Hamid Khan’s Farewell Message on Conclusion of a Distinguished Career in SAN
Hamid Khan addresses a receptive audience. (File photo)
Dear Friends,
“Today was my last day at South Asian Network. I leave with fond memories and much enriched by the camaraderie and friendship of so many people. Today was also a historic day for me personally. SAN released its much awaited report titled “From Displacement to Internment.” This is the first ever report that highlights Human Rights violations of South Asian immigrant community in Southern California.
Told by South Asian immigrants in their own words, these stories seek to present a more holistic account of daily-lived experiences of the most vulnerable community members, low-income workers, undocumented immigrants, survivors of domestic violence, targets of Police abuse and many others whose “ American Dream” has turned into an “American Nightmare.”
The stories, spanning across the Greater Los Angeles area’s South Asian community, demonstrate that while most “human rights language” gets limited to constitutional rights and due process debate, the deeper emotional impact that affects our community members to the core remains unsaid. The stories we share - only some out of hundreds - convey how South Asian communities and communities of color have been criminalized, punished and yet dealt with emotional trauma through resilience. As we celebrate SAN’s 20 th anniversary year, our hope is that this report is a living document to build bridges and draw parallels with histories of other similarly situated communities and build towards a just and equitable society.
As our collective journey to justice continues, I would like to conclude by thanking all of you for your generosity and solidarity. I can be reached by email at janaab56@hotmail.com or my cell at 562-230-4578. I am sure our paths will continue to cross. Best to all of you…..
