|
|
|
|
|
|
South Asian Network |
|
Home
Employment/
South Asian Network
|
|
SAN in the NEWS
South Asian Network - Launches its Pioneer Blvd (a.k.a Little India)
Worker Rights Organizing Project
On August 3rd 2009, South Asian Network (SAN) officially launched its Pioneer Blvd Worker Right’s Organizing Project. The goal of this project is to end the exploitation of South Asian and Latino workers on Pioneer Blvd., and build relationships between these workers. This project has been launched in response to the prevalence of labor rights abuses impacting low income workers. Pioneer Boulevard, located in Artesia, CA, is an area known to many communities as "Little India", because of its numerous boutiques, jewelry shops, restaurants and many other small businesses that cater mainly to the South Asian community. Low income workers in this area are exploited everyday and face many challenges, including denial of California minimum wage, an absence of overtime pay, long work hours, denial of meal and rest periods, and a general lack of health and safety measures in the workplace. In fact, all of the workers SAN has worked report that they work 10-14 hours a day, while earning only $3-$7 per hour of work. Although some workers have come forward to exercise their rights by demanding that their employers stop the exploitation and compensate them by paying back pay, workers face a multitude of issues that prevent them from seeking restitution. Among these are language barriers, immigration status, age, problems finding transportation, fear of retaliation from employers, the pressure of the economic crisis, isolation from mainstream America and discrimination. Post 9/11 discrimination impacting South Asian workers continues to create obstacles for the broader acceptance and inclusion of the South Asian community in the US. South Asian Network is a grassroots, community based organization dedicated to advancing the health, empowerment and solidarity of persons of South asian origin. Fundamental to SAN’s mission is the promotion of equality for all. Since 2002, SAN has advocated on behalf of low income workers employed in businesses located throughout Los Angeles County. These businesses include 7-11 and other convenience stores, gas stations, motels and restaurants. All of these businesses are South Asian owned. During the last two year, SAN has helped workers obtain over $60,000 in back wages and penalties from their employers. Our strategies have included writing demand letters to employers, holding settlement meetings with employers, organizing community visits to the business, and holding public actions in front of businesses which violate worker rights. SAN continues to partner with several workers who worked at Ziba Beauty Salon, to demand justice for workers. In January 2008, five workers at the Ziba were fired for refusing to sign an employment contract that contained unenforceable non-compete and trade secret provisions. On January 15th, 2008, these 5 courageous workers partnered with SAN to protest in front of Artesia’s Ziba Beauty Center to demand an end to poor working conditions and severe harassment by Ziba management. Among their top demands was the elimination of contract provisions that attempted to stop employees from working at other salons or opening their own business after leaving Ziba. With the help of Deborah Drooz Esq., an attorney working for Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, Ziba removed these restrictions from their employment contracts. The Pioneer Blvd Worker Right’s Organizing Project will address the aforementioned needs by providing South Asian and Latino workers the necessary tools to facilitate positive change in the workplace. During the two year period, workers will take part in workshops designed to raise their awareness about California Labor laws and health and safety issues, including how their work environment is impacting their overall physical and mental health. Workers will continue partnering with SAN to demand that their employers and the Artesia City Council adopt workplace policies that incorporate a living wage and a healthier workplace. An essential component of this work will be to conduct an Oral History Project, to document the migration stories and struggles of South Asian and Latino workers, so that communities can better understand the multidimensional and complex nature of this issue. Furthermore, SAN hopes that employers will become better educated about their legal obligations and committed to upholding worker rights. SAN will invite employers to participate in its annual celebration of International Worker Solidarity Day. It is SAN's hope that the Pioneer Blvd., Worker Right's Organizing Project will bring together multicultural communities and facilitate change, ultimately allowing the employer-worker relationship to be symbiotic, rather than exploitative.
For more
information about this article or this project, please contact
LA Times: Goal of foundation's grants is
integrating immigrants into Southern California life Aiming to accelerate the integration of immigrants into Southern California life, a leading California foundation will announce today that it is issuing $900,000 in grants to help ease conflicts between blacks and Latinos in Pasadena, promote worker rights in Artesia, organize to bring supermarkets to minority neighborhoods and other initiatives. The grants represent the first outlays in the California Community Foundation's five-year, $3.75-million initiative to help immigrants learn English, improve job skills, increase civic participation and build trust with African Americans and other residents. Foundation President Antonia Hernandez said immigrants, who make up nearly half the Los Angeles workforce and contribute 40% of Los Angeles County's gross regional product, were essential to the broader society's well-being. "In order to offer a good quality of life for everyone, we have to provide pathways and opportunities for newcomers to integrate," she said. Six of the grants were aimed at increasing cross-cultural collaboration to solve community problems. Hernandez said they reflected one of the foundation's aims: to help minimize conflicts between immigrants and long-standing residents. Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice of California, a grass-roots alliance of faith leaders, is set to receive $100,000 to build ties among evangelical Latino pastors, evangelical white ministers in Orange County and African American faith leaders in South Los Angeles. The Rev. Alexia Salvatierra, the alliance director, said immigrant pastors have shared stories about the wrenching impact of deportations on families, while African Americans have described the pain of violence among their youth. The grant, she said, will help deepen ties beyond leaders and into the congregations. In Artesia, the South Asian Network plans to use its $100,000 to launch efforts to bring together Latino and South Asian workers to press for labor rights. Hamid Khan, the network's executive director, said workers have reported problems with unsafe working conditions, sub-minimum wages, no overtime pay and other labor violations. The grant will help break down isolation between workers of different cultures, develop multilingual material, bring in legal aid and launch an oral history project. In Hollywood, the Thai Community Development Corp. will receive $160,000 to help the polyglot neighborhood become an active player in influencing the massive developments planned there. The area's population -- which is 57% foreign-born and whose top native languages are Spanish, Russian, Armenian, Korean and Tagalog -- could be significantly affected by at least a dozen major developments in the works, including the planned Museum of the Motion Picture on Vine Street and Fountain Avenue, said Chancee Martorell, the Thai center's executive director. The grant will help the Thai center organize the community to work with developers for affordable housing, open space, local hiring, protection of small shops and other benefits, Martorell said. "We're trying to democratize the planning process so developers don't dictate the terms of it," Martorell said. "Many of our community members have no idea that they can be part of the development process." Other major grant recipients include the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, which will receive $120,000 for work easing conflicts between Latinos and African Americans in northwest Pasadena. The Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy will get $200,000 to help communities develop supermarkets and jobs in South and East Los Angeles and Sylmar and Pacoima. The YMCA of Greater Long Beach will receive $120,000 to help increase educational opportunities for immigrant and African Americans youth. In addition, four other groups will get $25,000 grants each to increase immigrants' access to services. The proposals involve reaching out to Mexican hometown associations, Armenian refugees, immigrant and homeless youth and Tongans, Cambodians and South Asians. "These people aren't going back," Hernandez said of the immigrants. "This is their new adopted homeland. To the extent we can accelerate their integration, we will improve the quality of life for all residents in our community." teresa.watanabe@latimes.com Link: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-immigrant19-2009jun19,0,1602810.story New York Times:
