The mission of the IAC is to mission is to promote the well-being of South Asian immigrants through services that facilitate their adjustment, integration, and friendship with the wider society, nurture their sense of community, and foster appreciation for their culture and heritage

As you go about your holiday merriment and cheer and your gift shopping, please consider supporting the Indo-American Center (IAC), one of SAPAC’s partners, as it conduct its annual holiday toy drive.

Every year, the IAC staff host a holiday party for the approximately 120 youth served by the Center’s youth programs. Each young person receives a toy and their family is served a delicious meal.

Many of the families served by the IAC are recent immigrants and just getting adjusted to life in a new country. This holiday party is a time to come together as a community and celebrate the families’ achievements.  In the past, the IAC was able to access funding to help buy gifts for the toy drive. This year, like many other organizations, the IAC is calling upon us, its community, to help make this another memorable holiday party for their families.

The IAC is trying to raise $1,200 and will accept monetary donations or unused toy donations (unwrapped) until Monday, December 12.

IAC youth participate in a puppet making workshop

Please contact Rachael Bruketta, Development Associate, at rbruketta@indoamerican.org, or Jay Luthra, Executive Director, at jluthra@indoamerican.org for more information.

Unwrapped new toys can be dropped off at

Indo-American Center
6328 N. California Avenue
Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 973-4444

[Ed. note: Early voting for Chicago's April 5 runoff election begins today, March 14. Visit chicagoelections.com for more info. For suburban Cook County races and links to collar counties, visit voterinfonet.com.]

On February 22, I experienced my first Chicago municipal election. As milestones go, it isn’t the most impressive, but it is notable to me because it is the first time I participated in a system that incorporates runoff voting.  Past experiences with close city, state, and presidential elections have familiarized many of us with the aftermath of tight elections with no such system: protracted recounts, legal actions, widespread antipathy, and an elected official without a clear mandate.

Having admired the concept of runoffs from afar, I was interested to see how they change the feel of an election, in terms of inclusiveness, voter participation, and mitigation of the advantages of incumbency. Every campaign season, I hear voting strategies so complex and calculated that the ultimate result seems meaningless. I also hear people of all political persuasions bemoaning their inability to vote for their ideal candidate, in fear that they will act as spoilers.  Political players often exploit these fears by creating obstacles to third party participation. Or maybe even worse: Prior to the November 2010 election, I was appalled by a story about a group of Democrats promoting Tea Party candidates in an attempt to divide conservative voters, perhaps a trick taken from the GOP handbook.   Such cynical and desperate tactics undermine an important part of elections that exist separately from any desired electoral result: sharing ideas and becoming more engaged citizens.

Sound hopelessly optimistic?  There have been several examples of the impact runoff voting can have. The winner of 1990 Irish presidential election was a third-party reform candidate who placed second in the first round of voting behind the candidate of the dominant party, which had never before lost a presidential election. She won after votes were re-tallied by instant runoff voting (or ranked choice voting). In 2009 in Burlington, VT, a progressive third party candidate who was not leading after the first round of voting was eventually re-elected mayor (though instant runoff voting has since been repealed there).

These stories provide some evidence that runoff voting can promote representation of more diverse viewpoints, increase participation by individuals with less recognition and limited funds, and liberate from the status quo. There is a national referendum in the U.K. on May 5 to adopt what they call “alternative voting,” or “ranked choice voting,” for its Parliament, largely in response to the rise of third parties.

While Chicago doesn’t utilize instant (or ranked choice) voting, its sequential runoff system adds integrity to a city not really known for it.  One of the most interesting runoffs taking place April 5 in Chicago is the aldermanic (or city council) race in the 50^th Ward, which includes the city’s South Asian enclave.  Bernie Stone, a long-standing incumbent, is at risk of being unseated, achieving only a slim lead after the first round.  Stone (also vice mayor of the city) claims to support the local South Asian community, but his campaign conduct suggests otherwise.  Last summer, two of his campaign workers were convicted of manipulating absentee voters, specifically targeting Indians and Pakistanis.  Attorneys for the convicted men argued that they acted at the behest of Stone, who presented the puzzling defense that these actions do not constitute a serious crime. Regardless, such tactics are deeply disrespectful to the South Asian community and destructive to the democratic process.

