- Home
- About SAALT
- SAALT Milestones
SAALT Milestones
2000:
SAALT established by group of first and second generation individuals
interested in creating a national organization that is focused on
leadership development; organization is volunteer-run and eventually
called "South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow"
2001: SAALT begins work on documentary about hate crimes affecting South Asian communities
2001: September 11th tragedies occur; within days, an unprecedented wave of hate crimes, backlash, discrimination and profiling begin to affect South Asians
2001: Release of first SAALT report, American Backlash , about bias incidents against South Asians, Arab Americans, Muslims and Sikhs within the first week of 9/11
2001: SAALT participates in national press conference with civil and immigrant rights groups at the Japanese American Memorial in Washington, DC to call for an end to the backlash
2001: Guidance provided to government agencies and congressional members about the impact of policies such as special registration, detentions, interrogations, and profiling at airports on South Asians
2001: SAALT expands mission to include strategies such as policy analysis and advocacy and community education
2002: SAALT releases, in January 2002, a 26-minute documentary entitled "Raising Our Voices" that includes interviews and information about hate crimes pre- and post- 9/11. The documentary has been in shown in over 100 venues and is used in classrooms and campuses to this day
2003: "Be the Change: National Gandhi Day of Service" coordinated by SAALT on campuses and in cities around the country. "Be the Change" occurs every year during the first weekend of October and is coordinated by SAALT volunteers in core cities, and on campuses by student groups
2004: SAALT receives grant that enables the opening of an office in New York City, and the hiring of staff
2004: SAALT Board members and staff complete strategic plann to guide organization's programs for the next three years. SAALT adds capacity-building and coalition-building to strategies
2005: Community dialogues called "SAALT Exchanges" developed and implemented in Edison, NJ; Philadelphia, Chicago and New York City
2005: SAALT moves office to Washington DC metropolitan area; currently situated in Takoma Park, MD, an immigrant sanctuary city that offers voting rights to non-citizens for some elections
2006: Community dialogues called "SAALT Exchanges" held in San Francisco and Houston
2006: SAALT expands to include third full-time staff member through the Americorps VISTA program.Testimony before the House of Representatives Immigration Subcommittee and the U.N. Special Rapporteur about civil and immigrant rights issues
2006: SAALT launches first individual member drive. As of September 2008, SAALT has an individual member base of over 400 dues-paying members
2006: SAALT volunteers participate in election monitoring project in 2006 elections; report released about South Asian participation
2006: SAALT begins new community empowerment project in New Jersey
2006: SAALT diversifies Board of Directors, and establishes advisory committees
2006: SAALT begins to increase analysis and advocacy around immigration issues, including the call for immigration reform and temporary protected status for Pakistani nationals
2006: SAALT's Executive Director speaks at April 2006 immigrant rights rally in Washington DC
2006: SAALT becomes member of Rights Working Group, National Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans and Detention Watch Network
2007: SAALT coordinates first National South Asian Summit, a gathering of 150 individuals in Washington DC for two and a half day convening that includes a congressional briefing at the U.S.
