A documentary on the first Asian American to be ever elected to Congress is about $10,000 short of completing production. Even many Asian Americans may not know the story of Dalip Singh Saund, which makes this film even more important. Dalip Singh Saund, His Life, His Legacy is part of the APA Legacy series and is executive produced by Samantha Cheng for the United States Capitol Historical Society and the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies.
Saund was born in Punjab, India and is both Indian American and Sikh American.
Jashit Singh, executive director of SALDEF, the Sikh American Legal Defense & Education Fund, agreed to answer the following questions by e-mail. First of all, tell us a little about yourself.
I am the Executive Director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund. We are the oldest Sikh American advocacy group in the country and we tackle various issues affecting the community including hate crimes, racial profiling, school bullying and employment discrimination.
Who is Dalip Singh Saund and what is his significance in both Indian American & Asian American history?
Dalip Singh Saund is the first Asian American member of Congress. He overcame significant challenges to represent his district; at a time when anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiments were high.
Why is it important to carry on Saund’s legacy?
Saund’s legacy teaches us that regardless of our socioeconomic or perceived ethnic challenges, we can achieve remarkable things with persistence.
What impact do you hope this documentary Dalip Singh Saund: His Life, His Legacy will have?
I hope this documentary illuminates an aspect of our Asian American history which is often forgot.
With the public’s approval rating for Congress at an all time low, why should the public care about this documentary?
Dalip Singh Saund had a history of working with both parties and in this tense political climate, we could all take a lesson from his example.
There have only been three South Asian Americans ever elected to Congress. What do you see happening in the next decade?
I think we will see many more South Asians running and being elected to Congress. They will hopefully take inspiration from Dalip Singh Saund’s historic run and recognize that although there may be challenges due to their ethnicity, they can overcome them with persistence.
What role will the growing economic clout of Indian Americans play in the possible growth of more involvement of South Asian Americans in the political process?
As the financial power of Indian Americans continues to grow, we can expect to see a commensurate increase in the number of South Asian politicians who seek office. Indian Americans who are considering investing in candidates may consider the opportunity to influence policy a wise one, especially when seeing that many South Asian communities have born the brunt of post 9/11 backlash.