I haven’t yet come to any conclusions after my brief encounter with runoffs. But if Stone is not re-elected after about 40 years, that will be a very notable milestone—and not just to me.

Guest blogger Harish Patel is a strategic thinker, organizer, and activist working on issues locally and globally.

I have been looking at this “loss” as a phenomenal opportunity to build for a vibrant, livable, healthy, educated, just, peaceful, and fair city.

Two thoughts have lingered in my head in the past few days:

• Change is slow and will not come from either the inside or the outside alone, but from the merger of the two.
• The Left needs to put just as much thought into unifying our own forces as we put into opposing/defeating the Right or the Tea Party.

I have never, before this moment of Daley’s resignation, involved myself in electoral politics. It was a deliberate decision that I made, hoping for a progressive change. I still stand by my belief that a public servant who is grounded in movement building and neighborhoods must be supported by progressive forces. In the past 5 months, I worked at and attended a lot of meetings and supported various new entities such as Chicago Votes, New Chicago 2011, Chicago A.D. (After Daley), Mayoral Tutorial, Progressive Alliance – Cook County and others. I supported various aldermanic candidates and a couple mayoral candidates. This has all been an amazing learning moment for me.

After hearing that Rahm won, I felt surprisingly rejuvenated, ready to work harder, and to put forth a smarter struggle. This election created an amazing educational opportunity for a lot of young folks–on the community, ward, and city levels. These young people are more connected and more inspired than ever before. These young people have more intergenerational opportunities than those before them had. These young people are watching revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and other places for democracy and are inspired. These young people are sick of waiting to get older to become engaged. These young people are gaining tools, building organizations, and learning tangible skills to run for election themselves on local and statewide levels.

All these aspects of the past 5 months make me happy, energized, and most importantly, hopeful for the Rahm Era.

Here are some more wins that make me hopeful:

• There is an immense desire, especially among young folks, to be involved.
• We are getting involved at a younger age. Ameya Pawar (age: 30) in the 47^th Ward. Hip Hop Generation is picking up steam, growing up, and getting involved. Example: Che Rhymefest Smith, Brian Sleet, Hector Gonzalez. Younger doesn’t always mean progressive, but in this case, it does.
• Younger people vote based on issues and not based on race or neighborhoods.
• Race Matters, but not as much in electoral politics as it used to. (Chicago’s racial demographics are changing.)
• There are various new networks, entities, organizations, progressive PACs, and c4 advocacy groups. Example: New Chicago 2011 Coalition.
• 14 runoffs in this election. Let’s especially keep an eye out for progressive forces in the 15^th (Foulkes), 20^th (Che Rhymefest), 25^th (Morfin), 45^th (Arena), and 50^th (against Stone) Wards.
• 12 aldermen retired.
• The power is split into Burke/Chico Collective, Rahm and the “reformers,” Daley and the Democratic Machine, and Del Valle and the Progressives. Possible campaign for progressive electoral campaign, post-Del-Valle camp?
• The forces around the Sweet Home Chicago ordinance, TIF reform, Clean Air Ordinance, and maybe electoral finance reform are getting stronger.

Let’s get to work. Let’s go back to our neighborhoods. Let’s get back to the movement. Let’s set up accountability structures. Let’s share our thoughts. Let’s celebrate.

“TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.

What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”

— Howard Zinn

In solidarity and with a big hopeful smile,

Harish I. Patel

Reference Articles/Websites:

• Colorlines: Change Doesn’t Come from Inside or Outside Pressure–It’s Both
• Huffington Post: Hip-Hop Grows Up: Rhymefest, Gonzalez, Vargas And Sleet Run For Alderman With Hip-Hop Background
• B is for Blog: Chicago: We’ve Only Just Begun
• Progress Illinois: 2011 Chicago Aldermanic Run Offs Tracker
• Rock the Vote: Chicago: Young Voters Turn Out
• Center Square Journal: Aderman-elect Ameya Pawar: Slow and Steady Wins the Race
• Chicago Reporter: Voters in black wards supported Rahm more than all other candidates combined

• Chicago Votes
• Mayoral Tutorial
• Progressive Alliance – Cook County
• New Chicago 2011

SAPAC is working with the Asian American Institute and a number of community organizations to mobilize Chicago’s entire pan-Asian community to vote in HUGE numbers on February 22. Here’s how you can contribute now:

We need to reach out to at least 1,000 infrequent registered voters in the 50th Ward before Election Day. We’ll be meeting on the following days in 2-hour shifts to do door-to-door canvassing and phone calling in the 50th Ward (we’ll provide you with training, maps, flyers, refreshments, and community service hours):

• Wed., Feb. 9: 5:00pm – 7:00pm. Meet at Dunkin Donuts, 3132 W. Devon Ave. (corner of Troy and Devon)
• Fri., Feb. 11: 5:00pm – 7:00pm. Meet at Dunkin Donuts, 3132 W. Devon Ave.

• Sat., Feb. 12:  10:00am – 12:00pm, 12:15pm – 2:15pm, 2:30pm – 4:30pm. Meet at Indo-American Center, 6328 N. California Ave. (corner of California and Devon)
• Wed., Feb. 16: 5:00pm – 7:00pm. Meet at Dunkin Donuts, 3132 W. Devon Ave.
• Fri., Feb. 18: 5:00pm – 7:00pm. Meet at Dunkin Donuts, 3132 W. Devon Ave.

• Sat., Feb. 19 and Sun., Feb. 20: 10:00am – 5:00pm. 2-3-hour shifts available. Meet at Indo-American Center. During these 48 hours, we’re going to reconnect with voters who have already heard from us through phone banking and door canvassing to confirm if they have already voted or have plans to vote on Feb. 22.

If you’re interested in volunteering on any of these days and being part of a historic election, please email Aisha Qidwae at aisha.qidwae@gmail.com. If you have any other questions about our voter mobilization work or the election, please email info@sapac.org.

We hope you can join us for our next general meeting!

Sunday, February 27
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Coffee Chicago, 5256 N. Broadway (off the Red Line/Berwyn)
RSVP on Facebook or by emailing info@sapac.org.

Come and contribute to our two hot topics of discussion:

• Voices of Resistance 10: This year will commemorate 10 years of our annual VOR event, an inspiring evening of local South Asian art! Now that we have a venue & date for next year’s VOR10, we are in the process of crafting an artist application/call to share with all.  We will also discuss our outreach strategy and specific ways for folks to get involved!

• Mayoral/50th Ward Elections Work: We will recap our current voter mobilization work for the Feb. 22 Municipal Election.

.

We need to reach out to at least a 1,000 infrequent registered voters in the 50th Ward before Election Day. We’ll be meeting at the Indo American Center, 6328 N. California Ave., on the following days in 2-hour shifts to do door-to-door canvassing and phone calling in the 50th Ward. We’ll provide you with training, maps, flyers, refreshments and community service hours. UPDATED 2/6:

• Sat., Feb. 5:  10:00am – 12:00pm, 12:15pm – 2:15pm, 2:30pm – 4:30pm
• Wed., Feb. 9: 5:00pm – 7:00pm. Meet at Dunkin Donuts, 3132 W. Devon Ave. (corner of Troy and Devon)
• Fri., Feb. 11: 5:00pm – 7:00pm. Meet at Dunkin Donuts, 3132 W. Devon Ave. (corner of Troy and Devon)

