southasiannetwork

SAN Raises Funds to Continue Meeting the Needs of Southern California’s South Asian Community

Over two hundred South Asian Network volunteers, donors, and supporters gathered at the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens to commemorate another year of SAN’s successful health, violence prevention, and civil rights efforts.

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Employees of two Indian restaurants, Jay Bharat and Standard Sweets and Snacks, located in Artesia are set to recover almost $95,000 in back wages denied by their employer, Chandrakant Patel.  Federal Department of Labor investigators determined that 22 employees at Jay Bharat Foods, Inc, and Standard Sweets LLC were denied minimum wage and overtime pay…

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President Obama called today “a good day for America.”  As we share this news release about “Special Registration,” we want to remind folks of the continued surveillance, detention and deportation of members of the South Asian American community, more »

SAN is hosting a half-day premiere training for students who want to change things. Sounds like you? Read on! The training, held on Saturday, April 16th at USC with SAN staff, will focus on recent trends in immigrant rights and what you can do! You’ll learn about current U.S. National Security and Human Rights policies, including those impacting Los Angeles. The deadline for the brief application is extended to Monday, April 4th! Email us your application or questions at saninfo@southasiannetwork.org.

Download Application Here!

Check out our SAN Winter 2011 Newsletter featuring recent SAN programs, activities and cases!

UPDATED WORKSHOP DATE AND EXTENDED DEADLINE!!!

SAN’s Human Rights Advocacy Training program is a half-day workshop with SAN staff that focuses on current National Security and Human Rights policies, especially as they effect Los Angeles.  In the training you’ll learn about some recent trends and what you can do to change things!  Email any questions to saninfo@southasiannetwork.org.

Download application here: SAN_Flyer_Application_UCLA (Application now due May 10th!)

http://pakistanlink.org/Community/2011/Feb11/04/02.HTM

Los Angeles , CA : The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) Jan 27 announced that a federal jury awarded $1.7 million to the family of a 21-year-old autistic Muslim man for his fatal shooting by a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer in 2008.

CAIR-LA Staff Attorney Ameena M. Qazi, with attorney Olu Orange, Mann and Cook Law Offices and the Disability Rights Legal Center filed a lawsuit in 2009 on behalf of the family of the victim, Mohammad Usman Chaudhry. The suit was filed against former LAPD officer Joseph Cruz and the LAPD for claims including wrongful death and excessive use of force, and against Los Angeles County for the failure to notify the Chaudhry family of their son’s death for three weeks. Tenets of the Islamic faith require burying a body within three days of death.

Last week, the jury found that the officer used excessive force, acted with malice, and that the City of Los Angeles was liable as the officer’s employer. Damages were awarded on Wednesday.

In March 2008, Chaudhry was shot three times in the torso by Cruz after Chaudhry was discovered lying on the ground of an apartment complex in Hollywood. Cruz was later fired for giving inaccurate accounts about a detainee who fled from his custody, and had previously been caught striking a man in his custody in the head.

Qazi met with LAPD representatives some months after the shooting, and followed up closely with them and the Office of the Inspector General during the course of the internal investigation. The investigation found no fault in the actions of Cruz and his partner.

The Islamic Shura Council of Southern California and Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace had joined the suit as plaintiffs.

“This is a victory for the Chaudhry family who lost an innocent young son to police brutality and whose rights were callously discarded,” Qazi said. “But the road to full justice on this case has just begun.”

The South Asian Network (SAN), a grassroots, community-based organization, in a press release stated it supported the Chaudhry family since their son was killed.  In partnership with the family, SAN “ has educated the South Asian American community about this tragic killing …

SAN, the Chaudhry family and other civil rights and anti-police brutality groups organized a vigil on June 21, 2008, in Hollywood where Mr. Chaudhry was fatally shot.  The purpose of this vigil was to empower witnesses and to unite diverse communities to come together and take action against police violence.

“Chaudhry family attorney Orange commented, “This case revealed many of the LAPD’s disturbing practices to prevent disclosure of the truth about instances of officer misconduct. Through the support of community organizations like SAN, the lawyers on this case were able to reach community members who were willing to stand for justice and help the family fight to reveal the truth.”

SAN will be giving a presentation at UCLA Law School, Room 1347, 12pm on Thursday, February 3, about our Workers’ Rights efforts on Pioneer Blvd in “Little India.”

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An Update from Usman Chaudrhy’s police brutality case posted in LA Times: A former Los Angeles Police Department officer, fired from the department for dishonesty, was wrong to kill a man in a 2008 shooting, a federal jury concluded Monday.

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