South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to fostering an environment in which all South Asians in America can participate fully in civic and political life, and have influence over policies that affect them. Approximately 2.7 million South Asians live in the United States, tracing their backgrounds to Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and the diaspora, including Trinidad/Tobago, Guyana, and Africa. SAALT works to achieve our mission through a social justice framework that incorporates the strategies of policy analysis and advocacy, community education, local capacity-building, and leadership development. Each of these strategies are linked to specific programs which you will find more information about on this website.
Ten Years After 9/11, Indian Americans Have Come a Long Way
"Looking back, the country has changed substantially. Just after 9/11, people at large looked at South Asians with some suspicion. Things have completely changed now," Thomas Abraham, founder president and chairman emeritus of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) told IANS.
"Indian American community has become very active politically," he noted. "We have two governors and over a dozen legislatives in the state, county and city levels. We have several people in the administration. That is a lot of accomplishments for the Indian American community."
Abraham recalled that after 9/11 GOPIO had asked "our community members to be alert and cautious since the terrorists were from the Middle East and close resemblance to South Asians."
Deepa Iyer, executive director, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) also recalled how the organisation transformed and expanded its mission after 9/11.
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