Too Poor to Make the News THE human side of the
recession, in the new media genre that’s been called “recession porn,”
is the story of an incremental descent from excess to frugality, from
ease to austerity. The super-rich give up their personal jets; the upper
middle class cut back on private Pilates classes; the merely middle
class forgo vacations and evenings at Applebee’s. In some accounts, the
recession is even described as the “great leveler,” smudging the
dizzying levels of inequality that characterized the last couple of
decades and squeezing everyone into a single great class, the Nouveau
Poor, in which we will all drive tiny fuel-efficient cars and grow
tomatoes on our porches. The deprivations of the formerly affluent Nouveau Poor are real enough, but the situation of the already poor suggests that they do not necessarily presage a greener, more harmonious future with a flatter distribution of wealth. There are no data yet on the effects of the recession on measures of inequality, but historically the effect of downturns is to increase, not decrease, class polarization. The recession of the ’80s transformed the working class into the working poor, as manufacturing jobs fled to the third world, forcing American workers into the low-paying service and retail sector. The current recession is knocking the working poor down another notch — from low-wage employment and inadequate housing toward erratic employment and no housing at all. Comfortable people have long imagined that American poverty is far more luxurious than the third world variety, but the difference is rapidly narrowing. Maybe “the economy,” as depicted on CNBC, will revive again, restoring the kinds of jobs that sustained the working poor, however inadequately, before the recession. Chances are, though, that they still won’t pay enough to live on, at least not at any level of safety and dignity. In fact, hourly wage growth, which had been running at about 4 percent a year, has undergone what the Economic Policy Institute calls a “dramatic collapse” in the last six months alone. In good times and grim ones, the misery at the bottom just keeps piling up, like a bad debt that will eventually come due. Barbara Ehrenreich is the author, most recently, of “This Land Is Their Land: Reports From a Divided Nation.” Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/opinion/14ehrenreich.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
LA Times: Pakistani immigrant devotes
himself to helping other South Asians Khan's passion for politics has continued here in the U.S., where he serves as executive director of the South Asian Network, a grass-roots organization in Artesia dedicated to community outreach, advocacy and service to people from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In 15 years as the head of the network, Khan has organized campaigns on behalf of taxi workers, negotiated back pay for laborers in Little India and lobbied for comprehensive immigration reform. Now Khan, 52, has his own weekly radio show, called "Beneath the Surface" on KPFK-FM (90.7) about global migration and South Asian issues. In a time when violence in his native country is constantly in the news, Khan tries to provide perspective and critical analysis by talking on the air with authors, academics and activists. Recent shows have focused on U.S. foreign policy under President Obama, the situation in Sri Lanka and the displacement of millions of people from Afghanistan and Pakistan. "He is very knowledgeable about the whole region," said Alan Minsky, KPFK senior producer. "He knows the nuances intricately of Pakistani politics, which are very complex. He brings that to listeners in a very accessible manner." For Khan, the show, which began in March, is simply an extension of his policy and advocacy work. He wants to debunk myths and help prevent discrimination. "It's extremely critical to reach out to all communities," he said. "It's our obligation to inform the community and to build bridges." The son of a police officer and a homemaker, Khan graduated from college in Pakistan with a degree in economics but always dreamed of flying planes. When he was 21, he got a visa to travel to the U.S. and attended flight school in Orange County. He began flying small passenger planes and later became a commercial pilot for UPS, where he worked for nearly 20 years. Even as he traveled the world for work, Khan was never far from politics -- both of his native country and his adopted country. He frequently attended demonstrations in Southern California. In 1986, he helped some Pakistani friends successfully file a discrimination complaint against an Orange County nightclub chain after they were denied entry. Soon after, Khan started inviting friends to his house to discuss creating an organization for South Asians to counter racism. He began holding monthly town halls, each attracting a few hundred people. The South Asian Network -- located in a strip mall along Pioneer Boulevard -- became an all-volunteer nonprofit in 1994 and now has 16 staff members and an annual budget of nearly $1 million. In 2006, after years of volunteering full time as the group's executive director and flying full time for work, Khan resigned from UPS and took a drastic pay cut to focus solely on his South Asian Network work. The organization now has several ongoing projects, including preventive health workshops, case management for domestic violence survivors and legal clinics on immigration issues. This week, Khan, who is a naturalized citizen and lives in Long Beach, plans to walk 75 miles through the Arizona desert to raise awareness about immigrant deaths. Khan said his next goals are stepping up his campaign against the city for failing to end corruption in the taxi industry and continuing to challenge the federal government's national security policies that he said have resulted in the "demonization of the South Asian community." Sakina Begum, a Bangladeshi immigrant who works as a cook, said she first learned of the South Asian Network in 2004 through a friend when she had severe stomach pains and didn't know where to seek care. Later, she sought help when her landlord raised her rent and served her with an eviction notice and again when she landed in deportation proceedings after someone posing as an immigration advisor took her money and gave her incorrect advice. "When anyone has a problem, Hamid tries to help," said Begum, who occasionally volunteers for the organization. The South Asian Network played a key role after Sept. 11, when there was a rash of violence and discrimination against American Arabs and Muslims and people mistaken for them. Through town halls and one-on-one meetings, Khan and his staff educated the South Asian community about their rights and provided assistance to hate-crime victims. "It was overwhelming, the sheer need," Khan said. "But we were ready." The next year, when the U.S. government started a "special registration" program as an anti-terrorism measure, Khan set up a table outside the federal building to warn people -- mostly Middle Eastern men -- who had been ordered to report to authorities what they could face as they responded to the order, and he referred hundreds to on-call lawyers. "He is someone who has really been a vigorous advocate," said Robin Toma, director of Los Angeles County's Human Relations Commission. "He is just so deeply committed to the work and to social justice and to challenging unfairness wherever he sees it." That work has not endeared him to everyone, however, especially businesses and companies at the opposite end from his very vocal labor rights campaigns. "Whenever someone is as outspoken as Hamid is, there are bound to be people who are displeased," Toma said. anna.gorman@latimes.com Link: http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/25/local/me-southasia25?pg=1
LA Times Blog:
May Day: Marchers rally for immigration
