South Asian Network (SAN) is an organization that provides support services, education, and advocacy to southern California South Asians in a variety of South Asian languages on the topics of health, violence and abuse, immigration, and civic engagement.

SAN works in conjunction with other left-of-center South Asian and immigrant advocacy groups such as South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), ¹ California Immigrant Policy Center, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment (CAUSE), and Sikh Coalition. ²

Background

South Asian Network (SAN) was founded in 1990 by Hamid Khan, an immigrant from Pakistan, to unite local South Asian immigrants in southern California and help them advocate socially and politically. ³ SAN provides the South Asian community with education, support services, and advocacy in the areas of healthy living and health-care access, domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and intervention, and immigration support and civic engagement. ⁴

In addition to its focus within the South Asian immigrant community, SAN builds alliances with “other immigrant communities and communities of color in order to advance a shared progressive agenda for Southern California.” ⁵

Programs

The “CHAI: Community Health Action Initiative” program provides education, workshops, and support services focused on healthy living and access to health care. ⁶ This includes benefits enrollment assistance for health programs such as Medi-Cal, Medicare, and Covered Cal as well as food assistance and cash aid. ⁷

The “AWAZ: Voices Against Violence” program provides support services to victims of violence and abuse through case management, legal aid, workshops, and mental health services. ⁸ SAN provides resource recommendations on the website, including Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, Trevor Project, and several crisis hotlines. ⁹

The “CCE: Citizenship and Civic Engagement” program focuses on increasing the civic engagement of South Asians by providing citizenship application assistance, immigration workshops, voter mobilization, and advocacy. ¹⁰ SAN provides recommended immigration and advocacy resources, including Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), International Rescue Committee, Cato Institute, and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). ¹¹

Funding

South Asian Network reported 2020 revenues of $678,493 and expenses of $544,315. ¹²

Funders of SAN include Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, California Community Foundation, Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), Tides Foundation, Weingart Foundation, ¹³ Rose Hills Foundation, Bank of America Charitable Foundation, California Wellness Foundation, ¹⁴ and National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development. ¹⁵

Aligned Groups

South Asian Network works in conjunction with other left-of-center groups such as South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), Equity Research Institute (ERI), ¹⁶ California Immigrant Policy Center, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment (CAUSE), and Sikh Coalition. ¹⁷

Leadership

Hamid Khan was founder and executive director of South Asian Network from 1990 until 2010. ¹⁸ He is the founding organizer of activist group Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, ¹⁹ focused on stopping all police surveillance. ²⁰ Khan sits on the boards of Political Research Associates (PRA), a think tank focused on advancing “progressive thinking and action,” ²¹ and the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. He was awarded a Soros Justice Fellowship from liberal billionaire philanthropist George Soros’s Open Society Foundations for his work opposing Los Angeles Police Department surveillance and profiling practices. ²²

Shakeel Syed is executive director of SAN. He has had over 20 years’ experience in activism for immigrants and low wage workers in minority communities. Previously, he was executive director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California. ²³ He is a board member of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) ²⁴ and has sat on the boards of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice. ²⁵

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