Podcasts about Sikh Coalition

APEX Express is a weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. On this episode, host Miata Tan is joined by guests from the South Asian Coalition, an emergent national network committed to collective liberation and solidarity. Together they explore what it means to build South Asian political power in this moment—and how cross-movement solidarity can shape a more just, multiracial future. Learn more about the South Asian Coalition Website | Instagram | Policy Priorities   The South Asian Coalition was convened in October 2024 by: Manavi, Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, Muslims for Just Futures, and Raksha.   Transcript ​[00:00:00]  Miata Tan : Hello and welcome. You are tuning in to APEX Express, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. I'm your host, Miata Tan. Tonight, we're focusing on South Asian communities and the organizers working to build political power. South Asians are one of the fastest-growing racial groups in the United States, Over six million people [00:01:00] and roughly a quarter of the Asian American population. South Asian is used as a broad umbrella term for people with roots in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and sometimes Afghanistan. Though exact definitions can vary across communities and organizations. And as we'll talk about tonight, within the South Asian diaspora who call the United States home, you have a mix of nationalities, religion, immigration status, and more. Tonight, I'm joined by four people working to address the issues impacting South Asian communities in the US and beyond. At a time when questions of belonging, safety, and political power continue to shape immigrant communities across the country, South Asian organizers are building new forms of solidarity while also grappling with the diversity and complexity within their own communities. The first voice you'll hear is Sabiha Basrai Sabiha is the daughter of Muslim Gujarati immigrants and has been [00:02:00] organizing with the Bay Area-based Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA, since 2009. Here's Sabiha helping us to understand how South Asian political organizing has evolved in the United States, especially in the post 9/11 era Sabiha Basrai: Thanks for the opportunity to do some reflection this year marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11, which was a real a political flashpoint that absolutely changed my life because I was a 19-year-old college student trying to figure out a lot of things about how the world works and my place in it, and my own identity and the multiple identities I hold. Uh, and also where my responsibilities lied in solidarity, not just with other Muslims who were being targeted, but our broad immigrant diasporas and allies, uh, who have experienced discrimination in different forms from the state. So thinking about the ways in which- organizing happened in the, months and years after 9/11 to support immigrant [00:03:00] rights that was really a time in which new projects formed, um, or existing projects kind of found a new focus. ASATA as an organizing project, as a group of volunteers, has both done things like shown up to support folks being called up for the NCR's Special Registration Program and also participate in direct action protests in solidarity against the war, and has continued to be part of coalitional work regionally in the Bay Area. And, you know, more recently, uh, when we think about the ways in which our communities under, are under increased pressure with the Trump administration's immigrant policies, there have been also opportunities to build more relationships and make sure that as we advocate for our community's rights, we're doing so in formation with others, not just focusing on one particular bad piece of legislation, but connecting that to a larger story, to really build towards liberation for all of us. I'll [00:04:00] just add, too that those relationships that were kind of seeded and invested in in that moment of crisis and anxiety and fear have endured in many ways to now. The fact that that very ecosystem is actually growing in this moment is a testament to the relationships that were built in those days. Miata Tan : That was Sabiha Basrai grounding us in the history of South Asian political organizing in the US. As she mentioned, for many South Asians, 9/11 marked a particularly mobilizing moment, one that helped our communities organized and built solidarity. To help us better understand how that moment influenced the evolution of progressive South Asian activism, we now turn to Deepa Iyer, South Asian American writer, strategist, and lawyer. Deepa leads projects on solidarity and social movements at Building Movement Project and brings more than 25 years of experience in Asian American organizing and advocacy Deepa Iyer: I think that I would say that there [00:05:00] were, looking back, a couple of trends and themes that we can pull out from that time. one is that there was definitely a shift in the general consciousness of South Asian communities about our place in American society, our understanding of racism, Islamophobia, and also the role of the state. And so we had a situation where both hate violence and state violence were actually being endured by South Asian, Muslim, Arab communities. And so I think that there was a shift in the ways in which our communities began to think about ourselves in the United States. A second piece is the growth of a field, an ecosystem of South Asian organizations in the wake of the attacks and the global war on terror. So we began to see a lot of groups that were actually formed or becoming more staffed up in the weeks and months after 9/11. For example, the Sikh [00:06:00] Coalition was actually birthed the evening of the attacks, and an organization that I was close to, SALT, was also emerging and forming in the months after 9/11 as well. So we began to see that a, a field was growing. And the third, sort of theme I would point out that Sabihah alluded to is this sense of solidarity, that instead of sort of being siloed as, you know, South Asians working within just our communities and just talking about certain specific issues, there was real sense that we needed to collaborate and build bridges with Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and, Black communities in the United States to understand the trajectory of racism and xenophobia, and how they were all kind of coming together in the weeks after 9/11. Those three themes and trends are what, when I look back, I see coming up over and over again in our messaging and in our advocacy. Miata Tan : [00:07:00] That was Deepa Iyer, as you heard from Deepa, collaboration across movements was essential in helping South Asian communities to understand and respond to the waves of xenophobia in the wake of 9/11. Now we turn to Rajiv Narayan and Farah Mahesri, who lead national policy work at the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA together they launched and now co-lead ASATA's new political base building group, ASATA Power. Rajiv begins by reflecting on what South Asian communities are facing today and what has and hasn't changed since 9/11. Rajiv Narayan: I think unfortunately many of the challenges present in the early 2000s remain today. They take new form. Some have evolved and transformed, but they were ex- existed in, in much the same form following 9/11. One of the, the instances in which I, I learned about that is at the recent South Asian Coalition convening where we did this exercise in mapping a number of [00:08:00] historical and present day events, as well as a future vision of things that are important to our organizations and to our movements. And something that we reflected on together in the convening is that a number of these attacks on our communities have waxed and waned, uh, at different periods in time, dating back to the, the 1960s and truly at, even at the beginning of, you know, the 19th century and the late 18th century. And so, to answer your question specifically, in the early 2000s, like Deepa and Sabihah mentioned, we've dealt with, uh, an incredible expression of Islamophobia of, uh, anti-Brown and anti-Black racism and hate speech. There was a, in, in general a skepticism and unwelcoming of South Asian communities. And unfortunately with the current federal administration and political discourse in our country, uh, a number of those same themes are relevant today and take on similar forms, whether they're in [00:09:00] response to what the federal administration is doing in countries like Iran or previous administrations have done in Afghanistan or Pakistan. I think all of those events underscore all the more so that it's important for our organizations to, organize together, much as we did in the early 2000s, to address these harms, to remember what they look like at previous stages of history, and to fight to prevent them again from happening in the future. Miata Tan : Farah, perhaps you could speak a bit to the organizing. What did that look like, a few years ago, and what does that look like today? How has that changed? Farah Mahersi: Rajiv and I started ASATA Power a couple of years ago specifically to be able to look forward to practice radical imagination, and fight for not just protection of our communities, which we will always do. That is built into our DNAs. It's what we know. It's how we move. And also to fight for things that we want, to build the world that we want to live in so that we're not constantly caught in these cycles. And as we're doing [00:10:00] that, we are learning a lot about how organizing is happening today, the BLM movement, Black Lives Matter, and incredible street power, but also that movement's ability to change our national discourse and change what is baseline, what we should be demanding, and how we are visioning a future that is built on policies governance and hard material changes in our lives is profound. beyond that, also the Palestine solidarity movement over the last couple of years has rewritten every book about organizing. And so I think that it is an interesting moment of both a little bit of sadness, to be honest, that we are still fighting some of these same fights and we are still in some of these same dynamics that we have been for 25 years, and the profound opportunity that we have to build power and to look forward, and I think that is, more true in the Bay Area than it is almost everywhere else. Uh, because of what our workforce looks like, because of the sheer [00:11:00] amount of wealth that is accumulated in this little corner of our world, and also when you look around at the political power and people who hold political power or are running for political power and elected office around the Bay Area, you could really start to see not just how South Asians are increasingly politicized and increasingly looking to build electoral and political power, but also s- very specifically progressive political power. And so when you look to Congress now, The progressive caucus is full of South Asian progressives who are leading the charge, who are doing some of this critical work, that's part of our organizing strategy, is to be part of those conversations and to continue to push and to continue to, again, advocate for policies and changes at that big level to make the future we want possible. Miata Tan : I love that. Coming together to dream and really fight. Rajiv, you are leading this work at the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action. Can you speak more to why the Bay Area [00:12:00] is a, like, a distinct microcosm in this progressive South Asian movement? Rajiv Narayan: Of course. So Farah and I, we both work together at ASATA Power, and ASATA is sort of political power building project within the auspices of, uh, ASATA which has been operating in the Bay Area for more than 25 years now. I think what makes the Bay Area a microcosm of the South Asian diaspora is a tremendous amount of diversity and, uh, a set of interrelated intersectional challenges. So you have, uh, folks of South Asian descent with all different immigration histories. So I'm, for example, a person, um, who has birthright citizenship in the United States as I was born here. But there are folks who immigrated here, like my parents and had to attain their citizenship uh, through the, the US legal system, and folks beyond that who are refugees or asylees or are undocumented due to a variety of political and social and economic pressures. And so we all coexist in this same space across an economic gradient. So there are folks [00:13:00] who are very well compensated in the tech sectors and healthcare sectors sometimes, uh, characterized, uh, as part of a, a model minority myth, um, as representatives of the South Asian diaspora, um, within the San Francisco Bay Area and the United States broadly. And then there are whole variety of South Asians who are working in less well-compensated, often quite exploited industries. For example, in, care industries as people who are providing childcare or senior care services, people who are working in the restaurant industry folks who are lesser compensated within healthcare as well as in tech industries and other ways. Of course, those economic positions interact with the political and legal system. So for example, even if a person might be, um, well-compensated in a tech job in the Bay Area, um, which they attained by way of an H-1B visa that person might be subject to exploitative labor conditions based on the, uh, the legal configuration of how H-1B [00:14:00] visas are treated. For example, that you depend on your employer for your immigration status in this country, which changes the worker-employer relationship in a way that makes it very difficult to identify workplace abuses. beyond that, we also have a diverse range of South Asians across the age gradient. So we have folks who are quite young, who are in Gen Z, and are entering politics in a completely different way than somebody like myself or Deepa entered politics at, in earlier in, in our lives and experience it today, which provides an opportunity for us to learn from earlier generations and to also share lessons from our political experience. So like with many things, the Bay Area has it all, the good and the bad, and ASATA and ASATA Power work within that, that space to identify opportunities for solidarity. Miata Tan : That was Rajiv Narayan and Farah Mehestri. Through their work with the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA, Rajiv and Farah are helping to build South Asian political power here in the Bay Area and [00:15:00] nationwide. The ASATA team and all four of our guests tonight are connected through the South Asian Coalition, a network of local and national organizations focused on advancing policy issues affecting South Asian communities and building shared spaces for strategy and collaboration. To better understand this evolving movement of progressive South Asian action, let's return to Deepa Iyer, who shares how and why this coalition came together Deepa Iyer: Yeah. I really appreciate Rajiv bringing up, um, how- what is happening in the Bay Area is part of a larger movement. And what I would say about this ecosystem, this field that I talked about earlier, and I've been able to understand this through the course of the work I've done, but also a book I've written about post 9/11 America, is that so much happens on the coasts, and we often forget that there are organizations and are communities that are really [00:16:00] growing in other parts of the country, right? You know, I grew up in Kentucky, um, and there are places like Kentucky and Indiana where you are seeing, um, more South Asians settle and build their lives there. So one of the things that I think has been important in thinking about as we come up on this 25th anniversary of 9/11 is how our coalition of South Asian groups, how that field has grown with these additional organizations, in geographic areas that are different, as well as the ways in which folks are organizing. So now we've got, for example, groups that are working with Bhutanese refugees or Nepali-speaking community members, or groups that are organizing around the exploitation of community members based on caste. These are, um, really important movement interventions and organizations that are growing. one of the key aspects of network infrastructure is the ability to connect with each other, [00:17:00] not to flatten our experiences and say we're all the same, but to actually find some threads of commonality in our shared struggle and our experiences, and to also know that together as collectives, as Farah mentioned earlier, we can actually build the futures that we wanna see. One of the really, I think, inspiring pieces of coalition building that I've been fortunate to work with and support along with, um, everyone here is the South Asian Coalition, which is this emergent network of now 35 organizations around the country, and this coalition really seeks to build relationships and strengthen relationships, engage in peer learning and skills building, make it clear that there are certain policy issues that we need to uplift and to advocate around, and to create opportunities and pathways for solidarity with larger movements. This coalition and the infrastructure that it's been [00:18:00] creating is a way for us to look at our ecosystem of South Asian organizing in this moment, and to really see what happens when we galvanize our power collectively. Miata Tan : and Deepa, can you share a bit about the various co-conveners that make up the South Asian Coalition?  