reform Waving American flags and pictures of President Obama, thousands of protesters took to the streets today to promote immigration reform in several rallies in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Marchers said they were encouraged by Obama’s support for immigration reform and his commitment to start the process this year. Advocates are pushing for an end to work-site raids and a path to legalization for the nation’s estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. Turnout was light at most of the protests, but the mood was jovial during the first L.A. march, which kicked off about 1 p.m. downtown with Aztec dancers performing and participants wearing T-shirts that said “Legalize America Now” and waving signs reading “Obama, Escucha (Listen)” and included a long wish list for immigration reforms. Humberto Gomez, 60, an organizer with the laborers union who was among the marchers who gathered at the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Broadway, said with so many people out of work, there is now more urgency for legislative reforms. “We are trying to give time to the president, he said, but we are here to remind him not to forget he made a promise.” Ricarda Garcia, 36, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, says she’s confident Obama will push for legalization. “We have a lot of hope,” said Garcia, a housecleaner from San Fernando who regularly attends the annual May Day marches. “I feel more necessity now. ... It’s much more difficult for us. There aren’t jobs.” Hector Gonzalez, 24, a mechanical engineering student at Cal Poly Pomona, said he hoped that that the proposed Dream Act would be among the first legislative reforms approved by Congress. The legislation would allow students who illegally entered the U.S. when they were 15 or younger to apply for conditional legal-resident status if they have lived in the country for five or more years and graduated from high school or received a GED. If they attended college or served in the military for two or more years, they could be granted citizenship. With legal status, Gonzalez said it would be easier to get internships and jobs so that he can contribute to the ailing economy. “People like me are here to help Obama,” he said. “I just need a little step forward.” Walking in front of the crowd, LAPD Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz said this year is different from previous years because there are so many different marches. "It would be a little bit different if we were dealing with one group, but we can do this," Diaz said. He said the department learned lessons from two years ago, after a melee in MacArthur Park, and is determined to have a smooth May Day. The city recently agreed to pay more than $30 million to settle lawsuits alleging LAPD misconduct in the disturbance. "We don't want a repeat of 2007," Diaz said. "We don't want to be the story. And they don't want us to be the story. They have a message to get out." Protesters blamed the economic recession for the low turnout, saying many workers are reluctant to take time off. Several participants also said they worried that the economy could derail plans for legislation. Even with the light turnout, the marches are expected to snarl downtown traffic for hours, particularly when the demonstrations converge near City Hall in the late afternoon. Several streets including 11th, Ord, Grand and Alameda will be closed. City officials are recommending that commuters take public transportation. For more street closure information, go to http://trafficinfo.lacity.org/html/2009. Los Angeles police have set up a command post to monitor the various marches and, like last year, have spent months preparing for the event. The department drew fierce criticism after the 2007 rally in MacArthur Park turned violent when police officers used batons and fired rubber bullets to disperse what was a predominantly peaceful gathering. Dozens of people, including a number of journalists and police officers, were injured. In Artesia, a small but spirited group of mostly South Asians marched down Pioneer Boulevard in Little India, chanting and waving signs in English, Bengali and Hindi urging worker justice. Marching past sari boutiques, sweet shops and eyebrow threading salons, several of the immigrant workers said their biggest May Day concerns were labor exploitation, racial profiling and what they described as civil rights violations tied to the fight against terrorism. Sultan Ahmed, a 48-year-old mortgage broker who took to the streets in business attire, said he was marching to bring attention to the problems experienced by Pakistanis and Muslim immigrants like himself. He said they are disproportionately pulled over for airport security checks and unduly delayed for citizenship application approvals. A few months ago, he complained, U.S. customs agents would not allow his friend to bring in a small bottle of holy water from the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. "America is a great country, but we should get equal opportunities," said Ahmed, who legally emigrated here in 1988 to join his wife, a U.S. citizen. Uma Tharpa, a 36-year-old Nepal native and beauty salon worker, said widespread labor exploitation of South Asian workers is her greatest concern. In restaurants, grocery store, beauty salons and other businesses, workers are routinely denied the minimum wage, overtime pay, workers’ compensation and other standard labor protections, she said. Many work six or seven hours a day at wages that amount to as low as $2 an hour and are fired if they complain, said Tharpa, who volunteers on workers rights issues for the South Asian Network, which sponsored the march. he South Asian marchers were joined by members of Khmer Girls in Action, a Long Beach-based group that serves Cambodian youth. Suely Ngouy, executive director, said she hoped the marches would help cast light on her little-noticed community. Their relatively small numbers result in fewer resources, she said, such as Cambodian-language assistance or mental health services that specifically help people cope with the still-lasting effects of the Khmer Rouge genocide. Aiming to make business allies, the boisterous marchers distributed fliers about May Day to shopkeepers along Pioneer Boulevard. At Kirun Jewelers, Ali Bashir, a 28-year-old Pakistan native and community health advocate, seemed to succeed. As he handed out a flier and turned to leave, the owner smiled and called out, "Labor Day is in September, but go ahead, I am with you." In Orange County, a group of about a dozen U.S. flag-waving demonstrators protested outside the Mexican Consulate in Santa Ana, criticizing the Mexican government for failing to redress poverty, corruption and violence and other problems that have led to illegal immigration to the United States. The raucous gathering drew just as many immigrant-rights protesters, who dressed in white shirts and clashed with the other demonstrators in shouting matches, walking in circles and chanting “We love America” and “U-S-A!” Raymond Herrera, of Laguna Hills, an activist with the Minuteman Project, was stopped at the door when he tried to enter the consulate to deliver a letter to Consul Carlos Rodriguez Y Quezada. The letter faulted the Mexican government for failing to control illegal immigration, thousands of drug-related killings, corruption, even the spread of H1N1 Influenza, or swine flu. Security guards posted inside the consulate wore gauze masks. “You’re Guatemalan. You can’t come in,” Betty Torres, a consulate worker, said in Spanish. “This is Mexico.” “Until Mexico takes care of its people, we’ll continue to have these issues,” said Robin Hvidston, a Minuteman Project demonstrator and Upland estate manager who said the terrible economy only made that more clear. It is unfair, she said, that U.S. citizens should have to compete with illegal immigrants for scarce jobs during a recession. “Teens who want to get jobs in fast food can’t because Spanish-speaking adults who are in this country unlawfully take them,” she said, clad in a U.S. Flag windbreaker. “In this economic crisis, it’s particularly devastating to the American worker.” As the group of immigrant-rights demonstrators chanted “Jesus was an immigrant,” Hvidston shot back: “Jesus loves the laws.” A larger rally of pro-immigration reform groups was planned for later in the day in the Civic Center’s Plaza of the Flags. Anna Gorman, Teresa Watanabe and Tony Barboza Link:
LA Times: Lawsuit
alleges Little India beauty salon chain exploits workers For two decades, Ziba Beauty salons have brought the ancient Indian techniques of eyebrow threading and henna tattoos to a clientele that has included Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Salma Hayek and Naomi Campbell. Ziba Chief Executive Sumita Batra, 39, and her staff have styled models for Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone magazines and TV shows "America's Next Top Model" and "Extreme Makeover." But now Batra and her family partners are accused of building their business by exploiting workers, many of them female immigrants. Former Ziba workers filed a class action lawsuit last week alleging the owners of the 11-store salon chain failed to give them the minimum wage, overtime compensation and meal and rest breaks. The plaintiffs include Payal Modi of India and Bishnu Shahani from Nepal, who say they were paid as little as $4 an hour at the salon, denied rest breaks and required to deliver hours of free henna tattooing services at parties. The women, who say they were fired in January for challenging the salon's labor contracts, have since opened their own salon in Culver City. "A lot of people don't read or speak English. They don't know California law," said Modi, who immigrated to Los Angeles in 2001. "So we have to fight for them." Batra declined an interview request. But her attorney, Navneet Chugh, denied the allegations. All of the salon's beauty workers receive medical benefits, lunch and rest breaks and legal wages, he said. In 2007, three-fourths of the 60 beauty workers on the payroll earned between $18,000 and $55,000 a year plus tips, he said. "There is absolutely no merit in the lawsuit against Ziba," Chugh said. Virginia Keeny, the plaintiffs' attorney with Hadsell, Stormer, Keeny, Richardson & Renick LLP in