Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA)

Inter-community groups from South Asia and U.S. celebrate victory, and sound alarm, in campaign against Federal Immigration Discrimination.

San Francisco, California - On the announcement by the Department of Homeland Security on Dec 2nd of the dismantling of portions of 'special' registration, Bay Area Bangladeshis, Indians, Pakistanis and South Asian Americans celebrated the success of their united opposition to the program, while alerting the community to the program's continued dangers.

Thursday, September 4, 2003, Oakland: Concerned Desis Against Prop. 54, a Bay Area South Asian coalition group formed to disseminate information in the community about the harmful effects of Proposition 54, held their kickoff event here tonight. Proposition 54, or The Information Ban, is an initiative on the California ballot on October 7, which would make it illegal for state and local agencies, including public schools, hospitals, and law enforcement to collect data on race or ethnicity or even to examine data from other sources, such as the federal census.

As members of the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA), we stand in solidarity with all Americans in grieving the tremendous loss of life, and in condemning the attacks in New York and Washington D.C yesterday. We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims and surviving families, and urge an end to all Anti-Arab backlash and the furthering of violence against innocent people in this country.

Oakland, CA: On September 12, a hearing in the case of USA v. Reddy will occur at 9am at the United States District Court, Northern District of California, Oakland Division, 1301 Clay Street, Suite 400. Members of the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA) will be present, once again, to express solidarity with the victims in this case and to call for Reddy to be held accountable to the South Asian community.

Tuesday, April 10, 2001, Oakland: Members of the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA) gathered outside the courthouse today as Vijay Kumar Lakireddy and Prasad Lakireddy faced status hearings, showing that the Bay Area community has not forgotten the sexual and labor exploitation brought to light more than a year ago in this case of United States of America v. Lakireddy Bali Reddy. ASATA's presence at today's hearing indicates disappointment not in the length of Reddy's prosecution sentence, but on the charges for which Reddy was prosecuted.

On April 11, in the midst of Lakireddy Balireddy's U.S. District Court hearing, members of the newly formed Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA) were present both inside and outside the court to express solidarity with the victims in this case and to urge immunity from deportation for these victims. Members also raised issues of sexual and labor exploitation, and sought to place these issues within an international economic context.