About
The South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) is a volunteer-run 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization based in Chicago, Illinois.
Mission Statement
The South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) was founded in 2008 in order to document and provide access to the diverse and relatively unknown stories of South Asian Americans. Our collection reflects the vast range of experiences of the South Asian diaspora in the United States, including those who trace their heritage to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the many South Asian diaspora communities across the globe.
Vision Statement
The South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) hopes to play an important role in the preservation and availability of primary historical materials that document the history of South Asian American communities. We envision an organization that will encourage dialogue, debate and discussion on the role of history in the creation of South Asian American identities and communities. Our ultimate goal is to examine the importance of the past in shaping the future and to ensure that the stories of the South Asian diaspora in the United States are preserved for future generations.
Samip Mallick [President] is also the Director of the Ranganathan Center for Digital Information (RCDI) at the University of Chicago Library. He holds a M.S. in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Illinois, a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan College of Engineering and has done graduate work in Ancient Indian History at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India. He was formerly the Assistant Bibliographer for the Southern Asia Collection at the University of Chicago Library and has also worked for the South Asia and International Migration Programs at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC).
Dr. Michelle Caswell [Secretary] will be Assistant Professor of Archival Studies at UCLA as of July 1, 2012. She holds a PhD in library and information studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she taught archival studies and conducted research on archives and human rights in South and Southeast Asia. She holds a Masters in Library and Information Studies with a concentration in Archival Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a master's degree in South Asian religions from Harvard University, as well as a BA in religion from Columbia University. She has worked as the Arts and Culture Web Producer at the Asia Society Museum, the Development Director of the Vietnamese Association of Illinois, a Senior Writer in the University of Chicago's Development Department, and the Senior Assistant to the Bibliographer for Southern Asia at the University of Chicago Library.
Jennifer Dolfus Ford [Treasurer] recently graduated with a Masters in Business Administration from Santa Clara University, with a concentration on Leading People and Organizations. She received her Bachelors degree in Statistics and Sociology from the University of Michigan. She also holds an education certificate in marketing research from the University of Georgia. Jennifer presently works at Peninsula Family Service (PFS), as both the non profit’s Grants Manager and Financial Analyst. Prior to joining PFS, she worked as a researcher at the following organizations: Ipsos, RDA Group, and Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Manan Desai is an Assistant Professor of English at Syracuse University, where he teaches courses on Asian American, Postcolonial and 20th century American literatures. He earned his doctorate from the University of Michigan in 2011. He has presented his work at several national fora including the American Studies Association and American Literature Association conferences, and has taught at Oakland Community College, University of Michigan, and the Dominican Literacy Center in Detroit.
Tina Bhaga Yokota is Manager of Planning and Development at Access Community Health Network. She produces Radiostan, a monthly radio show that highlights South Asian stories and music. She earned a Masters degree in Asian American Studies at UCLA where she produced No Vacancy, a documentary and oral history of a South Asian family living and working in a motel. She received an Armed with a Camera fellowship and taught documentary classes for substance abuse-recovering youth in LA, as well as helped organize community arts showcases in LA and Chicago. Since 2007, Tina has been a member of the South Asian Progressive Action Collective, working on voter registration and immigration reform campaigns aimed at empowering the South Asian American community.
Dr. Junaid Rana is an associate professor of Asian American Studies with appointments in the Department of Anthropology, the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, and the Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. His publications have appeared in Cultural Dynamics, Souls, and the edited anthologies Pakistani Diasporas (OUP, 2009) and State of White Supremacy (Stanford, 2011). He is the author of the book Terrifying Muslims: Race and Labor in the South Asian Diaspora (Duke, 2011).
Dr. Aparna Sharma is a Program Officer at a local family foundation. She received her PhD in Social Psychology at Loyola University Chicago, and worked as Senior Researcher at Loyola University Chicago's Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL), which is a non-traditional research unit that builds and supports collaborative research and education efforts. Aparna currently sits on the community advisory board for Sage Community Health Collective and is a core member of the South Asian Progressive Action Collective.
Dr. Mathangi Subramanian, Ed.D. is an Indian American writer and educator. She is currently a senior policy analyst for the policy division of the New York City Council, where she covers education. Prior to this, she was the assistant vice president in the department of International Education, Research, and Outreach at Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that produces Sesame Street, where she managed the educational aspects of Sesame’s initiatives in Africa, South Asia, and Haiti. She has received numerous honors, including a Jacob Javits Fellowship, a Teachers College Office of Policy and Research Fellowship, and a Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship. Her creative work has appeared in Kahani magazine and the Seal Press anthology Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists. Her scholarly work has appeared in Penn GSE Perspectives on Urban Education, Current Issues in Comparative Education, and the Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures.