Pasadena, said she expected to represent 150 to 200 workers in the class action lawsuit but could not say how much compensation her clients would request. Indians Americans might be considered the most successful Asian minority in the United States, reporting high levels of income, education, professional job status and English-language ability -- even though three-fourths are foreign-born -- according to 2004 U.S. Census data. But complaints of labor exploitation are widespread among Indian and other South Asian immigrants, according to Hamid Khan, executive director of the South Asian Network, a community-based civil rights advocacy group. He said many low-level workers typically earn $1,500 a month working 60-hour weeks, pay that amounts to less than the $8-an-hour California minimum wage. Khan's network plans to launch a project to investigate the working conditions of South Asian laborers in the Little India community in Artesia. So far, the network has negotiated back pay settlements with about eight South Asian businesses, including grocers, mini-marts and restaurants, and is circulating a community petition demanding that businesses follow California labor law. Khan said he was unaware of the scope of labor complaints against Ziba until this year. Instead, he said, Ziba was projected in the local South Asian media as a fabulous community success story, founded by hard-working immigrant pioneers who helped introduce ancient Indian beauty arts to Americans and richly prospered from it. Threading, which originated in India hundreds of years ago and spread to Persia and other parts of the Middle East, uses twisted cotton thread to remove unwanted facial hair. It is considered cleaner and gentler than plucking and tweezing. Henna tattooing, also known as Mehndi, consists of designs ranging from single flowers to elaborate full-body bridal motifs using all-natural dyes that wear off after a few weeks. Both arts have been practiced in pockets of Los Angeles for decades. But Ziba founder Kundan Sabarwal and her family, Indians born in Iran, helped market it into the U.S. mainstream. At the Ziba store on Pioneer Boulevard in Artesia, more than 10 women of various ethnicities waited for beauty services on Saturday morning. One client was Charese Kendricks, 40, of Long Beach. The law-enforcement officer said she heard of the threading technique from African American friends in the 1970s and began trying it about three years ago. "It's better and cleaner than waxing, better for your health and lasts longer," she said. Ziba attorney Chugh said Sabarwal ran a beauty salon in her garage in India before moving to Los Angeles 27 years ago. Starting with one shop in 1987, the family now has an expanding beauty empire that includes 11 salons, cosmetic products, a glossy magazine, a music business and a string of public events, including an annual "Ziba Girl" pageant. Batra, Sabarwal's daughter, helped bring celebrity glitz to the business by first styling Madonna for a 1998 Rolling Stone cover story. The Ziba website features a flattering quote about Batra from Madonna and photos of the Ziba chief with Hilary Duff and other celebrities. "It is an immigrant family that has worked very, very hard for 21 years and has finally seen the fruits of their labor," Chugh said of the Sabarwals. "If anyone can empathize with immigrant workers, the owners of Ziba can, and do." Some workers tell a different story. Modi said she began working at Ziba in 2005 with a dream of opening her own salon. She had learned threading at age 7, she said, and honed her skills at a relative's salon in India before joining her father in Los Angeles in 2001. Modi, who was mostly based at a Ziba salon in the Westside Pavilion, said she was paid $50 a day during a six-month training period, working from noon to 9 p.m. six days a week with no rest breaks. After that, she said, she was moved to a 25% commission with no base pay. Her daily take would vary, often between $40 and $80 a day, she said. Modi also said she would be required to provide free henna services at Hollywood parties or at Nordstrom -- once when she was eight months pregnant. Other workers, including Shahani of Nepal, told similar tales. Despite private misgivings about their treatment, the women said they were afraid to complain for fear of retaliation. Chugh, however, said Modi was paid $12 an hour and Shahani $9 an hour, plus tips and bonus, in 2006. He added that employees voluntarily worked parties to pick up new clients. In January, Ziba unveiled new employee contracts that dropped the commission to 16%, barred employees from working at other threading salons and asserted proprietary trade secrets over the art of henna. Modi and Shahani said that when they and three other workers refused to sign the contract and report to work, they were fired. The firm contends they weren't fired but "replaced." In negotiations, Ziba and the workers settled the major disputes involving the new contract. Khan said he hoped a similar settlement could be forged over the latest complaints. "Our intent is for businesses in our community to flourish," Khan said, "but we're not going to let our workers suffer in exploitative conditions." By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles
Times Staff Writer Link: http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/23/local/me-beauty23 On Sunday January 13th, South Asian Network (SAN) held a town hall to have a community dialogue on issues that are impacting the South Asian community in the US. Held in Lawndale, CA, with 80 community members from the local area in attendance, the town hall was conducted primarily in Hindi and Urdu (with simultaneous English language translation) and facilitated by SAN staff members and volunteer, Farhana Shahid, Hamid Khan, Shiuming Cheer, Vandana Ranjan, and Ankita Kant. In addition, Community and staff members took part in various skits to highlight examples of racism, xenophobia, and domestic violence faced by the South Asian community. The town hall explored the intersections of race, immigration status and gender particularly in the post 9/11 era of racial profiling, surveillance, detention, deportation and violence faced by the Muslims, Arabs and South Asians. Farhana Shahid, a SAN staff and member of the South Bay community opened the town hall by illustrating the need for such a dialogue to begin in the South Asian community as increasingly individuals in the South Asian community have faced discrimination at the workplace, harassment while shopping and racism within the school districts. Hamid Khan, Executive Director of South Asian Network, followed by providing the historical context of racist immigration policies that have impacted South Asian for decades and linked this to the internment of the Japanese after World War II as well as the continued oppression of the Indigenous communities (Native American) and African Americans in the US. Ankita Kant, a community member who has become increasingly active on the issue of violence against women in the past year, continued by presenting that 2 out of 5 South Asian women are impacted by domestic violence. Ankita also provided information on appropriate prevention and intervention strategies such as mental health counseling and resources such as shelters, transportation vouchers, and job related information that are available to women who are abused by their husbands and/or in-laws. In addition, she discussed the lack of support in the community as well as the racist and discriminatory responses of law enforcement officers faced by survivors of domestic violence. Also, Kiran Nair, an attorney who practices immigration and family law, presented information on various immigration reliefs available to immigrant women such as Violence Against Women Act and the U Visa. Furthermore, Moulana Zunaid from the local mosque responded to the queries of various attendants on the role of religion in addressing violence in intimate relationships. He indicated that the root of this violence lies in the inappropriate socialization of men when they are young. The higher status provided to boys while the girls are not afforded the same allows for the unequal power dynamics in intimate relationships. "It is about responsibility, not power," he stated. He elaborated that according to Islam men have the responsibility to provide for their family but they also have the responsibility to recognize that their wives are equal to them and therefore deserve their respect. A critical part of the town hall included a discussion on the role of community members, particularly male community members, in addressing violence against women in the community as well ways to advocate for change in immigration policy. During the town hall, participants shared their experiences with family violence and suggested methods of confronting violence and raising awareness. The community members felt that having such town halls was imperative in organizing against violence in the community. They also stated that it would be important to educate their children on the issue, educating themselves, fighting gender stereotypes, beginning a dialogue with their family, and supporting victims of violence in their own community.
