san newsletter winter 2011

8/7/2019 SAN Newsletter Winter 2011

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The United States District Court jury reached a unanimous

verdict on Monday, January 24, 2011 that Joseph Cruz, a former officer

of the Hollywood Division of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD),

used excessive and malicious force in the fatal shooting of Mohammad

Usman Chaudhry. Mr. Chaudhry, a 21 year old autistic Pakistani man,

was shot multiple times and killed by the ex-LAPD officer on March 25,

2008. The Chaudhry family was not notified of their sons death until 21

days after the killing.The jury awarded the family $1.7 million in damages. Cruz

insisted that Mr. Chaudhry attacked him with a knife and that Cruz fired

his gun in self defense. However, trial evidence verified that DNA found

on the knife did not belong to Mr. Chaudhry. This marks a huge victoryof justice because cases against law enforcement are difficult to win at

trial. Con t in ued on Page 3 .

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W i n t e r 2 0 1 1 , V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 1

Manjush a Starts as SANs E.D. pg. 2

Peter King Hearings Continue pg. 4

This Issues SANies pg. 3

Upcom ing Events pg. 3

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One hundred and three people gathered in SANs Artesia office-

turned-health clinic on December 12th, 2010. The CHAI units

recurring health clinics are some of Artesias uninsured and low-

income South Asian American communitys only opportunity to access

much needed-health services. Services checking community members

vital signs, blood sugar, cholesterol, bone density, hemoglobin as wellas dental, eye, pap smear, and mammogram exams were available.

In 2010, CHAI held four clinics two in Artesia, one in South

Bay, and one in Koreatown focusing on health services to prevent

diseases for the South Asian American community. Health data shows

60% of attendees were women Con t in ued on Page 3 .

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Community Members and Staff

Gather at Release

Pag

18173 Pioneer B lvd, Ste. I, Artesia, CA 90701

www.southasiannetwork.org

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Chaudhry Family at 2008 SAN Vigil

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Community Member Gett ing

Blood Pressure Checked

On Friday, November 19, 2010, South Asian community

members gathered to hear numerous community stories

presented at SANs launch of its report, From Displacementto Internment. SAN held a press conference to share the

patterns of human rights violations experienced by South

Asian Americans in Southern California in the last twenty

years.

Told in their own words, the stories seek to present a

holistic account of daily-lived experiences of vulnerable

community members, low-income workers, undocumented

immigrants, survivors of domestic violence and targets of

police abuse. Con t inued on Page 2 .
http://www.southasiannetwork.org/http://www.southasiannetwork.org/


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Com m un ity Don or:M eena xi Deo

Meenastarted hertime at SANas a

volunteerand thenbecameSANsfirst staff member in 1999! Hertime at SAN allowed her to focuson public health, policy, researchand building relationships withimmigrant rights organizations.

Being at SAN was an amazingexperience for Meena because shefelt that she was dropped into ahelpful family where people caredabout SANs work, mission, social

change, and each other. Shecontinues to donate to SAN everyyear.

Meena is now in Oakland withher husband and two girls and stillmisses SAN.

St aff M em ber:

Fa r h a n a S h a h i d

Farhana startedat SAN in 2004.

Farhana has

always been a partof SANs healthunit. When shejoined, Farhanatook on health access and assistingSouth Asian American seniors.Recently, she has beeninstrumental in setting up SANsOlder Adult Walking Club andNutrition program.

Farhana also works oncommunity mental health throughregular home assessments andfacilitates several health and

caregivers workshops a year.

Farhana remains passionateabout supporting elders and thecommunity. She urges you to giveto SANs programs in any way youcan.

Board M em ber :

Resh m a Sha m asu nder

Reshma recentlybecame SANsnew Board Chairafter three years

of serving onSANs Board.She bringsdedication toadvancing justice for South AsianAmericans and low-incomeimmigrant communities.

Outside of SAN, Reshma isthe Director of the CaliforniaImmigrant Policy Center, astatewide immigrant advocacyorganization that protects andenhances the well-being ofimmigrants in California.

Reshmas years of work onhomelessness and domesticviolence makes her appreciateSANs intersectional approach.She always enjoys bringing herfamily to SANs events.

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(From Ar tesia

Turn ed Clinic, Pg. 1)

while almost four

out of ten were men.

Almost half of those

who accessed services

were older adults.

Most strikingly of the

post-health fair data is

the fact that 80% of the attendees at the clinic were

uninsured. Ramji Gautam, CHAI staff commented that

We achieved part of our goal, which was to provide an

opportunity for those who cant access regular health check

ups as well as vision and dental care, to be screened and to

discuss their medical concerns with a professional.