Deepa Iyer: So the South Asian Coalition, um, as we've mentioned, is this emergent network of groups that address various issues but are aligned around shared values. And the groups that really came together to co-convene it include Asad the Power, as well as Muslims for Just Futures, Raksha, which is an organization in the South, and Manavi, which is based in New Jersey. And these four organizations really had the vision to set up the structure for the coalition. the organization where I work at, Building Movement Project, supports the coalition through infrastructure, so providing facilitation, providing resources, policy analysis, and creating the container to support [00:19:00] movements in that way, which is so critical for coalitions. Miata Tan : That was Deepa Iyer a South Asian American writer, strategist, and lawyer. after the break, we'll hear more from organizers and advocates working to address issues shaping South Asian communities today. Stay with us  [00:20:00] [00:21:00] that was “Phenom” by Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. You are tuned into [00:22:00] APEX Express on 94.1 KPFA, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. I'm your host, Miada Tan. Tonight, I'm joined by four people who are working to address the issues impacting South Asian communities in the US and beyond. Back in March, organizers, advocates, and community leaders from across the country gathered in Washington, DC, for a national convening focused on the challenges and possibilities facing South Asian communities today. Here's Sabiha Basrai with the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA. She speaks about how this coalition of progressive South Asian groups formed and why this moment called for it. Sabiha Basrai: So this new emergent South Asian Coalition had its first convening in Washington, DC in March, and this was, the culmination of, a little over a year of monthly Zoom calls which started because [00:23:00] we knew we were on the verge of a Trump re-election. Uh, we knew that there was this ecosystem of South Asian activism and organizing across the country. Some of us knew each other from previous collaborations, but some of us didn't. New organizations were forming, and there was this recognition that we need each other in order to face what's coming, and we are stronger together. And we know that being South Asian is not a monolith, uh, that we deal with within our own communities based on labor exploitation, caste discrimination, anti-Muslim violence. And when we talk to each other, when we connect, we give ourselves the best chance at being able to move through those pieces of pain and build towards a future where we can all feel a sense of belonging, feel represented, and an agency in shaping that future together. So what started with a few conversations with a few folks, grew steadily [00:24:00] and, um, and through some intentional work to, to kind of invite each other in, which is of course an ongoing process, we were able to unite under this umbrella called the South Asian Coalition. Uh, we committed to some shared political points of unity and kind of community agreements to really set some expectations with one another on how we could move well in formation. And, made sure we had pathways to share information with each other so that someone like me working in Oakland could understand what, uh, someone working in Texas or in Georgia was facing, what local policy positions they were needing to, to navigate. And, uh, we could give each other advice, give each other moral support, and also sharpen our political understandings. So, uh, these kind of, uh, regular check-ins was one way of just understanding what we were all facing and feeling connected. But, actually being together in person was remarkable. I cannot overstate how much of a difference it makes to be able to share [00:25:00] space and see each other as whole people and not just representatives of a particular organization or a particular issue area, and, have those in-between moments where we actually build, build some friendships. One of the things that was also really important for me to understand when we met together was just how important that intergenerational work is. we had folks in the room who were, in their 50s and 60s who had been doing this work for decades. And we had folks in the room who were in their 20s for whom 9/11 was, something that happened in history. The conversations that were happening across generations informed the way that we think about ourselves as a coalition and helped me also to let go of some of the constraints that, kept my imagination small about what we were capable of. I was really grateful that so many people attended and chose to prioritize that work. It's hard, you know, to take a pause from The daily work to leave, fly to [00:26:00] DC take those risks as well because for many of us, uh, going through TSA is no small thing. There's a lot of harassment and racism that still permeate, you know, these institutions. So not to minimize just the effort that ta- it takes to convene and really make the most of our time together. One of the things that we did while we were in DC together was hold a congressional briefing to really, uh, amplify and share the issues that were coming up for our communities that folks were already working very hard on. Miata Tan : That was Sabiha Basrai with the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA. Now let's return to Rajiv Narayan, another member of the ASATA team and co-lead of their political action group, ASATA Power. Rajiv will take you inside the congressional briefing that Sabiha mentioned and how South Asian organizers from across the country shared the issues shaping their communities and what support is needed now Rajiv Narayan: We in ASATA Power worked in [00:27:00] collaboration with a number of the organizations in the South Asian coalition, to put together a congressional briefing on the issue of South Asians and immigration in the heart of Washington, DC, in the halls of Congress in Capitol Hill. And we were fortunate to do so in collaboration with Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Grace Meng. we had a number of, speakers representing, different perspectives and political struggles within the South Asian, uh, space in the United States, especially as it relates to immigration. So, for example, we had representatives from the Dalit Solidarity Forum talking about the plight of oppressed workers, caste-oppressed workers, in New Jersey working in a Hindu temple.  ​ Dr Roja Sunganthy-Singh – Dalit: I stand here as a Dalit, formerly known as an untouchable in India's caste system, speaking for over two hundred skilled Dalit artisans who were brought to the US from India to build the largest Hindu temple in New Jersey. In their words, ” We are the Indian stone workers of America, workers [00:28:00] rescued by the FBI in twenty twenty-one from forced labor conditions constructing the BAPS temple in New Jersey. we were brought to the US on R one visas and compelled to perform construction labor for over eighty-seven hours a week and paid just a dollar twenty an hour. Rajiv Narayan: We heard from, um, the executive director of the Sikh Coalition talking about Sikh truck drivers and religious workers and their experience under the federal regime's, uh, rule-making efforts. Harman Singh – Sikh Coalition: Uh, Punjabi Sikhs began entering the US trucking industry in large numbers during the nineteen eighties, and Sikh truck drivers and business owners have played a critical role in addressing driver shortages over the past several years. Unfortunately, Sikhs in this critical industry have become the subject of harmful rhetoric and policy from this current administration. These drivers are being excluded solely because of their specific immigration status and regardless of their driving histories, skills, knowledge, or English proficiency.  Rajiv Narayan: We heard from, the executive director of Asian Refugees United, who [00:29:00] spoke about the experience of Bhutanese refugees who have been rendered stateless by the current administration's, deportation efforts Robin Gurung – ARU: Because of the ethnic cleansing campaign of Bhutan government, more than hundred thousand Bhutanese citizens were forced to flee the country. For twenty years, I lived in a refugee camp in Nepal. In 2008, the government of this country came to rescue us. We were promised safety and security. But last year, that promise was broken. As of March 2025, over seventy of our community members are deported to Bhutan, the same country that persecuted us and made us refugees. These community members are kidnapped from their homes and jobs. They have been taken from their routine ICE check-ins. We know due process was not followed. Rajiv Narayan: We also heard from the executive director of Raksha, a domestic violence organization based in the Southern United States that has played an instrumental role in supporting South Asians who have been the victims [00:30:00] and who are now survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence, about the needs for supporting these kinds of organizations, with federal dollars and through the grant-making systems conditions. Aparna Bhattacharyya – Raksha: For thirty years, we have supported community members in navigating interpersonal violence, but also waves of racism and policy backlash.  South Asian and Indo-Caribbean survivors need safe places to turn, safe places that speak their language, understand their unique immigration and cultural needs. Raksha recently had $700,000 in OVC grants terminated by DOGE. additionally, we are still waiting for OVW sexual assault cultural funds for five months, where we have gotten no determination of whether we're getting that funding or not. Five months. Rajiv Narayan: We also heard from, the director of the South Asian American Justice Collaborative, which is currently, before the US Supreme Court in the birthright citizenship case, and [00:31:00] filed this foundational amicus brief detailing the story of South Asians in the United States going back to the 1600s. Klapana Peddibhotla – SAAJCO: Our brief pushes back against this notion that we are forever foreign.  South Asians actually arrived on these shores in the sixteen hundreds, and by the seventeen hundreds, South Asians were already asserting their rights here. In an Afghan immigrant actually fought in the Civil War in the Union Army. by the late nineteenth century, the largest farming group in Central California was formed by Punjabis. Today, South Asians are one of the largest immigrant populations in the US, but many families are caught in immigration backlogs that last for decades and make them vulnerable to the President's executive order restricting birthright citizenship. Rajiv Narayan: Across all of these speakers, you know, the, the, the message became very clear that we have so many different struggles, but they're all [00:32:00] united by a sense of solidarity for each other's political experiences under the same system of exploitation and oppression, and that there, there's so much that Congress can do in this moment to support the South Asian diaspora in the United States and, and even abroad in some cases. for ASATA Power's part, we, had the opportunity to put together over the course of the last year a policy brief on undocumented South Asians, and it was during the congressional briefing that we shared some pretty startling statistics that we, collected and collated from a number of public sources. And so what we were able to identify for the room is that there are about eight hundred thousand to nine hundred thousand undocumented South Asians in the United States, and because there are only six point five million South Asians in the US, both those who are undocumented and those who have birthright citizenship or are otherwise naturalized, refugees, asylees, and, and everyone in between. Of those six point five million South Asians One in eight of [00:33:00] them is undocumented, which is shocking and not something that somebody would understand at the outset given these problematic narratives like the model minority myth and whatever you see these days on X or Twitter about South Asian immigrants. So it's important for us not only to, to set the narrative straight and to identify both the diversity and opportunity for solidarity across our struggles, but to do so in the halls of power and to speak that truth to power directly. Miata Tan : That's Rajiv with ASATA Power reflecting on a recent congressional briefing in Washington, DC he helped to organize alongside other progressive South Asian leaders, organizers, and activists. Here's a snippet of Rajiv's opening remarks at the briefing Rajiv Narayan: I want to draw your attention to the slide behind me, they'll show a couple of images of South Asian community members who've been impacted recently by the horrific policies and practices of the federal administration. These members include Sheraz Fatehali Sachwani, a forty-eight-year-old citizen of Pakistan who died in ICE [00:34:00] detention last December. They include seventy-three-year-old Harjit Kaur, who was arrested during a routine ICE check-in, separated from her family, and deported to India without notice. I should say, I grew up seeing Harjit Kaur behind the counter at Sari Palace in Berkeley. She would help my mom try on saris. Her home was here. Her community was here. You know, these are just some of the names and stories of community members who have been affected by immigration policy as of late, and we hope that you will keep them in mind as you hear from our speakers today. There are many more we were not able to picture or name, but their stories are just as important. We'll be making many asks over the course of today's briefing. Some of those include the following: Congress should not increase funding for ICE or Border Patrol, including providing funds for detention facilities, especially in this funding moment. We have to remember that ICE is not a long-standing American institution. It was created in two thousand and two, recently, as part of the Homeland Security Act following nine [00:35:00] eleven. Miata Tan : That was Rajiv Narayan with ASATA Power speaking at a recent congressional briefing in Washington, DC. The briefing was part of a larger national convening organized by the South Asian Coalition, bringing together progressive South Asian groups from across the country. Now let's return to Deepa Iyer, who leads projects on solidarity and social movements at Building Movement Project here's Deepa reflecting on her takeaways from the congressional briefing Deepa Iyer: I think that there were so many pieces in that briefing that maybe people didn't know about that organizations are struggling with, and part of it is that, um, our communities, and Sabihah said this earlier, are not a monolith, right? And there are so many different ways in which we are experiencing what is happening right now in the United States, the fractures and the fissures that we're seeing. Rajiv spoke so well about the community needs and issues. One thing I'll lift up is actually the impact on nonprofit [00:36:00] organizations. Several of the groups that were, uh, speaking at the briefing noted how the attacks on nonprofits that are specifically working on issues like immigration in terms of losing federal funding and grants, being forced to certify that they are not addressing issues work that deal with undocumented immigrants, as well as the ways in which, um, nonprofit organizations are being, in some ways, seen as doing risky and un-American work. there is the, the exploitation of domestic terrorism as a frame that is being used right now to target certain nonprofit organizations. This is something that I think is not necessarily known to many people in terms of the ways in which national security, immigration issues are also affecting the nonprofit sector as a whole. And where I work at the Building Movement Project, we really look at the nonprofit sector and the health of the nonprofit sector, and we're [00:37:00] seeing that these types of external threats, the spotlight on organizations that are on the front lines, including South Asian groups, um, Muslim groups, Palestinian groups, that are working with, um, immigrant communities, queer and trans community members that are providing- Vital language access, service provision, community safety are really under threat right now, and this includes many of the organizations that were present at the, coalition's convening. So that's something that I also wanna lift up, that in addition to our communities who are facing the impact of the current moment in really acute ways, our nonprofit sector and our organizations are also dealing with a range of constraints and threats and difficulties. So that is one thing that came up over and over again. Miata Tan : That was Deepa Iyer with the Building Movement Project, highlighting the pressures facing the nonprofit sector right now, [00:38:00] especially as it relates to South Asian organizers, advocates, and communities. Let's return to Farah Mahesri with ASATA Pawa.  