Like many other communities, South Asians have long experienced xenophobic rhetoric, bias, and violence. Many of those who first immigrated to the United States were subject to anti-immigrant rhetoric and driven out of towns where they settled. After 1965, South Asians increasingly experienced bias in the workplace, whether in pay inequity or social stigma for language abilitys. Soon after, larger communities of South Asian working class immigrants moved to urban areas, where they faced targeted alienation and violence; most of this violence was xenophobic in nature.
Since September 11th, however, South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, and South West Asians have become the targets of a more specifically xenophobic form of Islamophobia, resulting in numerous hate crimes, as well as employment discrimination, bullying, harassment, and profiling. In this same period, places of worship were increasingly vandalized and attacked, including the tragic shooting of the Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and hate crimes against Muslim community members (and other community members racialized as Muslim) grew in numbers. Though this form of Islamophobic violence did not cease, its rate of increase slowed – until around 2015, when then-Presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, used national platforms to promote Islamophobic, xenophobic, and racist rhetoric. As a direct result of this, SAALT, along with our allies, began tracking hate crimes against Muslims and those racialized as Muslim. This database was active from 2015 to 2021, and prioritized reporting that centered survivors’ and victims’ experiences with violence and harm. Starting in 2022, this database is shifting to better understand how survivors and victims of hate violence call for healing and justice for themselves, their loved ones, and their allies. To understand our new approach to documenting and responding to hate violence, reach out to info@saalt.org.
If you would like to report an incident, we ask that you reach out to our allies at Stop AAPI Hate or OCA at this link. At present, SAALT is available to assist community members with specific translation and legal requests, through our work with the South Asian Rapid Response Network. As a non-legal advocacy organization, SAALT is here to connect community members with allies who can provide specific resources.
SAALT RESOURCES ON HATE CRIMES AND XENOPHOBIA
- Under Suspicion, Under Attack: Xenophobic Political Rhetoric and Hate Violence against South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Middle Eastern, and Arab Communities in the United States (2014)
- SAALT Statement on Tragic Shooting in Kansas City(April 2014)
- Huffington Post: Safe Communities Start With Each of Us by Deepa Iyer (January 2013)
- SAALT Supports New Curriculum for Teachers and Educators on Bullying and Xenophobia (2013)
- SAALT Recommendations for Enhanced Reporting and Collection of Hate Crimes to the Federal Bureau of Investigation(December 2012)
- NJ.com: Wisconsin Sikh Temple Shooting Recall New Jersey’s Dotbusters by Deepa Iyer (September 2012)
- SAALT Statement of the Record for the Senate Hate Crime Hearing (September 2012)
- Hate Crimes: A Quick Information Sheet for South Asians (September 2012)
- SAALT Letter Regarding U.S. Senate Candidate Pete Hoekstra’s Anti-Chinese Ad Website (February 2012)
- SAALT Letter Regarding Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich’s Comments on Muslim Candidates (January 2012)
- SAALT’s Letter Regarding Tenessee State Representative Rick Womick’s Comments Regarding Muslims in the Military(November 2011)
- SAALT Letter Regarding Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich’s Comments on Muslim Candidates (November 2011)
- Joint Resolution from Congressmen John Conyers, Hansen Clarke, and Andre Carson on Countering Rhetoric and Violence Against Muslim, Arab, Sikh, and South Asian American Communities (2011)
- Discrimination Undeterred: Xenophobic Rhetoric, Profiling, and Discrimination Affecting South Asian, Muslim, and Sikh Communities in the United States — Article in Satyam: The Chicago-Kent College of Law’s Journal on South Asian and the Law (2011)
- From Macacas to Turban Toppers: The Rise in Xenophobic and Racist Rhetoric in American Political Discourse (October 2010)
- List of Anti-Park51 Statements Made by Elected Officials and Political Candidates (September 2010)
- Letter to Americans for Job Security regarding Xenophobic Outsourcing Ad (May 2010)
- SAALT Statement on Passage of Hate Crimes Bill (2009)
- American Backlash: Terrorist Bring War Home in More Ways Than One Report on hate crimes and bias incidents against the Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian community following 9/11 (2001)
- FAQ about the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act (2009)
- Civil Rights Transition Paper (December 2008)
- Addressing and Responding to Bias to Outsourcing Factsheet
- Hate Crimes: Community Wide Impact Factsheet