About the organization

Founded in 2000, South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow (SAALT) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the full and equal participation by South Asians in the civic and political life of the United States. There are approximately 2 million South Asians in the United States today. South Asians trace their descent to Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and the diaspora including the West Indies, Africa and Europe. SAALT's goals are to:

• Provide a uniform and informed voice on issues affecting South Asians that relate to equality and civil rights
• Develop South Asian Coalitions that transcend religious, ethnic, or linguistic differences, to facilitate collective action and broader community change
• Create opportunities for leadership, service and volunteerism by South Asians in order to foster civic engagement

Most notable milestones

• Organizing the largest volunteerism event in the South Asian community each year inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's legacy of compassion and unity
• Producing an award-winning documentary and campaign to raise public awareness about hate crimes against South Asians, especially in the post September 11th context
• Publishing American Backlash, a report on reported bias and hate crimes by South Asians in the two weeks following September 11th
• Conducting briefings, lectures and workshops on issues important to the community
• Being featured in ethnic and mainstream media including the Washington Post, The New Republic, The Nation, Asian Week and Newsday.

What’s the niche?

SAALT is unique in that it has a four prong comprehensive approach that includes advancing community-based policy concerns, building coalitions, encouraging civic engagements and raising community awareness.

Most pressing issue now?

• Ensuring fair and equal treatment of all persons
• Ensuring equal and meaningful access to services and benefits
• Addressing and eradicating bias, intimidation and hate crimes
• Preserving civil rights
• Furthering political empowerment and civic engagement

What’s in store for the future?

Our future work will build from what we have been engaged in during the past year, which has included:

• Conducting a series of dialogues called the SAALT Exchange in communities around the country
• Providing community education materials, ranging from an immigration history timeline to a legislative framework of issues that affect South Asians to a voting trends analysis
• Addressing racial profiling in the aftermath of the London bombings, media stereotyping in New Jersey, the REAL ID Act, and immigration reform
• Partnering with organizations and individuals to prepare for a national service day called "Be the Change"
• Coordinating a meeting of organizational leaders and activists in NYC, and working groups in Philadelphia and New Jersey
• Organizing the National South Asian Day of Service on October 2, 2005
• Developing a "Your Point of Entry" toolkit into the South Asian community with demographic information; a historical timeline of events affecting South Asians in the U.S.; and several factsheets on issues affecting our community
• Developing resources related to assessing and encouraging corporate social responsibility through SAALT's Business Leadership Council
• Developing an Advisory Committee of community organizations that work with SAALT to create policy agendas that advance civil and immigrant rights

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