Farah Mahersi: One of the other things that I am very proud of for this congressional briefing that we did was that it was us telling our own stories and us presenting our own policy recommendations. There was no need to have, like, an expert come in and talk on behalf of our communities or try to represent our communities. We were the experts in the room, and we were really recognized and seen as that. As Rajiv mentioned, you know, there, the room was packed with Hill staffers and congressional staffers who were taking diligent notes as we spoke our truths Miata Tan : That was Farah Mahesri with ASATA Pawa reflecting on the recent congressional briefing she helped to organize, one that brought greater visibility to the experiences of South Asian immigrants. You'll hear more on how South Asian activists, organizers, and community groups [00:39:00] are mobilizing after this. Stay with us ​ Miata Tan : [00:40:00] [00:41:00] [00:42:00] That was Lion on the Hunt by Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. You are tuned into APEX Express on 94.1 KPFA, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. I'm your host, Miata Tan. Tonight, we're talking about South Asian organizing in the United States and how community leaders are responding to immigration challenges, political representation, and the shifting landscape of civil rights back in March, organizers and advocates from across the country gathered in Washington, DC for a national convening focused on the challenges and possibilities facing South Asian communities today. Here's Rajiv Narayan with the Alliance of [00:43:00] South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA, reflecting on the importance of honoring both the diversity of the South Asian diaspora and the shared struggle that connects these communities Rajiv Narayan: Something I appreciate about, your work, Miata, at APEX Express, is to highlight both that diversity of the South Asian diaspora and the many struggles and experiences that unite our political experiences and our commitment to social justice. It, it used to be, and in, in some places it still is the case, that folks will use an over-broad group to represent all of the South Asian diaspora. For example, talking about all Brown people as Indian or Desi or to, to collapse all the differences in our community. And part of the power of the congressional briefing is that we are able to show that what it means to be South Asian is at once an incredibly diverse expression and at the same time a collective expression of solidarity. We can do two of these things at the same time. We can recognize our differences and fight for each other. One of my [00:44:00] favorite takeaways that I, I heard from Deepa at the briefing is that there are some staffers that came up to her and said, “I've never heard my story, my experience, my political struggles represented in a panel in this building in front of other congressional staffers.” And that's something that we can do, and we should do more of. There are so many ways in which we can tell the stories and highlight the campaigns of folks from different parts of the South Asian diaspora who are all fighting for a better life for all of us. Miata Tan : That was Rajiv Narayan with ASATA, in the recent congressional briefing that Rajiv helped to organize through the South Asian Coalition, organizers also pointed toward the future of South Asian organizing in the United States and the role of a new generation shaping it. back to Deepa Iyer with Building Movement Project. Here, Deepa Iyer: Some of the young folks that are entering or working at nonprofits now, supporting South Asian nonprofits don't have a living memory of 9/11 and the global war on terror, [00:45:00] and they have been politicized in different ways, right, over the last eight years, for example, the pandemic global wars, et cetera. And so there are a couple of ways in which I've been thinking about how we can support South Asian young people. so for example, how can we share historical analysis and political analysis so that young people understand that they are part of a trajectory of South Asian activism that actually started well before 9/11, before the 1960s, right, and that continues to today, so they don't feel fragmented. So that's something I've been sitting with a lot. Another is around pathways into public service and community service and into the nonprofit sector. So how could we support young people in terms of building their skills, in having pathways open to them into our nonprofit organizations? And then finally, how do we support them, um, so that they, can do this work for the long run? You know, we all struggle with burnout, we all [00:46:00] struggle with sustainability. what are some lessons learned that we can pass on? What are some best practices? that's something that's been sitting with me quite a bit since the gathering that we had, and I hope that the coalition will really think about, supporting young people's leadership and finding different avenues and pathways to do that. Miata Tan : That was Deepa Iyer reflecting on how movements can better support the next generation of South Asian organizers. Within the South Asian coalition, that work also means building long-term infrastructure for better collaboration. Now back to Sabiha Basrai with ASATA. Sabiha Basrai: I'm also really appreciating that the South Asian Coalition is this model for creating a container for many, many organizations to unite as a group while maintaining regional focus and individual issue priorities. I also wanna name that the place where I first learned how to do national coalition work was as a member of the National South Asian Coalition that ASATA had been part of. [00:47:00] It was facilitated by a group called SALT which played such a critical role in the post 9/11 era and continued to then work on DACA, creating resources for undocumented South Asians, along with other issues facing our diverse diasporas. And SALT closed a few years ago. It was a decision that I don't understand and was- has really left me with a lot of sadness and confusion. but I al- I know that sometimes institutions do end, but that the work does not end and the relationships do not end. And the South Asian Coalition is this emergent space that, um, is not led by any one organization. it is a space that is being invested in collectively, and we're really moving at the speed of trust so that we can be really laying that strong foundation that supports the work ahead. I'm really sitting with the ways in which sometimes this labor of Building the container, creating the container, [00:48:00] investing in the network. It's sometimes invisible labor, but it is the most critical because without it we can have moments of mass mobilization, but then that wasn't actually building any power over the long term. And I'm really looking forward to all of the very good work ahead, because I trust the relationships and the containers that we're building. Miata Tan : That was Sabiha reflecting on the collaborative infrastructure that the South Asian Coalition is helping to build. Now let's return to Deepa Iyer. I asked Deepa what campaigns are on the horizon for the coalition, especially as this year marks 25 years since 9/11. Deepa Iyer: As Sabiha mentioned, the coalition is a space for invested leadership, and so there are lots of different campaigns that groups within the coalition are eyeing and taking on. One of them Rajiv mentioned already is the fight around birthright citizenship. And so there are groups like SACHCO and others that showed up with a South Asian [00:49:00] delegation at the Supreme Court on April 1st when that case was being heard, and it was really great to see so many South Asians out there in a delegation along with other communities, to raise their voices on this really vital, pivotal issue. And so that is a campaign that some of the groups within the coalition are going to continue to be lifting up as we get the results of that case and moving forward. Another one that you mentioned, is around the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and there are groups that are considering, along with others in other movement spaces what does narrative strategy look like as we go into this time period? How do we think about the fact that we're marking the 25th anniversary in the same year that we're marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, right? how do we use 9/11 and its anniversary as a lens through which we understand empire, through which we understand the ways in which domestic [00:50:00] policies are being recirculated against other communities? And also this piece around awareness and education. this is an opportunity to share some of the personal experiences that many of us have around that moment in time, but also the ways in which our communities have built up themselves as well as the solidarity with other communities. So I think there are lots of ways in which organizations are thinking about that anniversary and how they can, utilize that moment, to draw greater attention to our community's experiences. Miata Tan : Rajiv, Farah, would you like to add anything about upcoming campaigns and how you're thinking about the South Asian political power movement moving forwards?  Rajiv Narayan: Yeah, I'm happy to talk about one sort of continuing campaign, which is that, like I mentioned, we put together this policy brief on undocumented South Asians, and we had this great opportunity to circulate and talk about it on Capitol Hill in DC. But it's also important for us to bring that story home. And so part of [00:51:00] what we'll be doing, um, for the remainder of, of this year is identifying opportunities to do town halls both, with community members and potentially with elected officials to help educate, do political education about the nature of undocumented peoples in the South Asian community. A large part of what we did in that policy brief is to collate all these numbers to tell you, how many folks might be undocumented, what is the proportion of undocumented people in the South Asian community. But an important, equally important contribution of that report is the nature of undocumented experiences. Why do people become undocumented? What are the factors that put them in that position, and what does it mean for a person to become undocumented? How can we support them, not just in different policy prescriptions, but also the ways that we talk about undocumented people and the South Asian community as a whole? So that'll, that'll be, um, a focus that we have, uh, and a contribution that we hope to make both in the, the Bay Area and beyond.  Farah Mahersi: I'll add to that, that it is election year. It is [00:52:00] a… I feel like we say every election is a critical election, and I do believe that that is very true this year. And so ASATA Power, as a political organization, will be making endorsements and talking through not just that it is important to vote, but it is really important and critical for us in this moment to vote for progressive candidates who are part of our, what is often called like a build coalition, who are here to help us build this world that we are dreaming of, who are aligned on policy positions. The other thing that we are working on locally and nationally is around the war budget. So as a group that has been so directly impacted by the global war on terror 4.5 million Muslims around the world who have been killed by US war-making in that global war on terror, and just watching kind of what the United States foreign policy in particular over the last couple of years has been, we have a particular point of view and a particular interest on tracking and watching things like the [00:53:00] largest, request for a defense budget in US history. How are those dollars being spent, And how those dollars that are being spent abroad to do war-making are also having a boomerang effect and coming back to impact our communities at home. So the same technologies that were developed and used in war-making through the global war on terror that impacted, uh, so many of our communities around the world for 25 years, a lot of that is the same technology that ICE is now using to go after undocumented South Asians in the United States, right? And so that's another way in which we really see our struggles are interconnected, and that we are wanting to dismantle als- a lot of these systems of harm, and also, again, at that intersection between both hate violence and state oppression that's happening. Miata Tan : That was Farah Mahestri with ASATA and ASATA Power. As she shared, ASATA Power is focused on the midterm elections and how war spending and post 9/11 policies continue to affect South Asian communities today. [00:54:00] To close out, we return to another ASATA organizer, Sabiha Basrai. Sabiha Basrai: So I wanted to bring the conversation back locally to the Bay Area again, and just thinking about, the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, which is, part of a network of AAPI and Asian organizing in the Bay Area as a space where South Asians progressive South Asians can actually build community, sharpen our political analysis, embrace our responsibilities here in the Bay Area in this political moment. And just also, lifting up that ASATA currently is working on things like the Oakland Arms Embargo or local community defense against ICE , environmental justice projects, and also looking for more ways to fight supremacist ideologies of Hindutva but in collaboration with anti-Zionist Jewish community activists. these are opportunities that we have here in the Bay Area. And also thinking about ways that we participate in mobilizations. Like, we show up for Reclaim MLK Day, [00:55:00] International Working Women's Day, May Day, the Trans March every year because we understand our responsibility to show up and to show up consistently. And so when I think about the South Asian Coalition and this moment of, okay, we've been trying to- we've built- been building towards this convening and this congressional briefing, and now we're on the other side of this moment, and we are kind of reflecting and coming back together around how we maintain this energy. Also wanted to highlight,  Some of the amazing work that many of our coalition members are, are already doing. One is Savaira, so Savaira United Against Supremacy is actually a coalition of work as well, they focused, their energy on addressing Hindu nationalism and and Hindutva ideology and the, and the many ways in which, the supremacist ideology is kind of insidiously part of institutions, policy even cultural work, uh, within our diaspora. they're so committed to both, like, [00:56:00] resisting the tides of hatred but also combating all forms of supremacist politics and the intersections between them. so their, their work has been a big part of my political education, and I'm really glad that they're part of this coalition. Every member of the coalition is bringing analysis and experience that cross-pollinates to the rest of us. So I'm looking forward to just more of that   also considering what ASATA's role is and how ASATA working in the Bay Area alongside so many other amazing organizing projects here can be strengthening those relationships nationally. Miata Tan : That was Sabiha Basrai with the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, or ASATA.  This is APEX Express on 94.1 KPFA, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. APEX Express airs every Thursday evening at 7:00 PM. And with that, we're at the end of our time here [00:57:00] tonight. We really appreciate you for tuning in to listen, and a huge thank you to our wonderful guests. For a transcript of tonight's episode, please visit our website. That's kpfa.org/program/apex-express  We've also added links on the episode page for tonight's show so you can learn more about the South Asian Coalition, ASATA, and all of the organizations we've talked about tonight, along with their upcoming campaigns as well. APEX Express is produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Miata Tan, Preeti Mangala Shekar and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's show was produced by me, Miata Tan. Get some rest y'all. The post APEX Express – 5.28.26 – Building South Asian Power appeared first on KPFA.

