For readers in California, the South Asian Network (SAN) will be hosting a community hearing this Saturday, August 20th, in Artesia, (southern) California. The community hearing is titled "Ten Years after 9/11."

From SAN's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=247406071943920

• Did you know that a week after September 11, 2001, 645 reports of bias incidents and crimes that targeted South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, and Arab Americans were reported?

• Or that, as a result of Department of Homeland Security's 2002 "Special Registration" program, which required boys and men from 25 countries with large Muslim populations to register with immigration, 84,000 males were fingerprinted, photographed, and questioned in interviews, more than 13,000 were put into deportation proceedings, and 2,800 were detained?

Come to South Asian Network's (SAN) Community Hearing to learn about the impact of 9/11 on the South Asian American community in Southern California, co-sponsored by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) and the State of California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CSCAPIAA).

Hear from SAN, community members, and public officials.

We will talk about: Racial Profiling, Hate Crimes, Surveillance, Immigration Enforcement, Bullying, and Workplace Discrimination.

We want to know your story too. Share your experiences at the hearing with SAN and leaders!

Confirmed Speakers include:
• Community members impacted by post-9/11 policies and backlash
• Congresswoman Judy Chu
• Sefa Aina, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
• Assemblymember Warren Furutani
• Assemblymember Mike Eng
• Ahilan Arulanantham, Deputy Legal Director, ACLU of Southern California
• Shakeel Syed, Executive Director, Islamic Shura Council of Southern California
• Manjusha P. Kulkarni, Executive Director, South Asian Network
• Mou Khan, Program and Campaigns Associate, South Asian Americans Leading Together
• Ameena M. Qazi, Deputy Executive Director, Council on Islamic-American Relations
• Vivek Mittal, Equal Justice Fellow, National Immigration Law Center
• Tamia Pervez, Policy Organizer, South Asian Network
• Ravneet Kaur, Former Sikh Coalition Organizer, Ph.D. Candidate, UCLA

• Refreshments Served
• Childcare Provided
• Translation in Bangla and Hindi/ Urdu

This hearing touches upon one of the greatest civil rights issues of the 21st century, for AAPI's and all Americans, so sounds like a great and important event. Its great to see the South Asian community stand strong alongside Muslim Americans, and to see the support of other AAPI community leaders, public officials, and elected leaders.

Shout outs to Angry Asian Man for alerting me to this event