A 26-minute video documenting hate crimes against Sikhs and other South Asian Americans was screened at the Smithsonian on Mar 28. The video was created by SAALT (South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow) and co-sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Pacific American Program.

According to SAALT, South Asians reported the largest number of hate crimes in 1998 and 1999. Since Sept 11, South Asians - predominantly those of Muslim and Sikh backgrounds - have been increasingly subject to hate crimes. Over 645 incidents of bias were reported against Arab Americans and South Asians in the first week after Sept 11. The Sikh Coalition has documented 260 reports of hate crimes against Sikhs thus far.

SAALT’s “Raising Our Voices,” is a national campaign to draw attention to the problem of hate crimes and to foster local action. The centerpiece of the campaign is an educational video featuring testimonials from victims and community leaders. The second part of the campaign is a resource guide for use in workshops and discussions that will “serve as a launching pad for local action,” says SAALT.

The video was presented to an audience of about 100 people. Most were surprised by the number and depth of hate crimes committed against South Asian Americans. A significant portion of the video covers the Sikh community. It is currently being distributed to several universities and organizations throughout the country. The video is also available to anyone wanting to show it to community organizations.

Among the people in the audience were students, young professionals, the Indian media, lawyers from the Department of Justice, representatives from civil rights activist groups, and the D.C. Police Chief Ramsey. A question and answer session with SAALT palatists followed the screening. The palatists were Abha Adhiya who manages Omusha Communications, the production company behind the SAALT video; Muneer Ahmad who is an Assistant Professor of Law at the American University; Amardeep Singh who is the U.S. Researcher for Human Rights Watch, the largest U.S.-based international human rights organization, and the founder of Sikh Coalition; and Francey Lim Youngberg who is the President of Youngberg & Associates, a consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.

For more information on the “Raising Our Voices” video, see www.saalt.org.