Wall Street Journal Critic Mistakes Dev Patel for Kal Penn

Sooner or later, every South Asian actor gets mistaken for Kal Penn.



Wall Street Journal film critic Joe Morgenstern made an embarrassing error in a review for the movie Lion in Friday's newspaper, when he confused Dev Patel with Kal Penn.

Both actors are of Indian descent, but their careers have been very different. Patel, 26, who plays Saroo Brierley in Lion, is British, while Penn, 39, was born in New Jersey.

In his review, Morgenstern says that Lion is Patel's "richest performance" since 2006's The Namesake. But Patel, the star of Slumdog Millionaire, wasn't in that film directed by Mira Nair. The part was played by Penn, whose other credits include the Harold and Kumar movies, House and How I Met Your Mother.

Read more at Variety: Wall Street Journal Movie Critic Mistakes Dev Patel for Kal Penn

Man attacks restaurant workers in anti-Muslim tirade

26-year-old Robert Murino arrested on hate crime charges.



There have been so many of these incidents lately, it's hard to keep them straight. In New York, a man was arrested on hate crime charges for assaulting South Asian restaurant workers and throwing chairs into a glass partition after demanding to know if the employees were Muslim.

'Muslim motherf*cker': NY man launches glass-smashing attack on cafe staffers

The incident occurred last week at the Salt & Pepper restaurant in Herald Square, where 26-year-old Robert Murino ordered a slice of pizza then began questioning workers -- who hail from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh -- about their religion and opinions of ISIS, and called an employee a "Muslim motherfucker."

Part of the incident was caught on camera. Murino can be seen reaching across the counter and slapping an employee in the face. Later, he is seen picking up chairs and smashing them into glass partitions.

Fund This: 'Our Stories: An Introduction to South Asian America'

New book from SAADA tells the stories of South Asians in the United States.



South Asian Americans have been a presence in the United States for more than 130 years, and today, over 3.4 million individuals in the U.S. trace their heritage to South Asia. But their stories are not taught in classrooms, or found in textbooks, or reflected in popular media. Here's a project that aims to change that.

For the past seven years, the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) has digitally collected, preserved, and shared stories of South Asian Americans. They recently launched a book project, Our Stories: An Introduction to South Asian America, which will be available to schools, libraries and homes around the country to bring important South Asian American stories to life for a younger and broader audience.

This first-of-its-kind 150-page full-color print book and digital edition of Our Stories will be available in May 2016. To help make it happen, you can pre-order your copy through SAADA's Kickstarter campaign.

Here's a video with more information:

Call for Proposals: National South Asian Summit 2015

SAALT accepting proposals for summit sessions, April 10-13, 2015 in Washington, DC



SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together) is now accepting community proposals for the National South Asian Summit 2015, which will convene South Asian organizations, advocates, and allies from across the United States on April 10-13 in Washington DC.

The National South Asian Summit is an opportunity for organizational leaders and community members to engage with policymakers and government agencies; participate in a learning environment; discuss emerging issues in the South Asian community and the country as a whole; and strategize to achieve best practices, discuss collective solutions, and agree to common principles using a progressive, social justice framework.

SAALT invites you to submit a proposal for a session at the Summit. Here's the full call for proposals:

Vanita Gupta to lead Justice Department's civil rights division

ACLU attorney is the first South Asian American appointed to lead the division.



On Wednesday, Attorney General Eric H. Holder appointed top civil rights lawyer Vanita Gupta to the position of Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.

New DOJ Civil Rights Chief Vanita Gupta Known For 'Trailblazing' Work

Gupta, currently Deputy Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union and Director of its Center for Justice, will take over next week as acting head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.

Also, according to a White House official, President Obama is expected to nominate Gupta to be the permanent assistant attorney general for civil rights, a division that oversees voting rights and civil rights investigations, and has been without fixed leadership for more than a year.

Gupta will be the first South Asian American lawyer appointed to lead the division. Here's more on her background, according to the ACLU's press release:

Volunteer for Be The Change 2014

SAALT's annual national day of service, October 4



Are you ready to be the change? You are invited to participate in the 14th annual Be The Change, a national day of service coordinated by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) to inspire and foster civic engagement and stronger communities through volunteerism and community service.

Every year, thousands of participants across the country collectively contribute numerous hours of community service in the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi's famous challenge, "Be the Change you wish to see in the world." This year's Be the Change events will take place in cities all around the U.S. on October 4, unless otherwise noted.

