Dear Friends,
For many Americans, 9/11 is an annual day of remembrance for the 3,000 lives catastrophically lost and countless affected by the tragedy.
As a Muslim and South Asian man, 9/11 is a daily reminder that all it takes is having brown skin and a foreign name to make me a permanent foreigner and suspect.
My name is Shakeel Syed. I serve as the Executive Director of South Asian Network (SAN) and I remember 9/11, and the years to come, vividly.
The Patriot Act allowed the government to spy on ordinary Americans and the Special Registration program interrogated 80,000 immigrant Muslim men and deported 13,000 – only for none to be connected to any terrorist activity.
25 years later, we’re seeing the same form of institutional hate target every immigrant community, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). From racist rhetoric, including President Trump calling India and China “hellhole countries”, to xenophobic policies, such as increases in naturalization and H1-B fees, denaturalization efforts, and increased detention and deportation.
In 2025, ICE arrests increased by 386% in California. Among the AAPI community, arrests increased by 1,109% with a majority having no criminal record. None of this was ever about community safety. It’s about scaring our communities into silence, isolation, and fear.
Ahead of the midterm elections, the Trump Administration is scrambling — making every attempt to sow chaos and distrust in vote-by-mail and spewing false claims of voter fraud.
But, if there’s one thing I learned from the past 25 years, it’s that our communities are stronger when we are united against harmful policies.
Here is how we are fighting back:
DesiVote ’26: Desis Decide
SAN is launching a civic engagement campaign to uplift South Asian voices this election, from pledge parties and teach ins to film screenings and candidate forums.
To learn more about upcoming programming, visit our website or our Instagram. To join us as a phone banker or canvasser (paid opportunities), contact us at saninfo@southasiannetwork.org
In 2001, I saw how fear was used to justify the most inhumane and unconstitutional policies. The parallels are clear. Our resilience over the last 25 years have well prepared us to fight back. And fight we will to defend our communities.
This November, we have the opportunity to make our voices heard and we must ensure our civic right to a free and fair election. In the meantime, I urge you to check your voter registration and, if you haven’t already, register to vote.
In Solidarity,
Shakeel Syed
Executive Director
South Asian Network