In 2017, the Department of Homeland Security announced it will rescind the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) program for H-4 visa holders, and the new rule is expected to be released in coming months. According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS),…
SAAPRI’s Civic Engagement Initiative South Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing groups in Illinois and across the nation. However, the community’s influence on elections has not increased at the same rate as its population. South Asian Americans represent…
Voters: Know Your Rights SAAPRI Gets Out the Vote SAAPRI has been involved in nonpartisan Get out the Vote work in advance of the 2016 elections. 15 SAAPRI volunteers staffed 35 phone…
SAAPRI is proud to lead the award-winning Chicago South Asian Deferred Action Coalition, partnering with Indo-American Center, Apna Ghar, & Chicago Desi Youth Rising on conducting outreach and education about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for…
This 2015 report analyzes data from the United States Census Bureau, the Voter Activation Network, and other recent research to highlight voter registration, engagement, and mobilization among South Asian Americans in Illinois. Community-based organizations, policymakers, government officials, media outlets, and…
In partnership with Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and JustVote, SAAPRI released a report titled Illinois Embraces EDR: A Review of the Election Day Pilot Program for the 2014 General Election. Based on input from voters themselves,…
“South Asian American Civic Engagement: Opportunity for Impact” was published in the Spring 2013 edition of DePaul Journal for Social Justice. The authors Priyang Baxi and Ami Gandhi thank contributing author Payal Shah, Esq., as well as Maimoona Pootawala, Raja…
SAAPRI and Advancing Justice – Chicago conducted demographic research to reveal the critical issues confronting South Asian Americans and provide insights to a variety of audiences – community-based organizations, policymakers, government officials, media outlets, and the public at large. Building…
In the aftermath of violent attacks on Sikh and Muslim institutions, SAAPRI took the lead in providing community input during the drafting of Illinois House Resolution 1193 and Chicago Resolution 2012-814, denouncing hate crimes and hateful rhetoric against South Asian…
SAAPRI, Advancing Justice – Chicago, and the Pan-Asian Voter Empowerment coalition conducted in-person exit polling during the 2012 Illinois primary and general elections to learn about the opinions and experiences of Asian American and South Asian American voters. Grounded in…