Domestic Violence Survivor Takes Charge! Rubaiyat Karim Link: http://indiapost.com/article/immigration/1830/
Spouse abandonment reaches epidemic proportions India Post News Service LOS ANGELES CA: "He told me that he would send for me after a few months but the only papers that arrived were the ones seeking a divorce," states Maya. Maya's family arranged her marriage with an émigré from Los Angeles, California and soon afterwards she arrived in the US where she resided with her husband as a H4 visa holder. She was physically and mentally abused by her husband and often harassed for more dowries. Soon after, they had a daughter and she went on a holiday to India to see her parents. However, while she was there her husband filed for divorce and served her with the petition for dissolution of the marriage and warned her against returning to the US, stating that since she is on a dependant visa she would be arrested upon arrival. Abandonment has reached epidemic levels as 30,000 marriages to émigrés have resulted in a spouse being abandoned in India, with 15,000 of those in Punjab, and increasingly from Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, according to the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA). Abandonment of spouses in their country of origin, much like threatening deportation, withholding immigration documents, and refusing to proceed with immigration applications immediately after marriage, are all patterns of abuse based on immigration status. South Asian women's organizations in the United States, such as Manavi, are leading the efforts to document the incidences of abandonment of women from India, as well as Bangladesh and Pakistan, although currently there are no available statistics for the latter two countries. Ali Kazimi's documentary, Runaway Grooms (released in 2005), shows two women, Namita Jain and Sonia Kaur, in India who have been impacted by a combination of social customs, foreign law and greed and are speaking out about the issue through the media and the judicial system. As shown in the documentary and attested to by domestic violence advocates, women are abandoned (also referred to as "marry-and-dump") after they marry an émigré, who returns with the promise of applying for his spouse to immigrate to the US. However, the bride is left waiting, often pregnant and with no communication from the husband. If the émigré happens to bring the spouse to the US, the couple often returns to the country of origin under the pretext of going on a "vacation" to visit their families and the spouse is abandoned, leaving her without her immigration and identification documents so as to disallow her from returning to the US. When the émigré returns to the US, he petitions for the dissolution of the marriage and given the lack of access to information, immigration documents and financial resources the abandoned spouse is unable to retain an attorney to represent her interest in court thereby allowing the émigré to get a default judgment. Given that the abandoned spouse does not respond to the divorce filing as they are often falsely informed by her émigré that they do not need to file a response, the judge presiding over the case does not order alimony, child support or equitable distribution of assets. In these instances, the women are debased and at times, the family has been forced to relocate due to the shame that has been brought on to the family due to the divorce. South Asian Network (SAN) finds that the victims of this are mostly women with educated and upper class women being impacted as much as women from rural areas. SAN advocates find that often the émigrés want to extort dowry, and if the wife's family is unable to provide it, they are abandoned. Also, often émigrés cite that they were under parental pressure to marry someone from their country of origin hence abandonment of the spouse is an easy way to address the matter. However, whether for greed or due to pressure, much like other forms of abuse, the immigration status of the émigré leaves the abandoned spouse at their mercy. Such dependency plays a critical role in increasing the vulnerability of women who are on H4 dependant visas as they are unable to work and have limited access legal and health resources. In most of these cases, the children are taken away from the abandoned woman and if the woman is pregnant when she is abandoned the émigré does not provide for the child. Recently, Sandhya Shukla, Director of Social Services at the (MOIA), met with SAN and other South Asian women's organizations in the United States to develop transnational alliances to address this issue. She traveled with the intention of gathering recommendations from advocates as to the measures that MOIA can take to address the concerns of women who have been abandoned by their émigré spouses. The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs began an initiative this year to provide legal, financial and mental health resources to women who have been abandoned. The Ministry has also published a pamphlet, titled "Marriages to Overseas Indians", to increase the level of awareness, suggest preventive measures as well as interventions for women in India, whose soon-to-be husbands reside aboard. According to Shukla, "many cases involve women who are unaware of the available resources." This is cited by Shukla and other advocates as one reason for the under reporting hence they feel it is imperative that women are provided the necessary information so that they may report these issues to the government. Firoza Chic Dabby, the Executive Director at Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence, also encourages parents to be vigilant as often families aspire to send their children to live abroad without realizing the potential risks as these marriages occur without a thorough background check of the émigré. Currently in the US, efforts are underway to address abandonment and support women through financial, legal, and mental health resources. SAN finds that the federal immigration laws such as Violence Against Women Act and Immigration Marriage Fraud Act govern marriages involving immigrants much more so than state laws allow hence abandoned women can often seek immigration relief under these acts. If abused, derivative spouses who were married to a US citizen or legal permanent resident can seek to adjust their immigration status by self-petitioning. If their spouse is a temporary foreign worker admitted under the A, E, G, or H non-immigrant visa programs, the abandoned spouse may be approved to work if there is evidence of violence or extreme cruelty. Also, based on the recommendation of the National Commission of Women, the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has stated that they will establish "cells" in the India embassies and high commissions to collaborate with domestic violence organizations, which in turn will disburse financial assistance in the amount of $1,000 to Indian women deserted in India or overseas within two years of marriage and divorce proceedings initiated by the émigré husband within two years of the marriage. They also plan to provide legal assistance to abandoned spouse where the émigré is granted an ex-parte decree of divorce. In addition to this, advocates believe that various other actions such as the enforcement of mandatory registration of marriages, listing of marital status on passport, bilateral treaties with foreign countries so as to seek legal action against émigrés, etc. need to be taken to hold the émigrés accountable. Also, families and individuals need to be alert as to the background of the émigré and retain copies of immigration documents so as to avoid such situations. SAN is also attempting to change the perceptions of police officers and family law judges through cultural sensitivity trainings so that they prioritize the rights of the victims regardless of their immigration status since advocates have found that often the victim is not given the same amount of credibility as her émigré spouse. Often when victims from South Asia need legal resources they are forced to retain private attorneys, who generally charge at least $4,000 in fees. Domestic violence advocates continue to identify and create a network of pro bono attorneys, referrals for educational, financial and mental health resources, create materials to raise awareness and empower victims in the South Asian community as well as connect with other immigrant communities that may be faced with similar concerns. Another victim of abandonment whose husband surprised her with a trip to Dhaka, Bangladesh contacted SAN when she realized that her husband had fled the country a few days after they landed along with her immigration documents. She was able to return to the US by obtaining travel documents through the US Embassy as she had sufficient proof of her marriage to the émigré and immigration status. Upon her arrival in the US, she was able to stay with supportive friends and later in a shelter where she accessed counseling services, job placement, and legal resources to file for divorce. While the emotional impact of such an event can only be addressed over a course of time, the creation of a strong formal legal and community framework is the only way in which the immediate financial and legal issues faced by women who are abandoned in South Asian can be addressed. Rubaiyat Karim Link: http://indiapost.com/article/immigration/1530/