Hop aboard the magical Culture Train for a brand new adventure, then switch tracks and climb into a real-life 18-wheeler as we hit the highway with our new friend, Mr. Avie

Why have we become so good at identifying what's wrong in society, but struggle to imagine a solution for them? How do visionary leaders, reformers and saints think, view and act in the world? What place can we take refuge in when we want clarity to our most burning questions? And what is the true meaning of service, and how can we make our spirituality more practical Find out from Simran Jeet Singh—and from the great saints of Sikhism—exclusively in conversation with Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa on Intersections Podcast.An award-winning educator, acclaimed author, sought-after speaker and renowned faith leader, Simran Jeet Singh is a professor of history at the historic Union Theological Seminary, Executive Director of the Inclusive America Project at the Aspen Institute, Senior Fellow for the Sikh Coalition and host of the Wisdom & Practice podcast. Simran's thought leadership on bias, empathy, and justice extends across corporate, university, and government settings, and has been invited to speak at prestigious institutions including Stanford University, Fortune 500 companies, The White House and Pentagon. Simran writes regularly for The Washington Post, CNN, TIME Magazine, Harvard Business Review, and Religion News Service, and is the author of the national bestseller, The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life and the award-winning children's book, Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon.

In the kickoff episode of Faith in Elections, host Jenan Mohajir speaks with Yashpreet Singh Matharu from the Sikh Coalition and Dani Levine from Hillel International. Both guests share how their faith traditions motivate young people to engage in the democratic process, highlighting the importance of civic involvement within the Sikh and Jewish communities. Yashpreet emphasizes the Sikh principle of seva (selfless service), while Dani reflects on musar (Jewish ethical practice) as guiding frameworks for their work. They discuss the unique challenges their communities face in the 2024 election, strategies to bridge generational gaps, and why protecting a free and fair democratic process is among their highest priorities. Guest Bios: Yashpreet Singh Matharu, Community Development Manager at the Sikh Coalition, is dedicated to empowering young Sikh leaders and fostering civic engagement. Drawing from his experience growing up as an interpreter for his Punjabi parents, Yashpreet turned his passion for community advocacy into action by working with Michigan State Representative Ranjeev Puri. Now, he focuses on connecting Sikh student associations and volunteers nationwide, promoting civil rights, interfaith solidarity, and awareness of Sikh culture.A key part of Yashpreet's work is leading a fellowship program aimed at mobilizing young Sikhs to engage their communities in the democratic process. By equipping youth with tools to navigate U.S. politics, he hopes to bridge generational gaps and increase civic participation within the Sikh community, ensuring their voices are heard and represented in the political landscape.Dani Levine is the Senior Director of Social Impact at Hillel International. Dani brings extensive experience in Jewish social justice work to her role at Hillel, including a decade of work at Avodah. Dani holds a BA in Environmental Studies and Comparative American Studies from Oberlin College, and a Masters of Public Health with a focus on Environmental Health and Policy from Tulane University. Outside of work, Dani is actively involved in her local New Orleans and Jewish community, where she lives with her wife and three children. Embracing the local food, music, and culture, Dani finds inspiration away from the desk. Through her career and community engagement, Dani is inspired by Jewish values and practice to work towards co-creating a more just world.Visit Interfaith America to learn more about the organization and this podcast. Learn more about how you can support your community this election season with Interfaith America's Faith in Elections Playbook. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with new episodes, interfaith stories, and our programs.

Join us as we welcome Savleen and Upneet from the Sikh Coalition's Education team. In this special episode, we learn about the importance of the Sikh faith, discovering the richness of Sikh traditions and values. Savleen and Upneet share insights into the Sikh Coalition's mission as the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States. Discover the significance of turbans and patkas, the importance of langar (community kitchen), and the welcoming atmosphere of Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship). Learn about the teachings of Sikhism, including equality, compassion, and community service. The conversation dives into the spiritual aspect of wearing turbans and how it symbolizes a commitment to help others. Whether you're familiar with Sikhism or new to the culture, this episode provides an in-depth journey into the Sikh faith, emphasizing the beauty of understanding and respecting different traditions. To explore more resources and learn about Sikh Coalition's educational initiatives, visit SikhCoalition.org or contact them at education@sikhcoalition.org. Follow them on social media for updates and insights. Birthday shoutouts, comments and more: hello@culturekidsmedia.com If you are an educator looking to see how your students can participate in our future episodes, email us at: hello@culturekidsmedia.com Check out our IG page: @culturekidsmedia Website: http://culturekidsmedia.com

Today's episode features Anisha Singh, the Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition – the most prominent Sikh civil rights organization in the U.S. Wondering what Anisha does? She's been at the forefront of combatting hate crimes and ensuring the Sikh community's rights are upheld nationwide. With a background working with big names like the Planned Parenthood Federation and the Center for American Progress, Anisha is licensed to practice law and even secured a significant win in a discrimination case against the U.S. Army. Join me as Anisha, and I dive into an inspiring conversation about the Sikh Coalition's game-changing work and what drives her passion for justice and equality for all.  Join the conversation: Instagram @immigrantlypod | Twitter @immigrantly_pod | Youtube @immigrantlypod | Tiktok @Immigrantlypodcast Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us!  Host & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Michaela Strauther & Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson Other Music: Epidemic Sound You can connect with Saadia on Twitter @swkkhan Email: saadia@immigrantlypod.com

This episode's Community Champion Sponsor is Catalyst. To virtually tour Catalyst and claim your space on campus, or host an upcoming event: CLICK HERE---Episode Overview: During this episode, we chat with Narinder Singh, co-founder, and CEO of LookDeep Health, an innovative company leveraging AI and computer vision to revolutionize virtual care in the hospital. Motivated by his mother's harrowing healthcare journey, Narinder brings an outsider's perspective to solving systemic access issues of continuously monitoring patients that drive healthy outcomes. While together, Narinder shares how LookDeep Health enables hospital-wide video surveillance through affordable hardware and software, while nudging providers' attention via AI. Narinder unpacks the virtual command center experience for clinicians and feedback from nurses who feel they finally "have more resources" with LookDeep's technology. We also discuss the measured approach to implementing human and AI collaboration and the mindset shifts required in skeptical healthcare settings. Join us to gain inspiration from Narinder's passion for applying technology to ease care provider burdens and keep patients safe. Let's go! Episode Highlights:Narinder's personal healthcare crisis revealed gaps in hospital care and monitoring.LookDeep uses computer vision and AI to monitor patients hospital-wide continuously.Affordable hardware model enables ubiquitous video surveillance and virtual monitoring.Feedback shows nurses feel like they "have more resources" supporting patients.Thoughtful change management is key for human-AI collaboration in healthcare. About our Guest: Narinder is co-founder and CEO of LookDeep Health. Prior to that, he was co-founder and president of Appirio, a pioneer in cloud computing and the first cloud investment of Salesforce.com and Sequoia Capital. Appirio grew to over 1,200 employees and was acquired by Wipro in 2016. Previous to Appirio, Narinder worked in the Office of the CEO at SAP and ran product development at webMethods.He holds a BS from Northwestern, an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Masters in Translational Medicine from The University of California, San Francisco and Berkeley. He serves on the boards of Par Technologies (NYSE:PAR) and the Sikh Coalition.Links Supporting This Episode:LookDeep Health Website: CLICK HERENarinder Singh LinkedIn page: CLICK HERENarinder Singh Twitter page: CLICK HERE Mike Biselli LinkedIn page: CLICK HEREMike Biselli Twitter page: CLICK HEREVisit our website: CLICK HERESubscribe to newsletter: CLICK HEREGuest nomination form: CLICK HERE

Next time on State of Belief Radio, Celebrating Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month. With half-a-million followers in the United States, the Sikh religion adds a rich cultural and spiritual influence to the beautiful diversity of this country. Activist and attorney Anisha Singh is Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the US. Also, journalist Jon Ward. After spending the first decades of his life inside the bubble of American evangelical Christianity, he later chronicled the impact of political religion in America as a journalist and White House correspondent. Jon is the chief national correspondent for Yahoo News, and has just published a new book titled, Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation.

