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Local Initiatives: Chicago
The Chicago area is home to the third largest South Asian metropolitan population in the country. According to a 2005 report by the South Asian American Policy and Research Institute (SAAPRI), a Chicago-based member in the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations, over 141,000 South Asians reside in the state of Illinois. South Asians comprise 35% of the Asian American population in Illinois, and are in fact, the largest ethnic group in the state. In the city of Chicago, South Asian Americans are concentrated in the north neighborhoods of West Ridge and Rogers Park, including the well-known commercial strip of Devon Avenue. For more information, please refer to Making Data Count: South Asian Americans in the 2000 Census with focus on Illinois.
In 2006, SAALT initiated a dialogue with community partners in Chicago. The SAALT Exchange in Chicago brought together nearly 50 individuals to discuss emerging concerns and identify partnerships. Following the SAALT Exchange in Chicago, SAALT, along with Chicago-based organizations, collaborated to host information sessions around political participation and issues such as immigration and access to services.
Below is a list of Chicago-based organizations serving South Asians and links to reports about Chicago's South Asian community. Help us bring more information to this page; contact us at info@saalt.org.
Local Organizations Serving South Asians
Apna Ghar
An organization that provides comprehensive multilingual, multicultural social services and shelter to South Asian women and their children seeking lives free from violence.
Phone: 1-800-717-0757
Email: info@apnaghar.org
Hamdard Center
A Multilingual, Multi-cultural Social & Health Service Agency Dedicated to Serving the South Asian, Middle Eastern, and the Bosnian Communities in Illinois.
Phone: 773-465-4600
Indo-American Center
An organization that promotes the well being of South Asian immigrants through services that facilitate their adjustment, integration, and friendship with wider society, nurture their sense of community, and foster appreciation for their heritage and culture.
Phone: (773) 973-4444
Email: JLuthra@indoamerican.org
South Asian American Research and Policy Institute
A non-profit research institute to facilitate, through the use of cutting edge research and education, the formulation of equitable and socially responsible policy affecting South Asian Americans.
Email: saapri@saapri.org
South Asian Progressive Action Collective
A collective that developed out of a common desire for a forum to take up progressive issues pertinent toSouth Asia and the Diaspora
through direct action, creative expression, and discussion.
Email: info@sapac.org
Community Reports
The South Asian American Policy & Research Institute has released these reports about South Asians in the Chicago area:
Our Immigrant Story: South Asians Americans in Illinois, 1945-1965 (2006)
In late 2005, SAAPRI began collecting the oral histories of South
Asians who came to Illinois between 1945 and 1965. This was the first
attempt by any group to document the history of South Asian immigration
to Illinois in the pre-civil rights era, and explore how they were
affected by issues of race, gender and homeland politics.. The project
attempted to understand the challenges faced by this generation of
South Asian immigrants, both in the immediate context of their arrival
in Illinois and the broader context of world history. It examined the
circumstances of their migration, their patterns of settlement, the
facilitating agents and supporting institutions, and the structural and
cultural barriers to advancement. The project brought together a
pioneering group of immigrants whose voices might have been lost to
history but for this effort. Another special feature of this project
was that the interviews were conducted and/or transcribed by university
students or family members of the younger generation. SAAPRI will also
collect memorabilia and other archival materials to preserve our
immigrant history.
Executive Summary
Full Report
Developing Devon: Creating a Strategic Plan for Economic Growth through Community Consensus (2007)
Since the 1980s, the growth of a diverse population and bustling retail
establishments on Devon Avenue on Chicago’s north side has created a
reputation for the neighborhood as an international marketplace. Yet
its very diversity has posed one of the greatest challenges in bringing
the community together to chart a clear and unified path to greater
economic progress. A once-vibrant neighborhood is in danger of sliding
into disrepair, and of driving away the very shoppers and businesses
and residents who sustain it. Recognizing the gravity of the situation,
SAAPRI undertook a project to create a long-term plan for the economic
development of the neighborhood. Their input was sought in a variety of
ways, including one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions.
These conversations became the cornerstone of the plan to build
consensus and commitment for revitalizing the Devon area.
Executive Summary
Full Report
social and economic reform for their constituencies.
Executive Summary
Please contact SAAPRI for the full report: saapri@saapri.org
In 2006, SAALT initiated a dialogue with community partners in Chicago. The SAALT Exchange in Chicago brought together nearly 50 individuals to discuss emerging concerns and identify partnerships. Following the SAALT Exchange in Chicago, SAALT, along with Chicago-based organizations, collaborated to host information sessions around political participation and issues such as immigration and access to services.
Below is a list of Chicago-based organizations serving South Asians and links to reports about Chicago's South Asian community. Help us bring more information to this page; contact us at info@saalt.org.
Local Organizations Serving South Asians
Apna Ghar
An organization that provides comprehensive multilingual, multicultural social services and shelter to South Asian women and their children seeking lives free from violence.
Phone: 1-800-717-0757
Email: info@apnaghar.org
Hamdard Center
A Multilingual, Multi-cultural Social & Health Service Agency Dedicated to Serving the South Asian, Middle Eastern, and the Bosnian Communities in Illinois.
Phone: 773-465-4600
Indo-American Center
An organization that promotes the well being of South Asian immigrants through services that facilitate their adjustment, integration, and friendship with wider society, nurture their sense of community, and foster appreciation for their heritage and culture.
Phone: (773) 973-4444
Email: JLuthra@indoamerican.org
South Asian American Research and Policy Institute
A non-profit research institute to facilitate, through the use of cutting edge research and education, the formulation of equitable and socially responsible policy affecting South Asian Americans.
Email: saapri@saapri.org
South Asian Progressive Action Collective
A collective that developed out of a common desire for a forum to take up progressive issues pertinent to
Email: info@sapac.org
Community Reports
The South Asian American Policy & Research Institute has released these reports about South Asians in the Chicago area:
Our Immigrant Story: South Asians Americans in Illinois, 1945-1965 (2006)
In late 2005, SAAPRI began collecting the oral histories of South
Asians who came to Illinois between 1945 and 1965. This was the first
attempt by any group to document the history of South Asian immigration
to Illinois in the pre-civil rights era, and explore how they were
affected by issues of race, gender and homeland politics.. The project
attempted to understand the challenges faced by this generation of
South Asian immigrants, both in the immediate context of their arrival
in Illinois and the broader context of world history. It examined the
circumstances of their migration, their patterns of settlement, the
facilitating agents and supporting institutions, and the structural and
cultural barriers to advancement. The project brought together a
pioneering group of immigrants whose voices might have been lost to
history but for this effort. Another special feature of this project
was that the interviews were conducted and/or transcribed by university
students or family members of the younger generation. SAAPRI will also
collect memorabilia and other archival materials to preserve our
immigrant history.Executive Summary
Full Report
Memories and Milestones: South Asian Americans in Illinois, 1945-1965 (2007 - In Progress)
This project is a continuation of the “Our Immigrant Story” project, using the same methodology. It is being expanded to include interviewees from downstate Illinois and beyond the Chicago metro area.Through community forums and dialogues, SAAPRI is in the process of creating and distributing a publication that provides a pictorial and narrative history of the South Asian immigrant experience. The publication will be supported by a traveling exhibit of the photographs and memorabilia. The project also includes a virtual exhibit which will feature photographs, audio files, and documents that will be widely accessible to the general public.
Developing Devon: Creating a Strategic Plan for Economic Growth through Community Consensus (2007)
Since the 1980s, the growth of a diverse population and bustling retail
establishments on Devon Avenue on Chicago’s north side has created a
reputation for the neighborhood as an international marketplace. Yet
its very diversity has posed one of the greatest challenges in bringing
the community together to chart a clear and unified path to greater
economic progress. A once-vibrant neighborhood is in danger of sliding
into disrepair, and of driving away the very shoppers and businesses
and residents who sustain it. Recognizing the gravity of the situation,
SAAPRI undertook a project to create a long-term plan for the economic
development of the neighborhood. Their input was sought in a variety of
ways, including one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions.
These conversations became the cornerstone of the plan to build
consensus and commitment for revitalizing the Devon area.Executive Summary
Full Report
Making Data Count: South Asian Americans in the 2000 Census with focus on Illinois (2005)
This report examines the demographic and socio-economic data from the 2000 census to construct a profile of the South Asian American population from the national down to the census tract level. It identifies the most important issues facing the South Asian American community, and shows how census data can be used effectively to advocate for social reform. The report, published with support from the Chicago Public School’s Office of Language and Cultural Education, will help community organizations, political leaders and social activists in the South Asian and Asian American communities to further their agendas and bring about much-needed political,social and economic reform for their constituencies.
Executive Summary
Please contact SAAPRI for the full report: saapri@saapri.org