Support sought for TPS status for Bangladeshis India Post News Service LOS ANGELES: SAN seeks the support of the Bangladeshi community to advocate for Temporary Protected Status for Bangladeshi immigrants residing in the United States. Temporary Protected Status (TPS), established as part of Immigration Act of 1990, is a temporary immigration status granted to eligible nationals of designated countries. This procedure allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide TPS to aliens in the United States who are temporarily unable to safely return to their home country because of ongoing armed conflict, the temporary effects of an environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) administers the TPS program and allows beneficiaries to remain in the United States and obtain work authorization. Similarly, DED is a temporary protection from removal which is granted to aliens from a designated country. DED is designated by the Office of the President of the United States of America, as a constitutional power to conduct foreign relations. The Secretary of Homeland Security can designate a country for TPS and the President is the one to designate DED for nationals of a particular country by Executive Order or Presidential Memorandum. Many immigrants from Bangladesh currently in the United States have witnessed the devastating impact of the Category 4 cyclone Sidr, which crashed into the southern coast of Bangladesh on the evening of November 14, with 155mph winds causing a 20 feet tidal wave. The last official death toll from Cyclone Sidr was 3,167 with 1,724 reported missing (Disaster Management Ministry estimates as of November 24) and many areas of Bangladesh are yet to be reached by aid workers, causing officials to estimate up to 5,000-10,000 deaths in the region. In addition, the government is unable to attend to the thousands of people who are in need of food and other resources. This cyclone is following an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, which occurred on November 7. The earthquake jolted the southern and southeastern region of Bangladesh, with the epicenter located 253 km southeast of capital Dhaka city, causing damage to homes and office buildings in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Khagrachhari, Comilla and Noakhali districts. In addition, Bangladesh has experienced continued floods in its northeast region caused by the heavy monsoon rains which has displaced more than 8 million people since June. Given the current state of Bangladesh following the various environmental disasters, SAN has requested that the Department of Homeland Security grants Temporary Protected Status to immigrants who would otherwise have to return to a devastated country. Rubaiyat Karim Link: http://indiapost.com/article/immigration/1528/ SAN Gets $25K Grant for DV
Program for Children Under the auspices of its Speak
Out Against Domestic Violence Initiative, the Avon Foundation last month
awarded a $25,000 one-year grant to South Asian Network for a program
that assists children who have been exposed to domestic violence. Link: http://www.indiawest.com/view.php? subaction=showfull&id=1196967058&archive=&start_from=&ucat=10&
September 11th, 2007 – The State of the South Asian Community 6 years
later: Since September 11th, 2001, the South Asian community has been a target of hate crimes, deportations, government surveillance and other acts of aggression within the mainstream, which has placed the community under a state of siege. Yet, with all these hardships, the community not only manages to survive but also comes together to empower itself, stand up for its rights and carves its role within the broader movement for social and economic justice. The following articles depict the varied experiences of the South Asian community at large: Post 9-11
Hate Crime Victim, I’m one of the post 9-11 hate crime survivors. The hate crime happened on November 11th, 2001 in my store in Los Angeles, CA. I was working, when two armed young men came in, robbed me & blamed me for 9-11. Los Angeles Police Department took a report and a video cassette recording of the incident. Los Angeles Times published my story. Following the hate crime, I contacted South Asian Network (SAN) for services and support. I lost both of my businesses because I was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. SAN assisted me in filing a wage claim with the State of California, Victim Witness Compensation Program (VWCP). Ms. Joyti Chand at SAN is working on my case and is authorized to deal with all government agencies including VWCP. Almost 6 years has passed, still my case at the VWCP hasn’t got a final decision. We submitted all kinds of documents, reports, certificates and papers for the wage claim to the local El Monte VWCP office. These documents include wage loss statements, tax statements, psychological and psychiatric reports and police documents of the crime. The State has neglected my case, lost my documents and re-victimized me. Sometimes I was told that the documents I submitted were sufficient, sometimes the same documents were incomplete and not in compliance with their guidelines. On March 6th, 2006, the local El Monte VWCP office denied working on my case. I came to the U.S. from Bangladesh in March 1990. I always believed that the U.S. is a land where justice and humanity is the most important. I want to hold on to this belief. The hate crime and my experiences of being re-victimized by the State has gloomed the image I had day by day. In order for there to be justice for all, including victims of hatred and State violence, all forms of discrimination, surveillance, employment inequality, immigration harassment and negligence of victims has to end. This should be irrespective of status, color, race, religion, age and/or sex.  Mr. Mujibar Badal
South Asian
Health post 9/11 Change in health behavior and healthcare for the South Asian community in the United States post 9/11 is often overlooked or invisible. It has and continues to effect the South Asian community both physical and mental health. Working in the Health Unit (CHAI- Community Health Action Initiative), we have seen the fear in our community to access basic health care. Our community members are afraid to use any free services such as county health programs because they feel that using such programs will change their immigration status, or lead to deportation/detention. Even pregnant females are scared to seek health care services because they are worried about the family. Many of our community members experience discrimination or are treated unfairly by staff and other clients at health clinics. Families have and still do experience a great deal of mental stress post 9/11 because they are worried about the wellbeing of their family members who are out of the home for work and school. South Asian Network’s CHAI unit (Health) promotes healthy living through education, empowerment, and access to healthcare for South Asian Families in Southern California. We are currently working with over 650 families to help bridge the gap in communication and disseminate the fear that our community feels. CHAI is empowering our community to advocate for themselves in demanding rights that they are entitled to such as language interpretation services that all health clinics and hospitals should be providing. We also work with various organizations in changing healthcare policies to fit the needs of our community. We see health as a basic human right for us and for all regardless of ethnicity, class, race, sexuality and gender.