Completing SANs 8th successful health fair, staff and

community members find that these fairs have become an

instrumental resource. With volunteer translators as well

as doctors who speak the language and the trust from SAN

overall, community members feel safe attending SANs

health clinics. In the upcoming year, SAN seeks to learn

from community feedback to improve its clinics.

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Here are ways you can support SAN:

1. Donate monetary cash, credit cardor check contributions.

2. Contribute office store gift cards, aprinter, print cartridges, orbutcher paper.

3. For survivors and low-incomecommun ity members: toiletries,taxi vouchers and food coupons.

4. For SANs walking club: boardgames.

5. Volunteer you r expertise in familyand/ or employment law.

Pag

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Health Fair Doctors & Volunteers
http://southasiannetwork.org/donate/http://southasiannetwork.org/donate/


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March

Sunday, March 27:Healthy Me, Health FamilyWorkshop, 12:30pm9989 Laurel Canyon Blvd,Pacoima CA 91331

AprilFriday-Saturday, Apr il 1-3:Sun Oh! Tell Me Sister, 8pmMiles Playhouse, Santa Monica

Congressman Peter King, New York

Representative, began congressional hearings

on what he considers to be the radicalization

of American Muslims on March 10th, 2010.

The on-going hearings continue in the House

Homeland Security Committee.

Many are decrying these controversial

hearings for the way they stigmatize an entire

group of people and assign mistrust to

Muslim American community members.

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Likening these hearings to the climate that provoked

internment of Japanese Americans based on suspicion, 128 faith

leaders in Southern California signed a letter to King stating, the

implication [of how King frames his hearings] is that we should be

afraid of our neighbors, co-workers, or classmates on the basis of

their religion. SAALT also urged people to send letters to King

and to contact your own representative.SANs long-time efforts include a vivid memory of how the

post-9/11 stigmatization and fear of Muslim, South Asian, and

Arab Americans occurred. Discrimination became a part of

everyday life while hate crimes and violence increased. SAN

condemns these hearings and asks you to take action with SAALT

to counter such rhetoric and violence.

Once a month, a group of women gather at SANs office. They

greet each other with warmth, laughter, and stories to catch each other

up on their lives in the days that passed. Conversation flows between

them with food, art, meditation, and yoga.

These women are all survivors of physical or emotional violence;

the session they attend is SANs AWAZ Voices Against Violence

Survivors Support group. AWAZ staff trained in art healing through

A Window Between Worlds rotate session facilitation. The newest

addition to the facilitation team is renowned community arts activist,

Shyamala Moorty. Shyamala brings to SANs Survivors Support group

her years of experience with Post Natyam and TeAda Productions,

where she has produced artwork focused on domestic violence in the

South Asian community and South Asian womens roles.

In collaboration with SANs Survivors Support group, Shyamala

has created a new multidisciplinary dance, theater, music and video

piece called SUNOH! Tell Me. Sister. The play includes themes of

healing and encompasses stories of womens resistance and power as

well as the experiences of domestic violence survivors.

The show, which runs April 1-3, 2011 in the Miles Memorial

Playhouse, is one element of what Shyamala and the Survivors

Support group have been able to achieve in their time together.

The Survivors support group is a part of

AWAZs overall violence prevention efforts

which include counseling, family law

guidance, shelter placement and safety

planning and community workshops.Each week, survivors and the artist

continue to use yoga, breathing, writing,

and the telling of stories as ways to process

and heal through their experiences.

Through these moments, many survivors

feel that SANs programs provide a much

needed space of empowerment.

SAN Staff

Aisha IshtiaqAsha GandhiBhasker ShahDolly HuseinFarhana ShahidJoyti ChandManjusha KulkarniPreeti SharmaRiffat RahmanSaima HusainTamia Pervez

SAN Board

Ahilan ArulananthamBinna ChahalJyoti NandaNitin ShahRashmita MistryReshma ShamasunderSanjay ChhuganiSuresh SeeramSumun Pendakur

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Page

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Artist Shyamala Moorty and Survivor

Uma Perform Together at SANs Dinner

South Asian Network(SAN) is a grassroots,community-basedorganization dedicatedto advancing thehealth, empowermentand solidarity ofpersons of South Asiandescent.

Visit our w ebsite:www.southasiannetwork.org
http://www.southasiannetwork.org/http://www.southasiannetwork.org/

san newsletter winter 2011

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