In July 2021, Illinois became the first state to mandate the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act, which requires the teaching of a unit of Asian-American history in public elementary and high schools starting in the 2022-23 school…
Democracy Project
The Democracy Project supports the underrepresented South Asian American community in Illinois through Census work, the redistricting process, non-partisan voting rights awareness, and civic engagement. This project is being implemented using a three-pronged approach – advocacy, education, and engagement, with…
SAAPRI Releases Report on H-4 Work Authorization Policy’s Impact on South Asian Communities
Rescinding work authorization for H-4 visa holders disproportionately impacts immigrant women and families from South Asian countries, said South Asian American Policy & Research Institute (SAAPRI) in a report released today. On February 20th, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services…
Indo-American Center partners with SAAPRI to Engage AAPI Communities on NIH-funded All of Us Research Program
The Indo-American Center (IAC) recently received a grant from the Asian Health Coalition and has partnered with the South Asian American Policy & Research Institute (SAAPRI) to conduct outreach and education around the National Institutes of Health-funded All of Us Research Program. IAC received…
Protecting Work Authorization for H-4 Visa Holders
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 Convenes South Asian Community Leaders and Stakeholders to Increase Civic Participation
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…
SAAPRI Gets Out the Vote
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 Leads DACA-DAPA Outreach Coalition
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…
SAAPRI Releases 2015 Civic Engagement Report
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…
Report: Illinois Embraces Election Day Registration
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,…