9-11 and Women’s Rights, There is a deep crisis in the South Asian community due to the reactionary policies and procedures that have been implemented by the government in the post 9/11 era. The women in the South Asian community bear the burden of that crisis. The fragile economy, an insular community and the surveillance, racial profiling, registration, detention, and deportation from various legal and social institutions as well as locals has produced a volatile environment that is worsened by the lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate services. South Asian women bear the strain of upholding cultural traditions as prescribed by the patriarchs within families and to protect the men in the community, often leading to lack of reporting to law enforcement when they experience violence. In addition, the absence of immigration reform, many South Asian domestic violence victims are deterred from seeking public services or leaving battering spouses, for fear of jeopardizing their immigration status and/or custody of their children. In particular, immigration policies that prevent women on dependant/spousal visas from working and petitioning to change their status increase women’s vulnerability to abuse. SAN has worked with over 1,000 women and children in the South Asian community who are dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, elder abuse and patterns of abuse that follow alcohol and drug addictions, all situations exacerbated since 9/11. One community member, a survivor of domestic violence, eloquently articulated the dangers posed by one of the various policies that have been implemented nationwide. She testified before the L.A. County of Board of Supervisors that, due to a fear that she would be deported if she called law enforcement, she had suffered harassment for 11 years. She further stated that the new policy, which would allow local law enforcement to enforce immigration policy via a Memorandum of Understanding between the two agencies, would further break down the delicate trust between immigrant communities and local police and provide abusers the very “weapon” they need to control their partner. The dynamics of power and control created within our families necessitates that we ask the questions that shatter the silence and create “security” through true solidarity.
UPDATE ON IMMIGRATION POLICY Compromises lead to fewer rights for our communities Currently, there is enormous pressure on immigrants to accept any immigration proposal and we are being told that something is “better than nothing”. Immigrant communities are being denied basic human rights given the increase in surveillance, raids, detentions and deportations and a strong push for anti-immigrant laws around the country. The Senate bill took advantage of the need for change by writing a bill in June 2007 that directly benefits businesses while claiming that the bill would be good for immigrants. The bill claimed to provide a path to citizenship, but upon closer inspection this path was rigged with massive traps that would have led to increased detention and deportation of immigrants. Using national security to justify dehumanization § Recent policies (including the failed Senate Bill) have continued patterns of linking immigration to national security. The term “terrorist” has been applied to South Asians, youth and others, which creates fear that US national security is at risk due to immigrants. This causes more proposals of racist immigration policies and a loss of civil liberties. § The real crisis is with the causes of migration. The US foreign policy of “free trade” allows businesses to set up shop in other countries, putting those nations into heavy debt and ultimately. crumbling their economies, causing extreme poverty. This forces people to migrate from their home countries and is the root cause for much migration to the US. § To be truly comprehensive, any immigration reform must include sustainable economic, social and political development in the U.S. and abroad. The goal must be an elimination of economic inequity, social injustice, and civil strife, because these are the root causes of migration. Our government should promote policies, such as job development and economic security that make a positive difference in the lives of U.S. immigrants, workers, and their families. Where Do We Go From Here We oppose all enforcement-based bills and we will not compromise for “something is better than nothing,” when that “something” actually worsens the current environment for immigrants and other working people in this country. We call for the following:
Housing Crisis in Los Angeles: Within the current context of intolerance, hundreds of South Asian immigrant families, the majority from Bangladesh and some from Sri Lanka and Pakistan, make their home in downtown Los Angeles’ Koreatown. Here, they find jobs, for minimum and below minimum wage, and typically contribute the major share of their meager incomes to rent some of the worst housing in Los Angeles. Infestations of rats and roaches, broken plumbing and hallways that are strewn with garbage are common. Despite such blatant health and safety violations, many landlords demand exaggerated and often illegal rents. Unfamiliar with their rights as workers and tenants, and fearful that they could be fired, evicted and/or deported, especially in the present climate of racial, ethnic and religious discrimination, many South Asians are reluctant to register complaints and demand improvements from their employers and landlords. Through our work in Koreatown and the case management of tenants in partnership with SAN has increased the control that people have over actions that affect them, and increased self-reliance. The positive outcomes from the community participation described below have had ripple effects, as tenants share their experiences with neighbors, who in turn open up with their own similar problems. In our one-on-one discussions and small-group presentations we conduct not only an intake of our audience’s immediate problem but pay close attention to their broader issues. By aiding them in taking measures to find solutions to their case at hand, we also establish a zone of comfort and trust. Our outreach and mapping has taught us that majority of Bangladeshi tenants in the Korea Town are not aware of their rights under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance and the enforcement provisions. But community members have reached out to each other to raise community awareness of their rights as well as how to assert them. SAN community organizers and youth members are committed to a collaborative, multicultural approach that promotes racial justice in Southern California to collectively challenge the policies and institutions that foster inequality and displacement. In this endeavor, SAN has organized a resident’s committee in Koreatown primarily targeting South Asian residents, discussing the issues and collaborating with local partners to create materials relevant for education, outreach and organizing.