• Sat., Feb. 12:  10:00am – 12:00pm, 12:15pm – 2:15pm, 2:30pm – 4:30pm
• Wed., Feb. 16: 5:00pm – 7:00pm. Meet at Dunkin Donuts, 3132 W. Devon Ave. (corner of Troy and Devon)
• Fri., Feb. 18: 5:00pm – 7:00pm. Meet at Dunkin Donuts, 3132 W. Devon Ave. (corner of Troy and Devon)

• Sat., Feb. 19 and Sun., Feb. 20: 10:00am – 5:00pm. 2-3-hour shifts available. Meet at Indo-American Center. During these 48 hours, we’re going to reconnect with voters who’ve already heard from us through phone banking and door canvassing to confirm if they have already voted or have plans to vote on Feb. 22.

If you’re interested in volunteering on any of these days and being part of a historic election, email aisha.qidwae@gmail.com.

Mark the date in your calendars and support this first-of-its-kind forum. The organizers have been working hard and expect 700-1000 members of our community to show up and you should be one of them!

The South Asian Progressive Action Collective
and community organizations throughout Chicago present the

Join us at SAPAC’s first meeting of the year!

Where: Coffee Chicago
5256 N. Broadway, off the Red Line/Berwyn

When: 2:00-4:00pm
Learn how you can become involved with and share your ideas about our current focuses:

* Voices of Resistance – This year is our 10th anniversary, and we want to raise the connection between our politics and art, foster more collaboration, and dream even bigger!

* Mayoral/50th Ward elections – We want to get out the vote in our communities and support platforms to get our communities voices heard!

RSVP on Facebook or by emailing info@sapac.org.

Guest blogger Sung Yeon Choi-Morrow is the Community Organizer at Asian American Institute. Born in Korea and raised in India, she now enjoys working with various Asian American communities in Chicago.

You want a voice? Vote!

The other day while I was sipping a hot masala tea at a sweet shop on Devon I overheard a conversation about voting. What surprised me was not the content of the conversation but the fact that I still remembered enough Hindi from my childhood in India to understand what they were saying! Unfortunately the content of the conversation was far too familiar.

“Are you voting next week?”

“Oh, it’s election again? No, what’s the point?”

“Yeah, I know, it doesn’t make much of a difference, whether you vote or not.”

“That’s what I mean. Brother, your time is better spent somewhere else.”

Haven’t we all heard this conversation, or even participated in this conversation at some point?

The truth is, it may seem that it doesn’t matter, but it does.  I’d like to introduce to you the “Cockroach Effect” (sorry for the nasty visual here).  When you discover one little cockroach in the cabinet underneath your sink, you probably freak out for a second but then find Raid or a paper towel or something and just kill it. Unless you have an exceptional fear of roaches, you’ll probably forget about the incident and not think much about it.

But let’s say you opened up your cabinet under your kitchen sink and you saw hundreds if not thousands of roaches crawling around! The first thing I’d think is, “Yikes, I should’ve written down that phone number from the Orkin commercial!” And then I’d frantically Google “Orkin” and get a terminator out to my house.

In some ways politics works the same way. Yes, if one Indian American living on Devon decided to vote, no one may notice. Not the elected officials, not the candidates running, not the media, NO ONE. But if ALL the Asian Americans living in the 50^th Ward voted and had a historic turnout for November 2^nd, people would notice.

We need to work to create the Cockroach Effect! We need everyone to vote and get others out to vote.

If Asian Americans want to have a voice, get recognition, and bring resources to our community, we must vote, and get our people out to vote!

Please consider volunteering with the Asian American Institute for this weekend and Election Day in the 50^th Ward to make history by turning out the highest number of Asian American voters for a midterm election!

Please email Brandon@aaichicago.org for more information or call him at 773.271.0899 x200.

Commit to vote!

Okay, it only was for the sake of designing a flyer for the upcoming Voices of Resistance [1], but nevertheless, today, July 27, 2010, I bought myself the smallest tube available of Fair and Lovely in Chicago, Illinois.

