South Asian Organizations Release 9/11 Statement

9/11 Seven Years Later:
A Message from South Asian Organizations

Today, members of the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations (NCSO) join the country in marking the seventh anniversary of the tragedies of September 11th, 2001. We solemnly remember and honor those who lost their lives or loved ones on that day.

Like everyone in America, South Asians in the United States were deeply affected by the events on and after September 11th. From the days and months after the tragedy to now, our organizations have addressed a range of issues in our communities related to the post-September 11th environment - from helping individuals who lost family members or their livelihoods to advocating on behalf of those who continue to face discrimination, hate crimes, profiling, and arbitrary detentions and interrogations.

Today, as we pause to remember the tragedy of September 11th, we also renew our pledge to work towards public policies and community-based efforts that will preserve human rights, justice, and equality for all.

Note:  Over the last seven years, members of the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations - a network of 34 organizations that engage in service provision, advocacy and organizing to benefit South Asian communities in the United States - have provided a range of resources, some of which are included below, to address the impact of the post-September 11th environment on South Asian communities.  

Additional Resources and Information:

• Book of Memories (2001) by South Asian Council for Social Services (a tribute with forty profiles of South Asians lost on September 11, 2001)
• American Backlash (2001) by South Asian Americans Leading Together (documents bias and hate crimes perpetrated against Arabs, Muslims, Sikhs, and South Asians in the week following September 11, 2001)
• Discrimination Against Arabs, Muslims, and South Asians in New York City since 9/11 (2003) by the New York City Commission on Human Rights in collaboration with NCSO partner organizations Chhaya CDC, Coney Island Avenue Project, Council of Peoples Organization, and South Asian Youth Action (documents incidents of discrimination against Arabs, Muslims, and South Asians in New York City following September 11, 2001 in various contexts)
• Swarna Chalasani Economic Empowerment Fund coordinated by Sakhi for South Asian Women (named in honor of one of the organization's core volunteers who passed away in the September 11th tragedy, the fund awards grants to survivors of violence working with Sakhi for South Asian Women, enabling them to graduate from educational programs and become gainfully employed)
• Education, Not Deportation: Impacts of New York City School Safety Policies on South Asian Immigrant Youth (2006) by Desis Rising Up and Moving (documents challenges faced by South Asian youth with authorities and law enforcement in the classroom, including the impact of post-September 11 policies)
• Hatred in the Hallways: A Preliminary Report on Bias Against Sikh Students in New York City's Public Schools (2007) by the Sikh Coalition (reveals civil rights issues facing New York City Sikh children in the classroom, including harassment and bias)
• September 11th, 2007 - The State of the South Asian Community Six Years Later (2007) by South Asian Network (features a series of articles that convey the continuing impact of post-September 11th issues on the South Asian community in Southern California)
• Americans on Hold: Profiling, Citizenship and the "War on Terror" (2007) by the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at NYU School of Law, in collaboration with Council of Peoples Organization (highlights the impact of security-related background checks delaying naturalization applications of Arabs, Muslims, and South Asians since September 11, 2001)

For more information about the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations, please contact South Asian Americans Leading Together at saalt@saalt.org, or at (301) 270-1855.