Ravjot Mehek Singh is an award winning Indian American Film and TV Director and art activist. With many multifaceted successes under her belt at a very young age, many Indian and American magazines and news outlets refer to her as one of the youngest female directors in Bollywood and one of the only openly LGBTQ+ women directors in South Asia. By the time she was 21, she had directed 3 television talk shows for Dish Network through the largest Asian American TV channel Jus Punjabi. She began directing major Bollywood music videos and was listed as being the youngest ever female music video director to ever be launched by T-Series (India's largest record label) in 2021.Ravjot's work also takes on installation artwork which has been featured in major galleries such as the Guggenheim Museum in New York City in collaboration with other talented artists and in various art galleries in New England, USA. As a LGBTQ+ activist, she has been featured in countless magazines, articles, and shows including Harper's Bazaar and Cosmopolitan magazine. Her work is often likened to that of the Guerrilla Girls.Her film and art activism work is driven by a passion to create lasting change not only in the entertainment field, but in society. Her documentary feature debut, "I Stand With Jessy", was not only awarded best documentary at the Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival (one of India's largest film festivals) in India in 2017 amongst other film festival wins, but also made waves in local legislation to provide better health-care for low income women. An advocate for change through art, Ravjot constantly works with large scale organizations such as Phenomenal, Impact, Sikh Coalition, PBS, and YWCA to create change and advocate for a better, more just future. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/shernivision/message

IANR 2244 102922 Line Up 3pm IAN UNPLUGGED Jay & Sanchali play the current affairs quiz “I Think I Know This” with Ajay Ketkar, Mukund Belavadi & Kiran Ketkar Here's the guest line-up for Sat, Oct 29, 2022 from 4 to 6pm CST on Indo American News Radio (www.IndoAmerican-news.com), a production of Indo American News. We are on 98.7 FM and you can also listen on the masalaradio app (www.masalaradio.com) By Monday, hear the recorded show on Podcast uploaded on Spotify, Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indo-american-news-radio-houston-tx/id1512586620 ) Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Radio Public and Breaker. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE PODCAST CHANNEL TO BE NOTIFIED OF NEW UPDATES. THEN JUST CLICK TO LISTEN!! INTERVIEWS 4:20 pm We turn again today to our regular guest, Immigration Attorney George Willy, for an update to a visa classification - 1EP - which has received little publicity but holds great value for those wishing to stay in the US for long periods. George will explain how the procedure works for this category. 4;50 pm We all can think of many inventions and discoveries that have changed our world, from the wheel to the cell phone, but there are some basic technologies that altered the way we live and evolved. Ashok Rao has spent a lot of time and thought researching them. He joins us today in the first of a series of six episodes to explain these, starting with the technology of glass. 5:20 pm Manpreet Singh, who also goes by Monica, is running in the race for Harris County Judge Civil Court at Law 4. She has been a practicing attorney for 20 years and has tried numerous civil rights cases. She is on the Board of the ACLU of Texas, The Texas Lyceum and the Sikh Coalition. We talk with her about her race and what makes her uniquely qualified to win the position. Also stay tuned in for news roundup, views, sports and movie reviews TO BE FEATURED ON THE SHOW, OR TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CONTACT US AT 713-789-6397 or at indoamericannews@yahoo.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/indo-american-news-radio/support

On this episode of "Come Pray with Me" I interview Angad Pal Singh from Gurdwara Sikh Sangat Boston. He will be sharing the relationship Sikhi have with Waheguru, how Gurdwaras adapted to COVID-19 regulations, and the meaning behind sacred garbs Sikhi wear, often referred to as "the five k's".   One of the major texts of Sikhism is the Guru Granth Sahib, which can be found here for free https://app.gurugranthsahib.io/.   This episode features discussion of violent hate crimes and discrimination against Sikhi that may be upsetting to some audience members. Listener discretion is advised. Nonprofits that aid Sikhi who have faced discrimination include United Sikhs and Sikh Coalition, which can be found here. https://unitedsikhs.org/about/ https://www.sikhcoalition.org/.   This episode is dedicated to the Sikhi, whose faith and devotion to justice inspired the creation of this podcast.  This episode was edited by Ashley Trammell.

A UNC Charlotte student was handcuffed as campus police investigated his religious ceremonial knife that he was wearing on his chest. From WSOC-TV: According to a message sent to the UNC Charlotte community Friday, campus police responded to a 911 call regarding someone with a knife Thursday. Once at the student union, officers approached the person and put them in handcuffs. During the interaction, the university said police took an item from the person and then removed the handcuffs. After further investigation, university officials said the object was a kirpan, an article of faith in Sikhism. According to the Sikh Coalition, an organization that defends the civil rights of members of the religion, initiated Sikhs must have articles of faith with them at all times. According to the statement from UNCC, state law and university policy “prohibit the possession of a knife or other edged instruments on campus.”  Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Simran Jeet Singh is columnist for Religion News Service, Senior Fellow at the Sikh Coalition, Chaplain at New York University and Columbia University, and serves on the Governor's Interfaith Advisory Committee for the State of New York. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About Prabhjot:Prabhjot Singh is a serial entrepreneur who has started multiple for-profit, social enterprise, and non-profit ventures. He serves as President and CEO of Pyze, the most recent company he founded to enable the world's largest enterprises to improve business operations through AI-driven Process Intelligence and Analytics. He has over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, and product management. He previously co-founded Pixatel Systems, a social enterprise that utilizes mobile computing to deploy apps and e-Learning solutions to millions of users. Prabhjot is an active participant in community and philanthropic affairs. He was the Founding Chairman of the Sikh Coalition, the nation's largest Sikh Civil Rights organization.Topics we discussed: 1. Prabhjot's Core values that drives his life and business decision 2. Prabhjot's entrepreneur journey so far.3. How Pyze brings Operational excellence .4. Pyze's customer's success stories Contact Prabhjot athttps://www.pyze.com/https://www.facebook.com/PyzeInc/https://twitter.com/PyzeInchttps://www.linkedin.com/company/3574122/https://www.linkedin.com/in/psinghsf/-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please send me your feedback , your key takeaways from this episode, any topics you would like me to cover, any concerns and questions at showupwithpriyanka@gmail.comYou can connect with me at Facebook PageInstagramLinkedinWork with me:Systems and High Performing Team saves more than just the sale. When you have amazing leaders, positive contagious team culture and a powerful system in place, you will be able to run epic promotions, increase your sales, & scale your company beyond what you think is possible.You create a highly functioning team that operates from strengths and leverage and automate your systems to scale.

Sat Pavan Kaur was born into the 3HO community and Sikh Religion. She spent her childhood moving around to various 3HO communities. At the age of 8, she was sent to India with 120 other children to go to boarding school leaving her family back in the US. At 16, she would be taken out of school and join YBs personal staff. In the last couple of years, she has left the Cult but stayed within the greater Sikh community. She is one of the many women that was abused by Yogi Bhajan. She has had to unravel her life, the good, the bad, and the horror that she experienced growing up in the 3HO community; the abuse she was subjected to, the toll it took on her and her husband, and the clear choices she made to raise her children differently from how she was raised. She has been teaching and performing dance for the last 30 years to people of all ages and backgrounds. She is passionate about teaching and inspiring creativity, confidence, and individuality in her students, especially the younger generation which has been a hugely positive outlet for her. Satpavan is also a musician who plays Kirtan and has played Sikh religious music since she was a young girl and continues to do so. Her music, along with dance has kept her going by providing a sense of healing throughout her life. She lives with her two children and husband of 27 years, raising her family and working hard to be a good person and do good in the world around her. Sat is also featured in the Vice documentary The Dark Empire of Yogi Bhajan which is available now. In this second conversation with Rachel, Satpavan fills in some of the missing parts of the story she shared with us last week. She dives deep into the corruption but also incredible successes of the many businesses that members of the 3HO community built, explaining how YB would enrich himself while his devotees struggle to survive. Rachel shares her insights on why followers have remained devoted to YB even after his death while Satpavan explains why she still has empathy for those who continue to defend him. Before You Go: Rachel discusses how cult leaders and abusers are often not bounded by logic and explains why their victims can sometimes suffer in silence for so long. For more information on Sikhism, Sat Pavan recommends these healthy organizations run by good people whose voices represent the Sikh community: Khalsa Aid, Sikh Coalition, Sikh Legal Defense Fund, Valerie Kaur, Art by Ruby, Ramblings of a Sikh, Khalra Mission You can see the documentary The Dark Empire of Yogi Bhajan | True Believers here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfr5jKauwtE Thanks to all of our newest Patreon supporters: Amrit K Khalsa, Natalie Zett, Maria Campbell, Mo Hellbender, Ruth Crossman, Ms.Kyle, Kerry Ose, and Amy Tiemann!! To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination You can help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!

Sat Pavan Kaur was born into the 3HO community and Sikh Religion. She spent her childhood moving around to various 3HO communities. At the age of 8, she was sent to India with 120 other children to go to boarding school leaving her family back in the US. At 16, she would be taken out of school and join Yogi Bajan's personal staff. In the last couple of years, she has left the Cult but stayed within the greater Sikh community. She is one of the many women that was abused by Yogi Bhajan. She has had to unravel her life, the good, the bad, and the horror that she experienced growing up in the 3HO community; the abuse she was subjected to, the toll it took on her and her husband, and the clear choices she made to raise her children differently from how she was raised. Sat Pavan now lives with her two children and husband of 27 years, raising her family and working hard to be a good person and do good in the world around her. She has been teaching and performing dance for the last 30 years to people of all ages and backgrounds, and is passionate about teaching and inspiring creativity, confidence, and individuality in her students, especially the younger generation which has been a hugely positive outlet for her. Satpavan is also a musician who plays Kirtan and has played Sikh religious music since she was a young girl and continues to do so. Her music, along with dance has kept her going by providing a sense of healing throughout her life. In this intimate conversation, Sat Pavan shares a full portrait of her life being born into the 3HO cult, from how her parents were pulled in to her childhood development as she was whisked away from one unsafe situation to another. Sat expertly points out the key moments of indoctrination, suffering, and, red flags she experienced throughout her decades involved with 3HO and it's monstrous guru. Throughout her story, Rachel offers insights from a psychological perspective to help explain the cult dynamics at play in her experiences and together they look forward to the healing that is to come in the future. Before You Go: Rachel explains why people who have survived intense trauma compartmentalize their emotions and often seem to downplay their suffering outwardly. She warns of the "realization trauma" that can occur as survivors uncover their own reality for the first time. For more information on Sikhism, Sat Pavan recommends these healthy organizations run by good people whose voices represent the Sikh community: Khalsa Aid, Sikh Coalition, Sikh Legal Defense Fund, Valerie Kaur, Art by Ruby, Ramblings of a Sikh, Khalra Mission You can see the documentary The Dark Empire of Yogi Bhajan | True Believers here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfr5jKauwtE Hear our episode with Jules Hartley on her 3HO experience here: https://soundcloud.com/indoctrinationshow/jules-hartley?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing Hear our episodes with Phillip Deslipe and Stacie Stukin on the Olive Branch Report here: Part 1: https://soundcloud.com/indoctrinationshow/stacy-phillip-pt-1 Part 2: https://soundcloud.com/indoctrinationshow/stacy-phillip-pt-2-revised Read Stacie's groundbreaking article on YB's abuses here: https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/yogi-bhajan/ Thanks to all of our newest Patreon supporters: Amelia Brunner, Jon Butler, Ashley Moose and 4MileCircus !!! To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination You can help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!

On this episode of “Come Pray with Me” I collaborate with fellow Podcaster Avtar Singh from “The Sikh Coach”. His show focuses on information about the Sikh faith, as well as advice and discussion on current events and social issues. The show can be found here. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sikh-coach/id1493131881. If you would like to learn more about Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib is a major holy text of the faith and can be found for free with English translations here. https://igurudwara.com/guru-granth-sahib/. This episode briefly discusses an anti-Sikh hate crime, which may be distressing to some audience members. If you or someone you know has been affected by anti-Sikh hate, the Sikh Coalition provides free legal counsel and other forms of support. https://www.sikhcoalition.org/

"We need an institution that is there to protect our rights — that every kid in this country knows exists for them." Satjeet Kaur is the former Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States — where she's been involved for more than a decade leading as an organizer and activist providing direct support to Sikh communities across the country, responding to hate crimes, organizing advocacy, and mobilizing civil engagement. Satjeet was named as one of the 15 faith leaders to watch by the Center for American Progress. Most folks don't know that Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world, and something we learned is that part of the Sikh faith is standing out and speaking up. For Satjeet and the Sikh Coalition that means advancing civil rights for all underrepresented communities - which is really powerful, interesting, and inspiring work. Lots more in the shownotes below. Also, Satjeet's father's a rad scientist, and her mother-in-law's Saag is amazing. LEARN ABOUT SATJEET instagram.com/jeetopeeto twitter.com/jeetopeeto sikhcoalition.org linktr.ee/sikhcoalition MENTIONS Sikhism: wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism Sat Hari Singh: youtu.be/DguqOVOesTU Senate Bill S4037 “Prohibits discrimination against religious attire” nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/S4037 15 Faith Leaders to Watch: americanprogress.org/article/faith-leaders-watch-2020 Old Punjabi Movies: chandigarhmetro.com/classic-old-punjabi-movies-must-watch

Punam Kaji talks to Manpreet (Monica) Singh, running for Judge of the Harris County Civil Court at Law #4. Monica shares her journey as a court room lawyer, an activist for organizations like Sikh Coalition and ACLU Texas, and now as a candidate for Judge. She talks about her roots as a Houstonian, and a South Asian. Read more about her campaign on her website here. Learn more about WiseUp TX, volunteer, or donate on our website. The WiseUp TX podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and the WiseUp TX website. Also tune in on Radio Azad – download the app or 104.9 FM in Dallas. WiseUp TX is non-partisan and does not support any candidates or political party. But, we love to hear from South Asian candidates, and other candidates who want to talk to our South Asian followers! WiseUp TX interviews candidates who (1) reach out to us (2) are running in regions with Asian population density and/or (3) are of South Asian descent. For the general election, WiseUp TX makes an effort to reach out to key opponents.