Pulling up onto Artesia, I see Devon ahead of me. It’s literally been years since I walked the streets. A life in California, India, and Sri Lanka has separated us, but it’s still recognizable–a part of my previous Chicago existence. I find the last spot in Daley’s still-new-piss-me-off-disaster-deal-with-the-devil-parking-meter-on-side-streets-money-making-money-taking parking. I dig up some quarters. Holding enough to peruse the store in my hand, I walk up to the paying machine. “No payment necessary!” it says. “This is how King Daley makes us passive,” I think.  I return the prized quarters to the car coffer and pick up my bag, packed with camera. I am prepared to take photos of the whitening agent on the shelves of Devon.

I exit my car with hoodie on. It’s warm and humid today, so I’m wearing a slim tank I received free for volunteering my services at a beer tent in one of the many neighborhood summer festivals of Chicago. But I rather cover my assets with my grey hoodie as I walk these streets. It’s all part of the performance, a follow up on the phone conversation I had with one of the Patel Brothers supermarket employees earlier, after which my roommate commented on the subtle and surprising South Asian accent in my English. “I don’t need any trouble on this mission,” I think, “nor anymore undesired and uninvited looks.” I’m performing good Indian girl, the one that’s not noticed.

I walk a few blocks, noticing the red paan stains on the sidewalks. People are here, ready to purchase and consume. Each restaurant has customers, at least one table full, smiling and conversing. I’m glad that business continues on these northern streets of Chicago. In spite of the parking, in spite of the heat, in spite of many things that come with life in Daley city, Blagojevich state, BP America.

The marker of the Patel Brothers empire is a new Patel Brothers-named juice stand that coincides with the territory of “Ghandi Marg.” Lime-mint drinks. Mango drinks. And young coconut water. Mmm. But I know these versions don’t come close to the tastes of the homeland, so I resist, instead continuing toward the Patel Brothers supermarket. The mission is ahead of me. As I walk the block, I notice a beautiful, dark complected South Asian woman. I want to ask her if I can take her photo.

It’s a desire aroused after an entire afternoon of searching the web/oracle for South Asian faces to include in my promotional piece for Voices of Resistance. That search was frustrating. I was typing in search terms like “South Asian women.” After each entry, I closed my eyes firmly, nervous about finding nasty, exoticizing porn sites on the top of the list. I must say, there were a few of them. The other non-pornographic images felt like random representations of South Asianness and brownness. I needed to find a way that the images would be mine, a result of my own choices. But I didn’t have the nerve to approach her. “I don’t need to attract attention here,” I think. I walk into the supermarket a few short steps away.

Immediately upon entering the market I see the multiple cosmetic items, shampoos, and herbal oils. No Fair and Lovely there. Instead, the whitening agent is in its own area, directly in front of the checkout counters. You know, it’s the area for last-minute-I need-this items. Typically these product spots cater to the stomach with smaller prepackaged savories and sweets, but not here at the Patel Brothers supermarket. This high-profile spot is where the whitening potions are displayed, several shelves full of whitening soaps, scar creams, and plain old make-your-complexion-lighter concoctions. This is the first time I’m standing face to face with this product: Fair and Lovely. I’ve never looked at its box. I’ve never touched it with my hands. It is cheap. The smallest tube is $1.99. But I just want to take a photo of the carton. I mean, I try to vote with my dollar as much as I can—which means I am boycotting all China-made greeting cards and most made-in-China products if I can afford another import. Life practices create change, I believe. But here I am, directly in front of the cash registers, each armed by a two-person team of cashier and bagger.  I can’t see a way of taking these photos stealthily. “I must purchase the item,” I think. “I must offer my cash toward an industry that finds my skin color not lovely, not fair.” It’s a system that equates darkness with sadness, depression, depravity, and ugliness. I will be spending two dollars toward that system. And I feel horrible about it. But I try to chuckle at the absurdity as I approach the cash register with the dollar bills in my hand.

