A coalition of local and national South Asian organizations that address policy issues affecting South Asian communities in the United States, with a commitment to collective liberation and human dignity.

Background

South Asians are one of the fastest growing racial groups in the U.S., comprising over 6 million people and making up 25-29% of the total Asian American population. Our community members face a myriad of concerns from immigrant rights and gender justice to accessing basic services and benefits to discrimination, profiling, and surveillance.

Realizing the need for collaborations between South Asian groups especially during a time of social and political upheaval in the US and around the world, four organizations – Manavi, Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, Muslims for Just Futures, and Raksha – convened the South Asian Policy American Working Group in October 2024. 

Goals

The South Asian American Policy Working Group seeks to amplify key policy priorities and issues affecting South Asians in the United States through community awareness, policy analysis, and collaborations.  The immediate goals of the South Asian American Policy Working Group are to:

• Share and provide information about policy issues and community needs in today’s political environment
• Collaborate on policy analysis, community awareness, and rapid response through a systems framework and intersectional lens.
• Practice solidarity, community care, trust, and spaciousness for holding complexities and contradictions

Organizations

The following organizations are part of the South Asian American Policy Working Group.

Last Updated: December 18, 2024

• ASATA-Power
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta
• Chhaya CDC
• Hindus for Human Rights
• Indo-American Center
• India Civil Watch International
• Manavi
• Muslims for Just Futures
• Raksha, Inc.
• Sakhi for South Asian Survivors
• South Asian Network
• Savera
• SEWA-AIFW (South Asian Family Wellness)
• Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund
• South Asian American Justice Collaborative
• South Asian Legal Defense Fund
• South Asian Public Health Association
• South Asian SOAR
• The Sikh Coalition

The South Asian American Policy Working Group is supported by the SolidarityIs program at Building Movement Project along with trusted advocates and advisors.