc up for grabs in a tight election. About 43 percent of those surveyed said they support Sen. John Kerry and 36 percent back President Bush. In 2000, 55 percent of Asian Americans voted for Democrat Al Gore while 41 percent voted for Bush. The largest Asian-American groups, those of Chinese and Indian descent, overwhelmingly support Kerry, according to the poll. “Local artists, groups answer call to help tsunami victims” The Seattle Times, January 7, 2005 Friday. Seattle artists and groups are moving quickly to raise money for the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. Tasveer, a local group that promotes South Asian independent film, is holding a screening of "Grahanam (The Eclipse)," one of the first films to emerge from southern Indian Telugu literature. The benefit's proceeds are going to Asha, which promotes education in India, and the India Relief and Education Fund. “Five More Sikhs to Resist MTA Turban Branding Policy; Center for Constitutional Rights and Sikh Coalition File Federal Lawsuit in Harrington case”, PR Newswire US, July 15, 2005. Five Sikh Station Agents announced their intention to file discrimination charges against the MTA today. The Sikh workers charge that a post-9/11 policy requiring them to brand their turbans with an MTA logo amounts to religious discrimination. The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and the Sikh Coalition filed discrimination charges on behalf of the men with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission this morning. Poole, Shelia, “Diverse group prays for earthquake victims”, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 16, 2005. Nationality and religion took a back seat Saturday during a diverse prayer vigil for victims of the South Asian earthquake that left tens of thousands of people dead, most of them in Pakistan. Speakers from the Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Sikh and Buddhist faiths prayed together, recited poetry and suggested ways to help. South Asians for Unity, an organization formed several years ago to help heal rifts among various communities and work on common goals. Kalita, S. Mitra, “Immigrant Wives' Visa Status Keeps Them Out of Workplace”,The Washington Post, October 3, 2005. Since the mid-1990s, due to lobbying by tech industry, Congress increased the professional visa, H-1B, bringing many computer programmers and software engineers from India. The workers tend to arrive single and return to their homelands to marry, bringing their wives back to the United States on the H-4 visa issued to dependents. They cannot work. Lawyer and immigrant advocate and co-founder of Kiran, a South Asian women’s organization in North Carolina, surveyed 70 H-4 visa holders and found that all but one of them would work if they could. Dozens of interviews with respondents revealed high rates of depression, isolation and loneliness.
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