Foundation Donors
Asian Giving Circle (AGC) of the Chicago Community Trust
Jhamandas Watumull Fund
Kiran Bavikatte Foundation
Gifts of Services and Materials
Google Grants
Visual Resource Center (VRC) at the University of Chicago
Manu Sachdeva [SAADA logo]
The Noun Project [icons]
Community Liaisons
Monica Ghosh is the South Asia Studies Librarian at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UHM). She received her B.A. (History) and M.A. (English) at UHM, and an MLIS from the University of Michigan. She is currently writing a dissertation in English which, like her earlier research, explores issues relating to South Asians in the diaspora. Having lived and worked in Honolulu for over twenty years, Ghosh brings both a personal and professional interest in diaspora studies to coordinating and contributing information about the South Asian community in Hawaii for digital archiving.
Collection Experts
Dr. Paul Englesberg, EdD is on the faculty of the Riley College of Education and Leadership of Walden University. He founded and directs the Asian American Curriculum and Research Project, which focuses on the history of Asian Americans in the Pacific Northwest. He is currently working on a history of the "anti-Hindu riot," which took place in Bellingham, Washington in 1907 and has helped to organize events to bring attention to the legacy of exclusion in the Northwest directed against immigrants from China, Japan, and India.
Internship Coordinator
R. Niccole Westbrook works in Digital Services at the University of Houston Libraries as part of a team that creates and manages content for the UH Digital Library and provides digital imaging services to the UH community and beyond. She earned a second master's degree in Library and Information Science from the University of North Texas where I she holds a Graduate Academic Certificate in Advanced Management of Information Agencies. Additionally, she was honored as an ALA Spectrum Scholar and is a member of the Beta Phi Mu Honor Society. Her research interests include online management techniques, digital library best practices and diversity in libraries.
Volunteer Staff
Isabel Gonzalez is the Archives and Manuscripts Accessions Manager at the University of Chicago. She recently graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Masters in Library and Information Science along with a certificate in Special Collections. She has previous experience working a public library, antiquarian book store, and special collections. Isabel currently works with university records, faculty papers, personal papers, campus publications, and manuscript collections at the University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center. Her interest in digital archives and the accessibility of previously hidden and unknown materials led her to SAADA. Outside of work, Isabel enjoys traveling, photography, visiting museums, and watching documentaries.
Veasna Has is a third-year undergraduate at the University of Chicago majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Cinema/Media Studies. Ever since interning at the Long Beach Museum of Art and the Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site, both in Long Beach, California, she has developed an interest in curatorial and archival work and hopes to pursue a career in the field. When not elbow-deep in dusty documents or artifacts, she likes to explore her more extracurricular interests of dance, film, and architecture.
Alice Itty holds a B.S. in Marketing from Rutgers University and recently received a professional certificate in Digital Media Marketing from NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies. She has spent eleven years at the Foundation Center working with their marketing department and most recently with their Philanthropy News Digest department managing Job Corner, a nonprofit job site. Alice joined the South Asian American Digital Archive as a volunteer to help manage their marketing outreach and to gain professional skills using digital marketing to help raise the organization’s awareness.
SAADA is interested in supporting student research! If you're an undergraduate or graduate student and interested in a research or fellowship opportunity with SAADA, please get in touch with us at info@saadigitalarchive.org
There are a number of exciting possibilities for research and fellowship projects, such as...
• Using the materials in SAADA as the basis for conference paper, presentation or poster
• Surveying archival repositories to identify materials for inclusion in SAADA
• Reaching out to community organizations and community members
• Conducting oral history interviews with the South Asian American community
Any and all project ideas are welcome!
Many colleges and universities offer funding or course credit for students interested in doing research projects with SAADA and we are happy to help facilitate this process. Get in touch with us to find out more!
We've already been in contact with the institutions listed below to discuss research and fellowship opportunities with SAADA. If you don't see your college or university on the list please get in touch with us so we can formalize a connection with SAADA.
For Undergraduate Students
•
University of Pennsylvania
Students can apply for the following research grant funding opportunities through the
Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships (CURF) to work with SAADA.
·
College Alumni Society Research Grant (Summer & Academic Year)
·
Vagelos Undergraduate Research Grant
·
Class of 1971 Robert J. Holtz Endowed Fund for Undergraduate Research
·
Seltzer Family Digital Media Awards
·
Penn Program on Democracy, Citizenship, and Constitutionalism
·
Gelfman International Summer Fund
If you are a student at an institution not listed above and would like to work with SAADA on a research or fellowship project, get in touch with us at info@saadigitalarchive.org
SAADA Digital Archive Internship Program
Are you interested in learning more about digital archives? Looking for hands-on experience that will help you build a career in the field? Wanting to be part of an innovative community-based organization?
The South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) accepts applications for students seeking remote internship positions. Interns have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects that provide experience engaging with digital archive initiatives. The internship begins with a Skype orientation meeting with SAADA staff to discuss project assignments and expectations. After this initial meeting, interns work independently or in groups to complete their assigned project. Interns are an important part of the SAADA team and can take leadership roles on pilot projects and contribute significantly to the success of the organization. Projects and availability vary by semester.