I don’t look at the box too much, just glancing at the peculiarly tiny yet very familiar dark/sad, light/happy faces of the model below the name. It’s a white box with gradients of light rose pink all over. The sweet font of Fair and Lovely in a dark rose and silver is delicate, light, thin, slender, unimposing, yet at the same time, present in its assertion of goodness. A thick band of pink divides the box horizontally with the word “multivitamin” under which is a graphic of a rose-pink capsule which is split to release nourishing drops of oily-pink goodness. The description of the product is “TOTAL FAIRNESS CREAM.” It is in all caps. Under this declaration is, in small font, an arrow that points me to a “Fairness meter” on the side of the box. A meter in which shades of ugly to fair are displayed. I place my hand next to it. “13″ is too light. But the color of my hand falls between “14″ and “18″; I cannot tell which to be exact. There is a “1″–the ultimate fair. And there is a “26.” The meter informs the consumer that “numbers are only for easy identification of skin color.”

I hand the cashier my two dollars–two dollars and eighteen cents to be exact. I give her my cherished quarter from which she gives me seven cents change. The other lady places the box in a thin black plastic bag. “I don’t need a bag,” I inform her. She chuckles as I take the box out of the bag and think of the absurdity of the cream in my hand. I place it in my reusable tote that’s morphed into my summer handbag. Life is full of contradictions.

I’m an American citizen. I was born here and, despite occasional instances of racism, I’ve felt secure and confident doing anything I please. Living in Japan for a year was a bit of a sociological experiment. I’d recommend it to any of my fellow citizens who have never “walked a mile in someone else’s shoes.” I was essentially on a skilled guest worker visa in one of the safest, developed, and most polite countries in the world with universal healthcare. But I still got stopped in the street by a young punk of a cop and had my purse searched. I still got stopped every time I boarded the airplane for a second pat-down, while my husband breezed by. Um, and they all thought I was good at math. Joke’s on them!

My point is that although I’m not an immigrant in this country, my parents were. And I’ve had my own brief immigrant experience. So I’m certainly interested in hearing what the issues are and how I can help.
I participated in an immigration townhall, hosted by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), at the Indo-American Center last Wednesday along with 80 community members (and some fellow SAPACers) and wanted to share some thoughts from the event…

1. Those of you who don’t think there’s a significant undocumented community of South Asians in the U.S. right now might want to check this out (PDF).
2. There were men, women, young and old who attended the townhall–signifying that this issue matters to everyone.
3. The discussion was grounded in the U.N.’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights–a list of rights that everyone is entitled to, including the right to education, the freedom from torture and slavery, the right to work in humane conditions, and the right to move across national borders freely. (It’s super-short and has been translated into a bunch of languages. Check it out here.)
4. We saw 3 short video clips of people who were affected by the current immigration system: a single mom who hasn’t seen her daughter in years because she hasn’t been allowed a visitor’s visa; a highly educated wife who isn’t allowed to work because of her H-4 visa; and a group of H2-B guest workers who were recruited to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, but were exploited and abused instead.
5. What I got from seeing the videos and hearing people’s stories from the audience was that the current system doesn’t protect the most vulnerable. It doesn’t protect women and men who are being abused by their spouses. It doesn’t protect people who want to work but aren’t allowed, and are then forced into a dangerous and exploitive cash-based market. It doesn’t protect those who are trafficked into this country.

Too often South Asian citizens are silent about this topic. And I’m including myself! We get our golden ticket and then it ceases to be a problem for us. But if we’ve read our history, we should know that nobody’s status is secure. African American citizens were denied equality and justice for a century after slavery was banned. Japanese American citizens were interned during WWII. Their property and liberty were taken away. And for the last decade after 9/11, citizens have been detained and harassed. It’s time we engage in this debate and speak up for those who can’t.