On June 10th, 2022, SAAPRI’s Executive Director Shobhana Verma was one of three new appointees to the Asian American Family Commission. The Asian American Family Commission was first established in 2019 under legislation introduced by Senator Villivalam and State Rep.…
FIRSTHAND: Segregation – Asian American Chicago’s Spaces of Joy and Resistance
On May 26th, 2022, SAAPRI Founder and Board Chair Ann Kalayil was a panelist for a conversation exploring the unique ways in which Chicago’s Asian communities have carved out spaces of safety and resistance in the face of discrimination, as…
SAAPRI’s Jordan Stalker and Aakash Ray discuss hate crimes in Borderless Magazine
On May 25th, 2022, SAAPRI’s Research & Development Advisor Jordan Stalker and Communications & Research Intern Aakash Ray both discussed the nature of hate crimes and subsequent ill-created reporting systems in the state of Illinois. We looked at the hate…
Illinois Commission on Discrimination & Hate Crimes: Communities in Crisis Townhall
On May 24th, SAAPRI’s Executive Director Shobhana Verma took part as a panelist in a townhall discussion regarding the alarming rise in hate crimes in the Asian American community and how we can respond, efficiently, and effectively to hate in…
Our Stories: Teaching Asian American History in Illinois
On May 4th, 2022, SAAPRI hosted a virtual zoom event centered on discussions about teaching Asian American history in Illinois. In July 2021, Illinois became the first state to mandate the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act, which…
2022 Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration: Community Kick-off at Chicago Cultural Center
On May 2nd, 2022, SAAPRI attended the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Chicago Community Kick-Off hosted by Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Office at Chicago Cultural Center. SAAPRI was able to connect with like-minded advocates who work to foster awareness and address…
2022 Hot Topics in Immigration Law with Dhenu Maru
On April 27th, 2022, SAAPRI held a virtual conversation via Instagram Live addressing the critical immigration issues affecting the South Asian American community. Led by Dhenu Maru, the event focused specifically on South Asian immigration including topics like navigating potential visa scams…
2021 Impact Report – Reflecting on 2021 and Looking to 2022
2021 Citizenship & Immigration Expo
On July 30th and 31st, 2021, SAAPRI partnered with other Chicagoan organizations, including but not limited to the Latino Policy Forum, Pilsen Neighbors Community Council, Syrian Community Network, Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community-CBCAC, to host a two-day citizenship…
2021 Hot Topics in Immigration Law with Dhenu Maru
On July 28th, 2021, SAAPRI held a virtual conversation via Instagram Live addressing the critical immigration issues affecting the South Asian American community. Led by Dhenu Maru, the event focused specifically on South Asian immigration including topics like H-4 EAD, domestic violence…