ASATA endorsed the 96 hours of of direct action protest over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. We marched together on MLK Day with Third World Resistance for Black Power.
Our statement of solidarity was included in the Third World Resistance flyer along side statements from anti-imperialist and racial justice organizations who we have partnered with and followed leadership from over the years.
ASATA Solidarity Statement:
The Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA) stands in solidarity with the struggle for black liberation. We recognize that our history of resistance to British Imperialism in the Subcontinent, and our fight against Islamophobia here in the U.S., are intrinsically linked with the history of black resistance. We owe gratitude to civil rights leader Bayard Rustin who also founded the Free India Committee. We recognize that the pressure from the Civil Rights Movement made the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 possible — ending the immigration laws that kept South Asians largely out of the U.S. As we continue to organize against caste-based violence in our communities, we are inspired by the work of the Black Panther Party and Dalit Panther — the Dalit liberation movement founded in 1972.
ASATA calls on our diverse communities to reject the model-minority status in the U.S. and work for black and brown unity against white supremacy.
ASATA also co-sponsored the We Too Sing America book talk in San Francisco the following week. The author, Deepa Iyer, presented some of the stories captured in her book — personal accounts of anti-Muslim violence and inspiring resiliency in the face of Islamophobia. Anirvan Chatterjee facilitated a panel following the talk where Reem Suleiman (Asian Law Caucus), Harjit Kaur (Sikh Coalition), and Sabiha Basrai (ASATA) discussed solidarity, community activism, and racial justice. The concept of rejecting “model minority” status and showing up for black liberation was a central topic to the conversation.
Check out Ashwin Warrior’s article “A Call To Action From Community Activists: 4 Things You Can Do To Counter Hate and Violence” on the Aerogram.
ASATA members with author Deepa Iyer and fellow panelists from Asian Law Caucus and Sikh Coalition.