Hate
Crimes, Discrimination, Police Brutality Post 9-11 Following the attacks of 9-11, the FBI documented in their annual collection of crime statistics that there was a 400% increase in the number of hate crimes committed against those perceived to be South Asian, Arab & Muslim. According to the LA County Commission on Human relations, there were a total of 188 anti-Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian related hate crimes. Six years after 9-11, SAN has documented and assisted over 150 community members who have experienced hate crimes/incidents, discrimination, police abuse/harassment and surveillance in their places of worship, residence, employment, and schools. Please join SAN on November 5th, 2007 (Artesia Community Center) and January 13th, 2008 (South Bay) to share your stories, strategize and empower others to speak out against discrimination, anti immigrant policies and the impact of violence on women and children. For More Information regarding SAN or this article, please contact us at: South
Asian Network South
Asian Network Receives July 25, 2003 LEAP stated that, “South Asian Network has exemplified leadership of the highest level” and recognized SAN’s advocacy in bringing challenges and issues faced by the South Asian community to the forefront and for being a vocal spokesperson for the largely underserved, unheard South Asian voices. Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc (LEAP) is a national non profit organization founded in 1982 to achieve full participation and equality for Asian Pacific Americans. In accepting the award, SAN executive Director, Hamid Khan stated that SAN accepted the award on behalf of all the activists that are working with the South Asian community to highlight and challenge the issues of Discrimination, Racial Profiling, Detention and deportation and the denial of Health Care and other critical services to this community. South
Asian Network Honored February 29, 2003 The Coalition for Humane
Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) is a non profit organization
founded in 1986 to advance civil rights of immigrants and refugees in Los
Angeles SAN Receives 2002 John Anson Ford Human Relations AwardOctober 23, 2002 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kripa Upadhyay: kripa@southasiannetwork.org The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles Human Relations Commission honored South Asian Network (SAN) with the John Anson Ford Human Relations Award for 2002 in a luncheon ceremony held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on October 23 2002. The John Anson Ford Award recognizes outstanding work that promotes Inter – group relations, and acknowledges a body of work in the field. The award was presented to SAN in Recognition of its work in providing multi – ethnic, multi – lingual leadership and services to the South Asian Community by advocating for Hate Crime victims, holding educational forums and partnering with other organizations to educate the larger community to improve inter group cultural sensitivity and the understanding which was greatly needed following September 11th. In accepting the award, SAN Executive Director Hamid Khan stressed upon “ the need for collective action to challenge everyday Racism that strips people of their dignity and institutional prejudice that disempowers us”, he also acknowledged the need for the South Asian Community to “take a proactive stand against marginalisation and challenge the prejudices within” South Asian Network (SAN) is a non-profit, non-partisan, secular, community based grass roots organizations that is dedicated to promoting the health, empowerment and solidarity of persons of South Asian origin living in Southern California. SAN has been addressing the critical needs of the community in the areas of Health Care access, Domestic Violence, Immigration, Workers’ Rights and Anti discrimination / Hate Crime since 1990. In response to the wave of anti South Asian hate violence that swept Southern California after September 11th , SAN formally established an Anti-Discrimination /Hate Crime unit. To date, SAN has provided direct assistance to over 30 South Asian victims of Hate crimes / Discrimination and their families, created and disseminated brochures and fact cards on victims rights and resources in five South Asian languages, conducted numerous community Town hall meetings and presentations on Hate Crime and Discrimination issues for over 2500 community members and have begun a media campaign that encourages Hate Crime reporting and directs victims to SAN for assistance. For further information on SAN and its programs visit the website: www.southasiannetwork.org or call (562) 403 0488 Groups Fight Increase in bias Against Arabs (Los Angeles Times) Hate: Organizations are seeking to document and prevent backlash incidents after attacks. The initial post-Sept. 11 violence against American Arabs and Muslims, or people mistaken for them, often took place in public spaces: on the street, at a convenience store, near a mosque. But some advocates of these groups say a quieter backlash also took place in people's homes-and they worry that it may still pose a threat. It can be a neighbor's hostility, an unwarranted eviction notice or a wild accusation. All of these have rattled the sense of community of some Southern California residents of Arab or South Asian descent. Such concern has brought an effort by some local organizations to document the problems and try to prevent them. o The Housing Rights Center, which regularly sends out "testers" to determine- whether landlords discriminate, has increased its pool of would-be renters of Middle Eastern descent since Sept. 11. o Statewide, a group of advocates recently formed a task force to study the issue of fair housing and immigrants. The Muslim Public Affairs Council said it has asked the Justice Department to review a list of guidelines that the Los Angeles Police Department sent to apartments' owners. The group worries that the list might increase bias against Muslims. o The South Asian Network has begun a campaign to encourage people to talk about problems in employment or housing matters. Advocates acknowledge that they do not know the extent of housing harassment or discrimination. In a time of increased detentions, interrogations and deportations, they said, getting people to talk is tough. "Nobody wants to appear on the radar, said Hamid Khan, executive director of the South Asian Network, based in Artesia. "We're trying to get the word out. Please call us; let us know. We need to document these things, start some advocacy and start mobilizing the community." Incidents like the shooting Thursday at Los Angeles International Airport by an Egyptian-born man makes the job of Khan's group more difficult, he said. "We're dealing with guilt by association. Any time an incident like this happens our alarm bells go off. We go on alert as to what kind of retribution is going to take place." "South Asian" is a broad term that includes Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and Nepalese. Khan and other advocates say that South Asians are targeted by people who mistake them for Middle Easterners. Sikhs wear turbans and many older South Asians still wear ethnic clothing, so "They are easily recognizable as 'foreign,'" said Kripa Upadhyay, program coordinator for the South Asian Network group, known as SAN. Knowing whether an incident is motivated by a person's religion or ethnicity is inherently difficult. The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations has not compiled statistics for this year on hate-motivated crimes or incidents that have taken place at victims' residences. It counted 44 such cases between Sept. 11 and Dec. 2. And incidents so far this year have troubled some advocates. In January, the magazine of the Apartment Owners Assn. of Southern California, which has a circulation of 75,000, published an article titled "A Moment of Truth for Muslims." The article, which also appeared on the association's Web site, described Islam as a "religion of violence and hatred," and accused Muslims of being "responsible for most terrorism in the world today." Such articles reflect "a lot of ignorance and stereotypical images about Muslims," said Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. Aslam Abdullah, editor in chief of Minaret, a Muslim magazine said he had asked to write a rebuttal in the apartment association's magazine but was refused He called the article "hate speech" and
said, "I have information that a few Muslims were denied rentals
after the publication of this article." "The Muslim religion teaches that they worship the same God that the Jewish people worship, that the Christian people worship, and that is a lie," Faller said. "So the primary purpose of my putting the article in was to point out that that's not true." He said the article had drawn strong support, particularly from Jewish readers. Another incident occurred in February, when a cardiologist of Indian origin was shot at in his Porterville, Calif., home in what prosecutors allege was a hate crime. Before dawn, a man knocked on the door of Indian-born Dr. Ashok Behl, then shot at Behl through a thick glass pane, said Porterville Police Sgt. Eric Kroutil. The doctor suffered injuries to the face and neck. The alleged gunman, Joe Howard Keel, 27, was arrested later the same day in Burbank, Kroutil said. Police said the shooting had been "possibly in retaliation for events in New York" and they have labeled it a hate crime. Keel told police he thought the doctor was "Arabic," Kroutil said. Anxiety among some South Asians and Arab Americans in Los Angeles heightened in May when the FBI issued a memo saying terrorists might target apartment buildings with explosives. The Los Angeles Police Department followed that memo by releasing a list of guidelines that encouraged owners to be more vigilant about prospective tenants-for example, people who are not disabled but want first-floor units. Though the guidelines do not target any group, and police officials have cautioned managers to obey anti-discrimination laws, some housing advocates and civil rights attorneys worry that the list will encourage landlords to discriminate. "We understand the need for security," Khan said. "our concern is, they are handing out these guidelines to untrained people who bring their own prejudices to this." |