Kanwar Singh, a technologist by day and also a Signal Officer in the US Army Massachusetts National Guard, joins Jerry to share about his journey to America to pursue higher education, what led to him joining the National Guard, and the challenges he has faced to ensure accommodation for him and others religious beliefs. We thank Officer Singh, the US Army, and the Department of Defense for making this interview possible.Meet Kanwar SinghFirst Lieutenant (1LT) Kanwar Singh is a financial services professional by training. After graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011, he enrolled at Harvard University. While at Harvard, then-Specialist (SPC) Singh attended a speech by Senator John McCain, who encouraged attendees to serve their country through the U.S. military. Inspired by this call to service, as well as the resilience of those who survived the Boston Marathon attack, then-SPC Singh applied to join the Army National Guard in Massachusetts in 2014.In June 2014, then-SPC Singh took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) exam and scored in the top one percent. Instead of embracing him and giving him an equal opportunity to prove his abilities, the U.S. military subjected him to a frustrating bureaucratic process that lasted nearly two years. In January 2015, then-SPC Singh joined Boston University's ROTC program and participated in all field exercises but was not permitted to do so in uniform. In May 2015, he was selected for the Massachusetts Army National Guard's State Officer Candidate School and later enlisted in the Massachusetts National Guard. At this point, then-SPC Singh submitted a religious accommodation request.While his request was pending, then-SPC Singh was segregated from his battalion and not issued an Army uniform. In December 2015, he met Secretary of Defense Ash Carter at a Harvard University event and publicly asked him whether he would support equal opportunity for Sikhs who wish to serve in the U.S. military. The Defense Secretary applauded then-SPC Singh's desire to serve and emphasized the importance of diversity in our nation's military.In March 2016, while his accommodation request was still pending, then-SPC Singh was asked if he would cut his hair and remove his turban in violation of his religion in order to attend Basic Combat Training. In response, the Sikh Coalition and its partners at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and the law firm McDermott Will & Emery filed a lawsuit on Specialist Singh's behalf.IMPACTIn response to our lawsuit, the U.S. Army realized that the law is not on its side. After nearly two years of perseverance, then-SPC Kanwar Singh was successfully accommodated by the Massachusetts Army National Guard. Consistent with the Army's promulgation of a new policy accommodating observant Sikhs, the Army issued a new accommodation for then-SPC Singh in January of 2017 that extends throughout his military career.In August 2018, then-Second Lieutenant (2LT) Kanwar Singh successfully graduated from Army Officer Candidate School as part of the Massachusetts Army National Guard. In February 2021, he was promoted to First Lieutenant. 1LT Singh is now responsible for leading soldiers during humanitarian, homeland security, and combat operations as a Signal Corps officer.(Source: SikhCoalition.org)Connect with KanwarInstagram: kanwar91 TikTok: @SikhSoldierKanwar in the media:USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/militarykind/2021/06/21/sikh-soldier-honors-religion-and-country/7773476002/Sikh Coalition: https://www.sikhcoalition.org/our-work/legal-and-policy/specialist-kanwar-singh/US Army: https://www.army.mil/article/239236/for_massachusetts_soldier_path_to_military_service_was_a_spiritual_one// Support Dear Asian Americans:Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/dearasianamericans/Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jerrywonLearn more about DAA Creator and Host Jerry Won:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerrywon/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jerryjwon/// Listen to Dear Asian Americans on all major platforms:Transistor.fm: http://www.dearasianamericans.comApple: https://apple.dearasianamericans.comSpotify: https://spotify.dearasianamericans.comStitcher: https://stitcher.dearasianamericans.comGoogle: https://google.dearasianamericans.com  Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dearasianamericans Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dearasianamericans Subscribe to our YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/dearasianamericans // Join the Asian Podcast Network:Web: https://asianpodcastnetwork.com/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/asianpodcastnetwork/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asianpodcastnetwork/Dear Asian Americans is produced by Just Like Media:Web: http://www.justlikemedia.comInstagram.com: http://www.instagram.com/justlikemedia

In this episode, I sit down with Prabhjot Singh - President and CEO of Pyze to discuss how the importance of having mentors in your journey, how to transition, the reality of entrepreneurship.He shared how he took time off from his marketing job to create a non-profit to fight hate crimes post 9/11. He learned how to start a venture from the ground up and he used this experience to create multiple startups. He talks about smart money and not-so-smart money in terms of raising capital for startups.About Prabhjot:Prabhjot Singh is a serial entrepreneur who has started multiple for-profit, social enterprise, and non-profit ventures. He serves as President and CEO of Pyze, the most recent company he founded to enable the world's largest enterprises to improve business operations utilizing AI-driven Process Intelligence and Analytics. He has over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, and product management. He previously co-founded Pixatel Systems, a social enterprise that utilizes mobile computing to deploy apps and e-Learning solutions to millions of users.Prabhjot served as VP Marketing at CA Technologies for the Application Performance Management (APM) business, where he was responsible for all marketing functions and helped execute the go-to-market strategy that grew the APM business over 300% in 4 years. Before CA, he was an early employee at Wily Technology and served in a number of key customer-facing and marketing roles. Wily was acquired by CA Technologies in 2006. Prior to Wily, Prabhjot held management and engineering positions at Citigroup and Indus River Networks. Prabhjot holds a Bachelor in Computer Systems Engineering from Boston University.Prabhjot is an active participant in the community and philanthropic affairs. He was the Founding Chairman of the Sikh Coalition, the nation's largest Sikh Civil Rights organization. Prabhjot is also a founder of Saanjh, a non-profit that runs leadership programs for children and young adults. He currently volunteers on the Boards of the Sikh Coalition, Saanjh, and the MBSK Family Foundation.Connecting with Prabhjot:Website: https://www.pyze.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/psinghsf/Connect with Manpreet:LinkedInInstagram

Today on the very first episode of “Diversity Goes To Work,” host Phil Wagner welcomes William & Mary alum Amandeep Sidhu. Amandeep is an Equity  Partner at Winston and Strawn, focusing on regulatory and compliance counseling, state and federal government investigations and complex civil litigation involving regulated industries. He's a Co-founder of the Sikh Coalition, the largest civil and human rights nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated to protecting interests of the Sikh community. Amandeep speaks with us about the origin of the Sikh faith, growing up in America as a Sikh, breaking barriers as a turban wearing professional, and how life dramatically changed after 9/11. If you'd like to follow William & Mary's School of Business or learn more about the Diversity and Inclusion podcast and our programs, please visit us at www.mason.wm.edu.

BONUS EPISODE!Before we begin our fall interviews, we wanted to post some of our favorite interviews from this past year for the next 5 days.  First up, my interview with Manpreet Singh.India's six-month-long farmer protests, which has recently gained global attention, has been on the forefront of news around the world.  With the recent attacks on protestors and a government shutdown of the Internet, the international community is left wondering what exactly is happening there.I chat with my friend, Manpreet Singh, trial attorney and board member of the Sikh Coalition as well as the ACLU, about the history of the Sikh community in India, what she understands about the protests, and what deregulation means for farmers in India.She also talks about the outpouring of international support, why farmer suicides have been such a big issue, what we can do from here to support the cause, and why we should always remember "no farmers, no food".Please check out these two organizations for more information:https://www.sikhcoalition.org/https://www.khalsaaid.org/

It's inspiring to hear the origin of The Sikh Coalition in the aftermath of 9/11 and the disproportional impact on the Sikh community. But it's all the more remarkable to hear how Winston & Strawn partner Amandeep Sidhu and his cofounders built an organization around consensus-building causes that benefit multiple communities. And how Amandeep did it by getting stakeholders at his law firm to support him along the way. This episode is for anyone looking to make a social impact and learn how to develop thoughtful responses to the inevitable crises and opportunities.

Welcome to Episode 41 of the Asian American History 101 podcast! With August 3rd and 5th approaching, it marks forty-two years since the incident in Seadrift, Texas and nine years since the Sikh temple shooting in Wisconsin. So we take time to remember the victims of both events. With anti-Asian violence on the rise in the last year and half, it's important to remember that there have been shocking instances of this throughout the United States' history… from our beginning to more recent times. We also take time to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander victories in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Interested in learning more? Check out the Seadrift documentary by Tim Tsai, the Sikh Coalition, Harpreet Singh Saini's Speech, and information on Margaret Mac Neil and the One Child Policy. Continue to learn more and visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or https://linktr.ee/AAHistory101 for social media. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@1882media.com. Segments 0:26 Opening 01:20 The Stories of Seadrift, Texas and the Shooting at the Wisconsin Sikh Temple  18:09 Celebrations of Asian American and Pacific Islander Olympic Winners

Simran Jeet Singh joins Jerry on Episode 120 to share his story of being an Indian American of Sikh faith, his journey through academics into activism, and the legacy he wants to leave for future generations. Learn more about Simran at SimranJeetSingh.orgAbout SimranRecognized among TIME Magazine's 16 people fighting for a more equal America, Simran Jeet Singh is Senior Adviser for Equity and Inclusion at YSC Consulting and a Visiting Professor at Union Seminary. He is a 2020 Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations and a Senior Fellow for the Sikh Coalition. Simran holds a PhD, MPhil, and MA from Columbia University, an MTS from Harvard University, and a BA from Trinity University.This past year, Simran added author to his resume with the release of his best-selling children's book from Penguin Random House (Kokila), Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon. He is currently completing an adult non-fiction book for Penguin Random House (Riverhead) entitled More of This Please: Sikh Wisdom for the Soul. Growing up as a turban-wearing, brown-skinned, beard-loving Sikh in South Texas, Simran learned early that marginalized groups will not lecture their way into dignity and that empathy is truly built when people get to know each other as human beings. This realization is what brought him into the deep work of empathy-building as an approach for personal development and social change. .Simran is a highly sought-out speaker on diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and anti-racism. His thought leadership extends across corporate, university, and government settings, and his work has been featured in various outlets, including NPR, CNN, BBC, TIME, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. Simran is especially passionate about creating more cohesion, equity, and joy for all stakeholders.(Source: SimranJeetSingh.org)Connect with SimranIG - @SikhProfFB - @SikhProfTwitter - @SimranWebsite: www.simranjeetsingh.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simran-jeet-singh-006b7383/Buy Fauja Singh Keeps Going// Support Dear Asian Americans:Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/dearasianamericans/Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jerrywonLearn more about DAA Creator and Host Jerry Won:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerrywon/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jerryjwon/// Listen to Dear Asian Americans on all major platforms:Transistor.fm: http://www.dearasianamericans.comApple: https://apple.dearasianamericans.comSpotify: https://spotify.dearasianamericans.comStitcher: https://stitcher.dearasianamericans.comGoogle: https://google.dearasianamericans.com  Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dearasianamericans Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dearasianamericans Subscribe to our YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/dearasianamericans // Join the Asian Podcast Network:Web: https://asianpodcastnetwork.com/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/asianpodcastnetwork/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asianpodcastnetwork/Dear Asian Americans is produced by Just Like Media:Web: http://www.justlikemedia.comInstagram.com: http://www.instagram.com/justlikemedia

Discussion with Aasees Kaur from Sikh Coalition regarding Hair Drug Testing, carrying Articles of Sikh Faith. Know your rights. For more information please contact Sikh Coalition at 212 655 3095. Please visit www.sikhcoalition.orgReach Flatrate Dispatching Services at 559-710-1212Reach NAPTA at 877-622-1313Punjabi Trucking 360 can be reached at 559-701-8000 or info@ramandhillonshow.com for advertisement and show inquiries. 