Eligibility
· Current student (or recent graduate) in an undergraduate or graduate degree program
· Preference given to those able to commit to at least 10 hours/week
· Located in the United States
When our interns work
Interns are welcome to work at their convenience provided that they satisfy the hourly requirements of their practicum experience, if applicable.
Where our interns work
Interns are welcome to work wherever is most convenient.
Earn credit for your degree program
If you are currently enrolled as a student in a degree program, you can earn credit for your participation in the SAADA Digital Archive Internship Program! To receive course credit, contact your advisor to ask whether your program accepts credit for remote internship experiences. Once you receive confirmation, please include this information in your cover letter.
How we select interns
We select interns based on their interest in archives, digital media, South Asian American history or other relevant interests. Experience using imaging software and creating metadata is a plus, but we can train anyone with a willingness to learn! We encourage applications from all fields and degrees.
Apply for a position
To be considered for a SAADA Digital Archive Internship position, please
complete the online application form. The online application will ask a few basic questions and will allow you to upload your resume and letter of interest. The SAADA Digital Archive Internship is offered each summer, fall and spring semester.
Applications for internship positions will be accepted:
Spring/Summer Semester -- March 1-15
Fall Semester -- July 1-15
Winter Semester -- November 1-15
Questions
Feel free to contact Samip Mallick with any questions about the internship program
by email.
Become a SAADA Volunteer
Did you know that SAADA is completely run by volunteers? We're always looking for those with an interest in SAADA's mission who want to help out by making a regular commitment to volunteering. Email us to let us know that you're interested!
info@saadigitalarchive.org
What are some of the benefits of volunteering, you ask? Well here they are!
· Be a part of an innovative non-profit organization
· Learn more about professions in archiving and digital humanities
· Help uncover new narratives of South Asian American history
· Become more familiar with new technologies
· Join a team of dedicated volunteers
· Meet some really cool people (if we must say so ourselves!)
And much, much more!
Join SAADA's Volunteer Corps
Say you don't have much time and can't become a regular SAADA volunteer, but you really want to support SAADA. The best thing you can do is to join SAADA's Volunteer Corps. We'll send out an email when there's a specific time-bound project that we need some help with and you can let us know if you want to help.
Here are some examples of projects that our Volunteer Corps helps with:
· Transcribing oral history interviews
· Researching archival materials
· Reaching out to press and media
Join SAADA's Volunteer Corp now!
Join the SAADA Street Team
Say you have
even less time and can't commit to joining SAADA's Volunteer Corps. Well we still need your help! You can join the SAADA Street Team and we'll let you know when we need help getting the word out about an event or new collection. That's it. Easy peasy!
Join SAADA's Street Team now!
What does SAADA stand for?
SAADA is the South Asian American Digital Archive.
What is SAADA's mission?
The South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) was founded in 2008 in order to document and provide access to the diverse and relatively unknown stories of South Asian Americans. Our collection reflects the vast range of experiences of the South Asian diaspora in the United States, including those who trace their lineage to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the many South Asian diaspora communities across the globe.
What countries are in South Asia?
SAADA defines South Asia as Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Are financial contributions to SAADA tax deductible?
Yes. SAADA is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, and as such all financial contributions to SAADA will be tax deductible.
How can I get permission to use an image on the SAADA site?
Individuals and organizations who contribute digital copies of materials to the South Asian American Digital Archive retain copyright to those items. Please see the copyright information accompanying each item for further information. For copyright inquiries please send an email to copyright@saadigitalarchive.org.
What can SAADA offer you? Why should you include your materials in SAADA?
An archive is a place where professional archivists and curators care for and make accessible historically significant documents. SAADA is creating a digital repository where professional archivists and historians will care for digital copies of historically significant documents relating to South Asian Americans. SAADA can also provide the public with research access to the important information contained within records created by South Asian American organizations and individuals. By placing records in an archival repository like SAADA you take an important step toward their preservation and use-- and help shape the way the history of South Asian Americans will be written for future generations.
I have some materials that SAADA might like to include in its digital collection. Whom should I contact about this?
If you have materials that meet SAADA's collection development goals and that you would like included in the digital archive, please contact us at info@saadigitalarchive.org.
Where are the materials included on the SAADA site physically located?
SAADA is an entirely digital repository. The materials included in the South Asian American Digital Archive are physically dispersed in several private collections and archival repositories. For information on locating a particular collection, please contact us at info@saadigitalarchive.org.
How can I get involved?
SAADA welcomes the involvement of interested individuals. For more information on what you can do to help further SAADA's mission, please get in touch with us!
How can I contact SAADA?
You can email us at info@saadigitalarchive.org or reach us by phone at 734-716-6621
