Indian Americans at polling booths in District 19 in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Nov. 2. New Jersey has 180,957 Asian Indians, which is 2.15 percent of the total population, according to U.S. Census 2000. (Photo: Mohammed Jaffer/SnapsIndia)

According to several South Asian and Asian American organizations that were active around the 2004 elections, the Nov. 2 Presidential election saw an unprecedented number of people coming to the polls. And it was because of their advocacy and mobilization efforts, the organizations maintain.

“We witnessed an unprecedented level of interest and engagement in this election year –– a clear sign that our community understands the integral role of civic participation in addressing policy issues that impact our lives and our communities,” said Deepa Iyer, executive director of South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow (SAALT). “There can be no doubt that South Asians are ready, willing and able to contribute to and strengthen our democracy by raising critical issues, registering new voters, coming out to vote, and safeguarding the rights of new voters to cast ballots without intimidation.”

Volunteers of SAALT, for instance, were involved in several projects around the country prior to election day. College students associated with South Asian American Voting Youth (SAAVY) impacted campus youth and local communities.

“In Michigan, during the week before the elections, we invited members of the South Asian community to participate in roundtable discussions, made 700 phone calls to encourage voters to vote on Election Day, and hung 1,000 door hangers in South Asian neighborhoods reminding people to vote,” said Tanzila Ahmed of SAAVY.

In addition to voter registration efforts, volunteers also surveyed South Asian voters at polling sites in New York City, New Jersey, Fairfax, Virginia, Chicago, and Detroit in partnership with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Some South Asian voters reported being directed to incorrect polling sites and facing harassment at poll sites. “In Falls Church, Virginia, a poll worker made derogatory comments regarding Islam to a woman wearing the hijab as she prepared to vote,” noted Nicholas Rathod, chair of SAALT’s board of directors. “Such incidents were referred to appropriate organizations and governmental agencies.”

As the policy implications of the elections come into focus, South Asians must create opportunities to hold a dialogue with one another, other communities, and elected officials about long-term strategies and coalition-building, said Iyer. “It is clear that over the next four years, issues from civil rights to immigration reform to education will be highlighted as never before. The critical step we must now take is to come together to articulate and identify our community’s concerns and to create strong alliances with other coalitions.”

“Our work is increasingly focused on building the skills and capacity of our emerging leadership. In 2005, we look forward to working closely with community members and organizations to identify priorities around issues that directly impact the realization of our community’s full potential,” said Amber Khan, SAALT board member.