Although they are the fifth largest major world religions, Sikhs are often an ignored or stigmatized religious community in the US. They have been the victims of prejudice and violence at times due to a confusion with Muslims in post-9/11 America. In this episode our guest helps us understand Sikhism, how the Sikh community is woven into the fabric of American life, and how they have responded to violence and prejudice. Rajanpreet Kaur is the Senior Media and Communications Manager at the Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States. Since 2017, she has worked to support a high-impact communications team that contributes to nearly every facet of the Sikh Coalition's work and drives groundbreaking media results on behalf of Sikhs in America. Since the start of the pandemic, this work has included press hits in national media and local news outlets that highlight the seva (selfless service Sikh communities nationwide are leading to give back to those in need during this difficult time.

Recognized among TIME Magazine's 16 people fighting for a more equal America, Simran Jeet Singh is Senior Adviser for Equity and Inclusion at YSC Consulting, a professor at Columbia University, a Senior Fellow at the Sikh Coalition, a 2020 Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations, an author, a father, and a devout San Antonio Spurs fan. We talk about his American story, the reasons that pushed him to embrace advocacy, his new book, Fauja Singh Keeps Going, and his upcoming book, More of This Please, which talks to audiences about his unique experiences of racism, and shares how Sikh teachings give us a model for engaging hate without internalizing it.We dive into his experiences growing up Sikh in San Antonio, Texas, how his faith helped him respond to racism all his life, why he wrote about the oldest marathon runner in the world, and his deep work focusing on empathy-building as an approach for personal development and social change.www.simranjeetsingh.org

https://www.sikhcoalition.org/people/satjeet-kaur/ https://pioneeringpunjabis.ucdavis.edu/eras/1899-1922/ 

A Houston native dedicated to the causes of diversity and women’s empowerment, Manpreet K. Singh is a supervising attorney that has tried over 50 cases.  Currently a Chapter representative for the American Board of Trial Attorneys, she also is serving as a director and trustee with the Sikh Coalition. Recognized in 2018 & 2013 as a recipient for the Diversity First Award.  And in 2011 by the Houston Young Lawyers Association, Manpreet has also been a very active member of a variety of Houston and South Asian community organizations.  She has completed the Harvard Leadership Program and the American Bar Association Leadership Academy.In 2009, Manpreet testified in front of the Texas Board of Education to include Sikhism (the world’s fifth largest religion) in school textbooks, which was then implemented by the Board for 6th and 10th grade levels. Manpreet continues to support this achievement by teaching many of these classes throughout Houston schools. She also conducts outreach sessions for Interfaith Ministries, for law enforcement, and for the Boniuk Center, where she is also served on the Board.  Manpreet also completed the FBI citizen’s diversity academy. Nationally, Manpreet travels to Washington, DC annually to lobby for passage of the Safe Schools Act to ensure the safety and inclusion of all children in their schools, to advocate for increased diversity and inclusiveness in the US Army, and to have the FBI track hate crimes against the Sikh community, which was accomplished in 2013.  Locally Manpreet testified before Houston City Counsel in support of the Equal Rights Ordinance and was able to bring the Sikh Project displaying portraits of Sikhs across America, in the City Hall Rotunda for six weeks.Manpreet has also frequently appeared in media to educate about diversity, including being interviewed by several news affiliates and writing op/ed pieces in print media about the effects of the 2012 shooting at the Wisconsin Sikh Gurdwara (place of worship).In her free time, Manpreet enjoys traveling with her husband, reading, shopping and dancing in public to embarrass her two soccer stars.

Welcome to a special episode of Interfaith Matters, exploring New York City Council Resolution 1257, and the importance of religious diversity education in public schools. Resolution 1257 calls on the New York City Department of Education to offer age-appropriate religious diversity curricula for all public school students, as well as professional development in this area for DOE teachers. Our guest host today is Dr. Henry Goldschmidt, the Director of Programs at the Interfaith Center of New York. Henry talks with New York City Council Member Daniel Dromm, a lead co-sponsor of Resolution 1257, and a panel of religious diversity educators: Rev. Mark Fowler, CEO of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, Dr. Pritpal Kaur, Education Director of the Sikh Coalition, and Aniqa Nawabi, Executive Director of the Muslim Community Network. The conversation explores how religious diversity education can help create inclusive schools and communities for all New Yorkers, and address the growing problem of hate crimes against religious minorities.   Take Action to Support Religious Literacy in New York Public Schools!   New Yorkers, click here to email your City Council Member, and encourage them to co-sponsor Resolution 1257. Teachers, click here for classroom teaching resources, including the teachers guides discussed in the podcast -- all found on the website of ICNY's Religious Worlds of New York summer institute. Or click here for webinars on religious diversity in the classroom, produced by the Tanenbaum Center and Teaching Tolerance. Or click here for Sikhism lesson plans and teaching resources, from the Sikh Coalition. Or click here to learn about workshops on Islam and Muslim life, from the Muslim Community Network.   Together We Can Create Inclusive Schools and Communities for all New Yorkers!   Podcast Questions? Comments? Have a question for our guests or comment on our podcast series? Would you like to suggest a guest or topic for a future podcast episode? Please feel free to contact us at podcast@interfaithcenter.org.  This special episode of “Interfaith Matters” is hosted by Dr. Henry Goldschmidt, and edited by Executive Producer Kevin Childress. Learn more about the podcast team on our website.

Brown Mom is back for Season 2 and we're kicking it all off with Satjeet Kaur, Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition. On this episode, we spill the chai about Pandemic holidays, Khalsa school, growing up Brown in New Jersey, Sikhi and lots more. Satjeet Kaur serves as the Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States. Though she became Executive Director in 2018, she has worked in nearly every core facet of the organization's work throughout her more than 10 years on the team. During that time, Kaur has served as a leading organizer and activist providing direct support to Sikh communities across the country, from responding to crises such as hate crimes to organizing advocacy campaigns for Sikhism to be accurately included in education standards and mobilizing Sikh civic engagement. Last year, she was named as one of 15 Faith Leaders to Watch by the Center for American Progress. Follow The Sikh Coalition on Instagram @SikhCoalition @Sikh_Coalition on Twitter SikhCoalition.org on the Interwebs Follow Brown Mom on social media: @Raakstar on Twitter @RaakstarWrites on Instagram @BrownMom on Instagram Glad we're back for Season 2? So are we! Subscribe, review and share. Not glad? Keep it moving. The Internet is a big place and you're bound to find *something* you like.

In this special episode, Sikh Activist, Simran Jeet Singh, joins Omid Safi for conversation exploring anti-racism as a spiritual practice.Recognized among TIME Magazine’s 16 people fighting for a more equal America, Simran Jeet Singh is Senior Adviser for Equity and Inclusion at YSC Consulting and a Visiting Professor at Union Seminary. He is a 2020 Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations, a Racial Equity Media Fellow with Interfaith Youth Core, and a Senior Fellow for the Sikh Coalition. Simran holds a PhD, MPhil, and MA from Columbia University, an MTS from Harvard University, and a BA from Trinity University. He is the author of a best-selling children's book, Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon, and is in the process of writing a non-fiction book for adults, titled, More of This Please: Sikh Wisdom for the Soul. For more information, please visit SimranJeetSingh.orgOriginally recorded for Religion News Service

What do Rihanna, Greta Thunberg, and the farmers of India all have in common? They, along with a groundswell of supporters worldwide, are shedding light on the unjustness of three farm laws passed by India's Parliament. The passing of these laws, which has sparked the largest protest in world history, strip away previous protections for workers and open the doors for billionaire corporate interests to destroy an entire way of life for upwards of 60% of India's population still working in agriculture. We sit down with Sahej Preet Singh of the Sikh Coalition to discuss the rapidly developing situation, the plight of the farmers, the ongoing human rights' abuses committed by the government against peaceful protesters, and how it all ties back to us as Americans watching from afar. Please join us for this very special and important episode of the Carolina Desi!   Resources discussed in the episode: @sikhcoalition on IG www.sikhcoalition.org/farmers-protest bit.ly/farmers-protest @khalsa_aid on IG

In this special “extra” edition of Nice Work, Rajanpreet Kaur of the Sikh Coalition delivers an important overview and update of the ongoing Farmers Protest in India. Haven't heard of it? As you read this, 250 million farmers in India are taking a stand against their government and predatory corporations as part of the biggest protest in human history. Why should you care? Because there are many global ramifications of what should be seen as a massive proxy battle for the rights of workers all around the world. A nicer world requires that the people who dedicate their lives to growing our food – without which none of us exist – are treated with respect. Better yet, they should be revered.  In just a half hour, Rajanpreet details the situation and explains how you can help make a real difference ... how you can bring about a nicer world. :)   > Super Nice famers need you! > Practicing faith FEARLESSLY > Proxy battles for workers everywhere > Big Gov + Big Corporations = Not Super Nice > The Threat of a Bad Example > How to pronounce Sikh NICE LINKS Spend 37 secons here: http://bit.ly/farmers-protest Sikh Coalition: http://www.sikhcoalition.org Learn more: https://www.kisaanekta.co

India’s six-month-long farmer protests, which has recently gained global attention, has been on the forefront of news around the world.  With the recent attacks on protestors and a government shutdown of the Internet, the international community is left wondering what exactly is happening there.I chat with my friend, Manpreet Singh, trial attorney and board member of the Sikh Coalition as well as the ACLU, about the history of the Sikh community in India, what she understands about the protests, and what deregulation means for farmers in India.She also talks about the outpouring of international support, why farmer suicides have been such a big issue, what we can do from here to support the cause, and why we should always remember "no farmers, no food".Please check out these two organizations for more information:https://www.sikhcoalition.org/https://www.khalsaaid.org/

Simran Jeet Singh is the Senior Diversity and Inclusion Adviser for YSC Consulting and a Visiting Professor at Union Seminary. He is a Soros Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations, a Racial Equity Media Fellow with Interfaith Youth Core, and a Senior Fellow for the Sikh Coalition. This past year, Simran added author to his resume with the release of his best-selling children's book from Penguin Random House (Kokila), Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon. He is currently completing an adult non-fiction book for Penguin Random House (Riverhead) entitled More of This Please: Sikh Wisdom for the Soul. 

Most Americans see religious freedom as an important right. Yet how that freedom is defined and applied isn’t consistent, and efforts to safeguard the religious freedom of some may be discriminatory for others. Experts say it is critical to address this issue politically, socially, and culturally or risk alienating people from all backgrounds. Religious liberty lawyer Asma Uddin works for the protection of religious expression for people of all faiths. She speaks with Montse Alvarado of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, The Sikh Coalition’s legal director Amrith Kaur, and political and religious strategist Michael Wear. They discuss the causes of political and religious polarization, tribalism, and ways to find a path forward and a common cause, while advocating for equal freedom and fairness for all. They also talk about the role religious freedom played in motivating the mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6.

