DC is home to fifth largest South Asian population in country

NEW YORK: As the South Asian community nationwide and in the Washington DC area continues to grow, the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC) and South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) on July 20, released the findings from a new report, entitled Washington DeSi: South Asians in the Nation's Capital, to an audience of government and community stakeholders.

In response to the lack of information about the South Asian community in the Washington DC metropolitan region - home to the nation's fifth largest South Asian population - APALRC and SAALT launched the South Asian Community Empowerment (SACE) project in early 2009 that included a multi-language needs assessment, focus groups, interviews, and relationship-building with community organizations.

Washington DeSi provides findings from surveys of nearly 200 South Asians living or working in DC, as well as trends gathered from focus groups and interviews.

"South Asians are the second largest Asian ethnic group in the District of Columbia. Our community includes young professionals, domestic workers, and small business owners, with various income levels, immigration statuses, and a range of concerns," explained Deepa Iyer, Executive Director of SAALT. 

The findings in Washington DeSi serve as an important starting point for further dialogue and movement among government and community stakeholders around three main priorities areas for the economic and social empowerment of South Asians in the District: removing barriers to service provision; addressing and reducing claims of bias and discrimination; and increasing civic engagement.

Of the many note-worthy findings in the report are that nearly 3 out of 10 South Asians surveyed reported unfair treatment when dealing with law enforcement officials or government authorities, while a third of survey respondents had experienced unfair treatment while working or when frequenting stores, banks or restaurants. 

In addition, the report provides narratives of situations faced by segments of working class South Asians, including taxi drivers, restaurant workers, and the growing population of South Asian domestic workers in the District.

"Through our project, we know that South Asians need access to information and resources related to health care, legal services, financial education and vocational training.  In addition, South Asians identified public safety, discrimination, and access to government resources as areas of concern," noted Nadia Firozvi, Staff Attorney at the APALRC. 

The report also provides recommendations for government agencies, community stakeholders, philanthropic institutions and service providers. Key recommendations include providing culturally and linguistically accessible information to South Asians in the District, broadening the outreach of government agencies, and developing the community-based infrastructure in the Washington DC metropolitan region.

India Post News Service