26 September 2008

South Asian Organization Head Will Discuss Ethnic Voter Outreach

(NEW TIME) Ask America webchat September 30 with SAALT Director Deepa Iyer

Approximately 2.7 million South Asians live in the United States, according to 2008 census data. Their patterns of migration and naturalization indicate that they are part of the increasing pool of new voters in the country. However, many South Asian voters encounter roadblocks on the path to the election booth, including voter intimidation and harassment, insufficient bilingual materials and interpreters at the polls, and illegal voter identification requirements. To ensure that voters of South Asian descent have full and equal access in the electoral process, organizations are conducting outreach activities across the United States.

On September 30, at 7 a.m. EDT (11:00 GMT), join Deepa Iyer in an Ask America webchat to discuss ethnic voting group outreach to South Asians in the United States.

Deepa Iyer is the executive director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that South Asians participate fully and equally in the civic and political life of the United States. She was previously a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, representing individuals discriminated against in the workplace because of immigration status or national origin and helping address backlash discrimination in the wake of September 11. More recently, she was the legal director of the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center, where she institutionalized a multilingual legal referral hotline and organized a pan-ethnic coalition that successfully advocated for linguistic access to government services and benefits in the District of Columbia (Washington).

This webchat will take place at http://departmentofstate.acrobat.com/elections08. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name and join the discussion.

We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program. You may also e-mail questions.

The transcript of this webchat will be available on Ask America’s webchat page, where information about upcoming webchats is also available.