On this episode I interview Rajanpreet Kaur from the Sikh Coalition, a non-profit that helps aid victims of hate crimes as well as promote awareness and acceptance of different religions. She will be sharing what Sikhs believe, how her job promotes understanding and visibility, and ways you can get involved with the coalition. Though they were founded by sikhs, the Sikh Coalition is available to help anyone in need of their services. If you would like to learn more about them and their fight for religious freedom, visit www.sikhcoalition.orgfor more information. The Guru Granth Sahib is the major religious text of the Sikhs, and can be found for free online with English translations at www.srigurugranth.org

Growing up in the United States as a minoritized person in terms of skin color and religious identity has never been easy, so how does one raise their children to feel connected to their country and their faith?  Our parent guest this week is Simran Jeet Singh, PhD, a Sr. Fellow at the Sikh Coalition, and a social justice activist, scholar and teacher, who is the dad of two girls. He's also the author of "Fauja Singh Keeps Going" – a picture book we discuss on the show. In our episode, Simran shares ways in which he lives his values and uses empathy to fight against racism and hate.  Follow Simran on twitter and instagram @SikhProf. *Episode Notes* Children's books and representation Social justice parenting Why empathy? Identity and spirituality Reflecting on 9/11(turning hate into love) The uncertain future (post 2020 election)

This week on the Get More Smarter Podcast we revisit the Trump Brand Trumpvention, Ken Buck's fashion choices are just as questionable as the rest of the decision he seems to make on a daily basis, Dudley Brown remains the worst grifter on earth, we find Cory Gardner at the bottom of the barrel, once again, and we have two amazing guests, Alexis King, candidate for District Attorney in Jeffco and Gilpin and Diane Mitsch Bush, the next Congresswoman from Colorado's 3rd Congressional District.Diane Mitsch Bush (39:09)Diane Mitsch Bush for CD3: https://dianeforcolorado.com/Alexis King (1:06:25)Alexis King for District Attorney: https://www.alexisforda.com/Sikh Coalition calls for hate crime charges in Lakewood attack (Arvada Press, 6/30/20)

Simran Jeet Singh is a professor at Columbia University, a Senior Fellow at the Sikh Coalition, the host of the Spirited podcast, an author, a father, and a devout San Antonio Spurs fan. He joined the pod to discuss his American story, the reasons that pushed him to embrace advocacy, and his new book, Fauja Singh Keeps Going, which releases on August 25, 2020. We recorded this discussion in March 2019 before the pandemic and protests, but Simran naturally touched on rising hate crimes, the attributes of true solidarity, and the importance of seva.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/Sikh-Meets-World. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

WCBS' Peter Haskell reports. 

Dr. Simran Jeet Singh is columnist for Religion News Service, Senior Fellow at the Sikh Coalition, Chaplain at New York University & Columbia University, and serves on the Governor's Interfaith Advisory Committee for the State of New York. Follow him on Twitter here. Visit his website here Read How colonialism still colors our ideas about who gets to teach religion here.

This November marks the 550th birthday of the founder of Sikhism: Guru Nanak.  T   he belief system he developed is based on oneness, open-hearted love, and justice. To reflect on the birth of this remarkable prophet, Beliefs sits with Simran Jeet Singh  – author, scholar, Religion News Service contributor and Senior Fellow at the Sikh Coalition.   

In this first episode of our Justice for All series, we examine a minority faith with adherents numbering around 500,000 in the United States. While many Americans may be ignorant of this faith tradition, Sikhism has had a presence here since the late 19th century. In this episode I interview my friend Jaideep Dhillon, an Indian-American who follows the Sikh faith, and ask him about his personal experience with Sikhism and what it’s like to be part of a minority faith in America. Harsimran Kaur, Senior Counsel for the Sikh Coalition, then joins me to talk about hate crimes against Sikhs and the work of the Sikh Coalition in fighting for civil rights.

Today's Flash Back Friday comes from Episode 233, originally published in February 2016. Harpreet Singh is Co-founder and Co-CEO of ExperFy, as well as a Fellow at Harvard Innovation Lab. He is responsible for Experfy's strategy and operations. He is an entrepreneur with experience leading cross-functional teams in global execution of product development, business strategy, operations, and technology functions. With exceptional emphasis on structured governance, he managed the program management initiatives for sixty technology startups from Citigroup's e-Citi Venture Portfolio Office. In a later role as Director of Technology, also at Citigroup, he architected the infrastructure of global multi-tiered, web-based electronic exchanges. Harpreet subsequently established the Project Management Office (PMO) for FX Alliance, a global foreign exchange platform, where he was responsible for enabling project and risk management functions for New York, London and Tokyo locations. Harpreet earned Master's and PhD degrees from Harvard University, where he currently serves as a faculty member. In 2001, Harpreet co-founded the Sikh Coalition—a civil rights group—in the wake of hate crimes against Sikh-Americans after the September 11 attacks. In 2003, along with Desmond Tutu, Harpreet was honored with the James Parks Morton Interfaith Tribute by the Interfaith Center of New York for his work to help heal local communities on the grassroots level. Key Takeaways: [1:26] Dr. Singh breaks down the 3 characteristics of big data: volume, variety and velocity [4:11] How big data is being used in a way that small businesses can actually use [7:15] How big data has been used in conferences to aid in seating people, at a price that businesses can actually afford [9:21] How Experfy has been able to recruit and retain some of the big names in the data scientist world [10:15] Using big data can help your company automate things previously done manually, drive down your prices and help you expand [14:34] The future of big data and analytics [16:00] Describing the Harvard Innovation Lab Websites Mentioned: www.experfy.com

On the podcast we have the Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition - Satjeet Kaur to speak about Gucci releasing their turban. Let us know what you thought about this podcast!

This week an Instagram star became the most recent object lesson in prejudice and bigotry. Influencer Jess Hilarious publishes a raft of posts to her social accounts reaching millions of people - telling the story of how 4 men in turbans made her feel 'threatened'. The posts were met with intense backlash.  Jess responded first with angry defense. When she tried to apologize and made things worse, the fallout only grew. What is known: Four Sikh men were removed from the plane. Unknown is what airline they were flying or what became of them from there.  To unpack the variety of moving parts, Beliefs producer Jay Woodward met with Simran Jeet Singh of the Sikh Coalition in New York to discuss this layer cake of cruel mistakes and prejudice.  

Gurinder Singh Khalsa has been extremely active as a member of the sikh community starting in 2007 where he changed the TSA security laws on religious headwear with the help of the Sikh Coalition. This year with his community he then went onto donate $6000 worth of foods and funds to the unpaid TSA workers. Gurinder Singh Khalsa has used his platform to inspire and empower others through his organizations including: SikhsPAC (FB @SikhsPAC); building a new gurdwara in Fishers, Indiana; and now he's running for city council (FB: @Singh For Council).

Sikhism is an empowering, justice-oriented and generous religion, whose story deserves to be more widely told. Fortunately for us, Inderpreet Kaur from the Sikh Coalition is here to help. She sat down to talk about beliefs, history and practices of Sikhs. After this conversation, you'll definitely want to check out the work of the Sikh Coalition at https://www.sikhcoalition.org/. Donate, learn and get involved in the great work they're doing.

The Storytellers in Action crew speak with Sundeep Morrison, creator and performer of the one woman show Rag Head, a story about Sikh Americans in Post 911 America. The AHSIA team also chat with Winty Singh, representative from the Sikh Coalition! Tim Horton's gets a much deserved shout out.

How should the next generation of leaders approach the interconnected challenges of the 21st century? Debates over global challenges—from dousing the fires of populism and securing US elections, to tackling water scarcity and assisting in conflict zones—are dominating news cycles and impacting our lives. In a unique programming offering, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs' Emerging Leaders class of 2018 will draw from professional and personal experiences and share a series of short, dynamic presentations on an array of today's critical issues and trends.  Each year, the Council selects a highly competitive cohort of Chicago's up-and-coming professionals to participate in its Emerging Leaders Program. Emerging Leaders become part of a network of globally fluent individuals who will continue to raise the bar for Chicago as an influential international city. Hear several members of class 2018 present their policy prescriptions on: Cultural Competency Training for Law Enforcement Securing US Elections Leveraging US Funds in Conflict Zones Managing Water Conflict Compulsory Voting in the US Immigration Restrictions Hurt Healthcare in the US Bridging Divisions in the US through Mandatory Service Increasing Exports from Chicago to the World SPEAKERS: Amrith Kaur Aakre, Legal Director, Sikh Coalition; Lauren Bean Buitta, Principal, Stele Consulting, LLC; Joel Braunold, Executive Director, Alliance for Middle East Peace; Josh Ellis, Vice President, Metropolitan Planning Council; Adrienne Irmer, Former Legislative Coordinator, Cook County Government; And other participants

I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Simran Singh, who is the Senior Religious Fellow of The Sikh Coalition. We discussed what Sikhism is and how Sikh's are stereotyped in the mainstream. We also talked about religious illiteracy and how important it is to understand other faiths.

Ever since September 11, many Sikh Americans have been falsely associated with terrorism. And in 2017, fear-based messages seem to be gaining traction more easily than ever. The presence of fear in our politics has very real consequences — but it’s also an opportunity for education, and for more Americans to become part of the solution. In Episode 17, Mark Reading-Smith, Senior Director of Communications & Media at the Sikh Coalition, joins the podcast to discuss the difficulty of combatting messages based in fear. A durable, foundational message is key; without it, voters won’t pay attention to policy details or expertise. And communicators can’t afford to “over-intellectualize their responses.”

Welcome to a new season of Multifaithful! Joining us on this first episode is executive director of the Sikh Coalition Sapreet Kaur and Sikh activist Vishavjit Singh. We consider the history of Sikhism in America, explore Singh’s Captain Sikh America persona, and discuss The Sikh Project, an upcoming art exhibit sponsored by the Sikh Coalition (http://www.sikhcoalition.org/get-involved/sikhproject).

Harpreet Singh is Co-founder and Co-CEO of ExpertFi, as well as a Fellow at Harvard Innovation Lab. He is responsible for Experfy's strategy and operations. He is an entrepreneur with experience leading cross-functional teams in global execution of product development, business strategy, operations, and technology functions. With exceptional emphasis on structured governance, he managed the program management initiatives for sixty technology startups from Citigroup's e-Citi Venture Portfolio Office. In a later role as Director of Technology, also at Citigroup, he architected the infrastructure of global multi-tiered, web-based electronic exchanges. Harpreet subsequently established the Project Management Office (PMO) for FX Alliance, a global foreign exchange platform, where he was responsible for enabling project and risk management functions for New York, London and Tokyo locations. Harpreet earned Master's and PhD degrees from Harvard University, where he currently serves as a faculty member. In 2001, Harpreet co-founded the Sikh Coalition—a civil rights group—in the wake of hate crimes against Sikh-Americans after the September 11 attacks. In 2003, along with Desmond Tutu, Harpreet was honored with the James Parks Morton Interfaith Tribute by the Interfaith Center of New York for his work to help heal local communities on the grassroots level. Key Takeaways: [1:26] Dr. Singh breaks down the 3 characteristics of big data: volume, variety and velocity [4:11] How big data is being used in a way that small businesses can actually use [7:15] How big data has been used in conferences to aid in seating people, at a price that businesses can actually afford [9:21] How Experfy has been able to recruit and retain some of the big names in the data scientist world [10:15] Using big data can help your company automate things previously done manually, drive down your prices and help you expand [14:34] The future of big data and analytics [16:00] Describing the Harvard Innovation Lab

 September 11 Then and Now This week on Apex Express, we reflect back on 9/11. As the nation remembers the victims in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and on board the airplanes, Apex explores the aftermath and how OUR communities have been affected. We'll hear a personal documentary by Robynn Takayama on how several Asian Pacific communities responded immediately after 9/11 to address racist scapegoating, hate crimes, and the build up to the War on Terrorism. We also talk with Co-founder of the Sikh Coalition, Amardeep Singh, about the recent Islamaphobia conference and the accompanying website, “Unheard Voices of 9/11.” And finally, we bring you a round table discussion with Valarie Kaur, award-winning filmmaker; Fahd Ahmed, legal and policy director with DRUM, Desis Rising Up & Moving; and Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. Plus we have a pair of tickets to Anthony Brown's Asian American Orchestra at Yoshi's SF on September 11 for the 30th anniversary of the first Asian American Jazz Festival. The post APEX Express – September 8, 2011 appeared first on KPFA.