Here are some more details about Be The Change:

'Under Suspicion, Under Attack': New SAALT report documents hate violence and xenophobic rhetoric

Hate violence 'hot spots' include New York City, New Jersey, Chicago, Southern and Northern California



This week, as the nation observes the 13th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together), released Under Suspicion, Under Attack, a report that documents over 150 incidents of hate violence and xenophobic political rhetoric aimed at South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Middle Eastern and Arab communities over the last three years.

SAALT's analysis, spanning incidents from January 2011 through April 2014, found that these communities are increasingly depicted as un-American, unwelcome and disloyal -- and community members and institutions are too often targeted with violence, vandalism and harassment. Many continue to face a post-9/11 backlash, including racial and religious profiling, unwarranted surveillance, and the threat of violence and intimidation.

According to the report, over 80% of documented hate violence incidents were motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment. Similarly, an overwhelming majority -- over 90% -- of xenophobic political comments were characterized by anti-Muslim bias. Hate violence 'hot spots' included the New York City/New Jersey metropolitan area; Chicago and its outlying suburbs; and Southern and Northern California.

Here are some of the report's key findings:

Job Opportunity: Policy Director, SAALT

SAALT seeks an experienced policy professional with a background in immigrant or civil rights.

South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) is a national nonpartisan non-profit organization whose mission is to elevate the voices and perspectives of South Asian individuals and organizations to build a more just and inclusive society in the United States. They recently announced a job opening for a Policy Director.

The Policy Director, based in SAALT's office in Takoma Park, Maryland, will develop, direct, and implement SAALT's legislative, administrative, and public policy agenda and activities.

Here are some more details about the position:

Kaya Press presents Mehfil Massive

Wednesday, April 23 at USC's Bovard Auditorium



Los Angeles! The good folks at Kaya Press are bringing you Mehfil Massive: South Asian Religions Remixed Through Poetry and Music on Wednesday, April 23 at USC's Bovard Auditorium.

South Asian artists from around the country and from India are coming to share one stage and celebrate National Poetry Month. The event is free! Check out this rad trailer:

Apply to SAALT's 2014 Young Leaders Institute

Leadership opportunity for undergraduate students, July 18-20 in Washington DC



SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together) is seeking 15-20 outstanding, diverse young leaders to join the 2014 Young Leaders Institute. Selected candidates will join other undergraduate students from across the United States this summer, July 18-20, for training in Washington, DC.

Institute participants will explore key issues affecting South Asians in the United States. This year's institute will focus on LGBTQ justice and allyship. You'll learn about social change movements and the intersections of identity and power, and develop leadership skills and resources to become agents of change.

Here's some more information:

Uncle Swami: South Asians in America Today by Vijay Prashad

Now available in paperback from The New Press



If you're looking for some solid, smart reading to kick off the new year, heads up. Renown scholar/author Vijay Prashad's Uncle Swami: South Asians in America Today is now available in paperback from The New Press. Yes, you need not carry around that burdensome hardcover tome to get your knowledge on.

In his groundbreaking classic The Karma of Brown Folk, Prashad evaluated the American stereotype of South Asians as a "model minority." In Uncle Swami, Prashad follows up and expands upon this analysis to explore South Asian American history and identity in the wake of shifting cultural attitudes wrought by 9/11.

Uncle Swami traces the distinct strands of South Asian migration in America through generations and class divisions, from the first organizations of immigrant communities to the rising influence of the India Lobby in Washington to post-9/11 assaults against people mistaken as terrorists.

Unification 2013: A Demonstration for Peace in South Asian and At Home, August 10

If you're in New York this weekend, you're invited to the fifth annual UNIFICATION, a performance showcase highlighting talent in the South Asian American community and advocating for peace and understanding across the diaspora. This year's lineup includes Bushra Rehman, D'Lo, Parijat Desai, Akshara and more. It's happening Saturday, August 10 at Dixon Place. Here are some more details:

South Asian American Digital Archive seeks stories for the First Days Project

The South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) is a nonprofit organization working to document the rich histories of South Asians in the United States and preserve the community's stories for future generations.

SAADA is putting the call out for stories from South Asian Americans about their first day in the United States. The First Days Project captures poignant narratives from the lives of new immigrants through a snapshot of one day -- the excitement, nervousness, loss, humor, sadness, anticipation, confusion, and everything else that happens when one arrives in a new country.

First Day stories will be accepted through July 31 and can be submitted as video, audio or text. Here are some more details on what they're looking for:

National South Asian Summit, April 19-22

SAALT's National South Asian Summit is taking place April 19-23 in Washington, D.C. Learn about issues affecting South Asians in the U.S., build leadership and organizing skills, connect with government officials, and strategize together. Here's what's in store: