In light of the continuing police violence against Black folks in the United States, Asian American youth across the country spearheaded an initiative to write an open letter to families and communities about why Black lives should matter to us,…
Statement by Chicago SADAC on DACA+/DAPA Supreme Court Decision
INACTION BY COURTS & CONGRESS TO PROTECT IMMIGRANT FAMILIES MUST BE COUNTERED WITH COMMUNITY ACTIVISM AND ELECTORAL ENGAGEMENT Chicago, IL – As a result of a deadlocked U.S. Supreme Court, vital immigration relief for millions of immigrant families remains blocked,…
Statement on the 2016 Orlando Nightclub Shooting
SAAPRI is deeply saddened by the attack on at least 50 innocent queer and transgender victims of color at Pulse, an Orlando, Florida nightclub. SAAPRI joins the nation in mourning the senseless loss of lives and the unimaginable pain caused…
Report – A Roadmap to Civic Engagement for South Asian Americans in Illinois
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…
Purdue University’s AAARCC’s Spring 2016 Lecture Series: the South Asian American Identity
As part of Purdue University’s Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center’s Spring 2016 Lecture Series, SAAPRI’s Executive Director Reema Kapur discussed the development of the South Asian American identity, undocumented South Asian immigrants, and hate crimes against South…
2016 Get Out the Vote Campaign
In advance of the 2016 elections, SAAPRI has been involved in nonpartisan Get out the Vote (GOTV) work. 15 SAAPRI volunteers staffed 35 phone banking shifts over three weeks targeting a list of 7,656 infrequent South Asian voters. Over 2,500…
Northwestern University Series on Confronting Anti-Blackness in the South Asian American Community
SAAPRI participated in a three-day series of workshops at Northwestern University, spearheaded by undergraduate student Sanjana Lakshmi, on confronting anti-blackness in the South Asian American community and discussing how we can be more effective allies to Black folks as people…
DREAMers Resource Conference
On January 30th, 2016, Syeda Raza, an E3! Ambassador for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAPPI), organized a DREAMers resource conference to support undocumented immigrants, in collaboration with various community organizations such as the Asian American…
Stop the Hate: Reacting Through Community Organizing Film Screening and Panel
SAAPRI and other community organizations participated in a free film screening of A Prosecutor’s Stand and Waking in Oak Creek. A Prosecutor’s Stand follows a San Francisco district attorney bringing hate crime charges against perpetrators, and Waking in Oak Creek discusses the…
APAICS Panel on Immigration
On October 17th, 2015, SAAPRI’s Executive Director Reema Kapur joined a panel discussion at DLA Piper-Chicago around immigration issues with fellow panelists from Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC), AFIRE Chicago, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago. The panel was part…