On June 17th, 2021, SAAPRI’s Co-Founder Ann Lata Kalayil and Shobhana Johri Verma shared their insights about the Chicagoland area South Asian community and debunked commons stereotypes in a webinar hosted by Aronberg Goldgehn. Other topics covered include South Asian…
AAPI Heritage Month Language Access Panel
On May 28th, 2021, SAAPRI’s Executive Director Shobhana Verma joined the U.S. Election Assistance Commission‘s Chairman Don Palmer and Vice Chairman Tom Hicks, Lorena Portillo, Assistant Registrar of Voters for Clark County, NV, Heider Garcia, Elections Administrator for Tarrant County,…
#SendIndiaVaccines Campaign mentioned in the Well News
On May 26th, 2021, SAAPRI’s #SendIndiaVaccines Campaign, in coalition with groups including Indian American IMPACT, Indiaspora, Pratham USA, and North American Association of Indian Students (NAAIS), was mentioned in the Well News. The seven figure campaign was implemented to compel…
2021 Asian American Action Day!
On May 8th, 2021, SAAPRI joined the the Pan-Asian Voter Empowerment (PAVE) Coalition for a virtual Asian American Action Day filled with stories, cultural performances, AAPI community and legislator conversations, and ways to take action. The day brought together Asian…
SAAPRI’s Executive Director Shobhana Verma discusses South Asian civic engagement on WBEZ
On May 4th, 2021, SAAPRI’s Executive Director Shobhana Verma shared her thoughts with WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang on South Asian Americans, one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the U.S., and the need for their participation in the decision-making process for…
SAAPRI’s Executive Director Shobhana Verma discusses growth and problems of Chicago Asian population on WBEZ
On April 30th, 2021, SAAPRI’s Executive Director Shobhana Verma discussed the growth of the Asian population in the state as well as the many challenges facing the community. [I have witnessed] “a wide range of increasing needs and challenges facing…
2020 Impact Report – Learning from 2020 and Looking to 2021
SAAPRI’s Executive Director Shobhana Verma shares reaction to Kamala Harris’ Vice Presidential Election on NBC News
On November 8th, 2020, SAAPRI’s Executive Director Shobhana Verma shared her reactions on the election of Vice President Kamala Harris on NBC News. Seeing a daughter of immigrants parents embracing her biracial roots on her way to becoming the first…
SAAPRI’s Executive Director Shobhana Verma discusses Asian Americans and voting in Chicago
On November 3rd, 2020, SAAPRI’s Executive Director Shobhana Verma, New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu, and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago spoke on WBEZ about how Asian Americans could be the last group of undecided voters and how local groups…
Malayalee American Trailblazer: Lessons from the Life of Philip T. Kalayil
On October 31st, 2020, SAAPRI’s Co-Founder Ann ‘Late’ Kalayil spoke Malayalees for Social Justice regarding the legacy of civic engagement of her father, Philip T. Kalayil, who immigrated to a deeply divided United States in the mid-1950s. He established a…