In this moving video created in collaboration with the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA), Rani Bagai, a descendant of early desi settlers in America, narrates the tale of her grandfather who emigrated from Punjab in search of a better life, but was dealt a harsh blow when rights for "Hindus" were revoked in 1923.
The takeaway from the video is that we can never take our voting rights, our citizenship rights for granted. In the current ascendancy of White Supremacy, there is a very real and present danger that the events of 1923 repeat themselves, enveloping this country in a wave of xenophobia and discrimination, unless each and every one of us who swore an oath to serve and protect this country exercises our civic duty by voting to preserve the rights that so many of our grandfathers, grandmothers, the people who came before us, fought and died for.
After you watch this video, take a moment to check your voter registration here, and make a plan to vote early by mail, in person, or on election day . If you are able, support the efforts of TSB by donating so we can help in states where the stakes are really high to save American democracy. You can also join us here to become part of a vibrant optimistic, and passionate community that reaches out to fellow South Asians in easy and convenient ways.