Capitol, and workshops/trainings around advocacy, organizing, and organizational development
2007: SAALT participates in Racial Justice Campaign to End Operation Meth Merchant in Georgia
2007: SAALT testifies before the House of Representatives Immigration Subcommittee about immigration reform, and the U.N. Special Rapporteur about civil and immigrant rights issues
2007: Establishment of SAALT Circles; Release of a national report on South Asian organizations entitled "Building Community Strength"
2008: SAALT brings on full-time Policy Director and Program Assistant; changes name to "South Asian Americans Leading Together"
2008: Release of New Jersey "issue briefs" about concerns affecting South Asians in New Jersey
2008: SAALT joins the campaign for justice on behalf of Indian workers who were exploited on the Gulf Coast
2008: SAALT receives "Visibility Award" from DC area LGBTIQ and ally organizations for our work
2008: Announcement of a National Coalition of South Asian Organizations (NCSO) with 34 member groups around the country and coordinated by SAALT
2008: Release of "National Action Agenda" by the NCSO, which lays out a comprehensive policy platform for stakeholders, community members and policymakers
2008: Policy briefings conducted for the staff of Senators Obama and McCain
2008: Training held for cohort of five women-led organizations in the South Asian community
2008: SAALT releases translated brochure on changes in the naturalization process
2001: SAALT begins work on documentary about hate crimes affecting South Asian communities
2001: September 11th tragedies occur; within days, an unprecedented wave of hate crimes, backlash, discrimination and profiling begin to affect South Asians
2001: Release of first SAALT report, American Backlash , about bias incidents against South Asians, Arab Americans, Muslims and Sikhs within the first week of 9/11
2001: SAALT participates in national press conference with civil and immigrant rights groups at the Japanese American Memorial in Washington, DC to call for an end to the backlash
2001: Guidance provided to government agencies and congressional members about the impact of policies such as special registration, detentions, interrogations, and profiling at airports on South Asians
2001: SAALT expands mission to include strategies such as policy analysis and advocacy and community education
2002: SAALT releases, in January 2002, a 26-minute documentary entitled "Raising Our Voices" that includes interviews and information about hate crimes pre- and post- 9/11. The documentary has been in shown in over 100 venues and is used in classrooms and campuses to this day
2003: "Be the Change: National Gandhi Day of Service" coordinated by SAALT on campuses and in cities around the country. "Be the Change" occurs every year during the first weekend of October and is coordinated by SAALT volunteers in core cities, and on campuses by student groups
2004: SAALT receives grant that enables the opening of an office in New York City, and the hiring of staff
2004: SAALT Board members and staff complete strategic plann to guide organization's programs for the next three years. SAALT adds capacity-building and coalition-building to strategies
2005: Community dialogues called "SAALT Exchanges" developed and implemented in Edison, NJ; Philadelphia, Chicago and New York City
2005: SAALT moves office to Washington DC metropolitan area; currently situated in Takoma Park, MD, an immigrant sanctuary city that offers voting rights to non-citizens for some elections
2006: Community dialogues called "SAALT Exchanges" held in San Francisco and Houston
2006: SAALT expands to include third full-time staff member through the Americorps VISTA program.Testimony before the House of Representatives Immigration Subcommittee and the U.N. Special Rapporteur about civil and immigrant rights issues
2006: SAALT launches first individual member drive. As of September 2008, SAALT has an individual member base of over 400 dues-paying members
2006: SAALT volunteers participate in election monitoring project in 2006 elections; report released about South Asian participation
2006: SAALT begins new community empowerment project in New Jersey
2006: SAALT diversifies Board of Directors, and establishes advisory committees
2006: SAALT begins to increase analysis and advocacy around immigration issues, including the call for immigration reform and temporary protected status for Pakistani nationals
2006: SAALT's Executive Director speaks at April 2006 immigrant rights rally in Washington DC
2006: SAALT becomes member of Rights Working Group, National Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans and Detention Watch Network
2007: SAALT coordinates first National South Asian Summit, a gathering of 150 individuals in Washington DC for two and a half day convening that includes a congressional briefing at the U.S.
Capitol, and workshops/trainings around advocacy, organizing, and organizational development
2007: SAALT participates in Racial Justice Campaign to End Operation Meth Merchant in Georgia
2007: SAALT testifies before the House of Representatives Immigration Subcommittee about immigration reform, and the U.N. Special Rapporteur about civil and immigrant rights issues
2007: Establishment of SAALT Circles; Release of a national report on South Asian organizations entitled "Building Community Strength"
2008: SAALT brings on full-time Policy Director and Program Assistant; changes name to "South Asian Americans Leading Together"
2008: Release of New Jersey "issue briefs" about concerns affecting South Asians in New Jersey
2008: SAALT joins the campaign for justice on behalf of Indian workers who were exploited on the Gulf Coast
2008: SAALT receives "Visibility Award" from DC area LGBTIQ and ally organizations for our work
2008: Announcement of a National Coalition of South Asian Organizations (NCSO) with 34 member groups around the country and coordinated by SAALT
2008: Release of "National Action Agenda" by the NCSO, which lays out a comprehensive policy platform for stakeholders, community members and policymakers
2008: Policy briefings conducted for the staff of Senators Obama and McCain
2008: Training held for cohort of five women-led organizations in the South Asian community
2008: SAALT releases translated brochure on changes in the naturalization process
