The South Asian Network (SAN) is celebrating its 22nd anniversary of advancing the health, safety and solidarity of Southern California’s South Asian American community with a fundraising celebration that will honor those involved in the groundbreaking nonprofit.

Founded in 1990 by Hamid Khan, SAN began with town meetings as a way for locals of South Asian origin to have a safe space to discuss issues they faced, such as the trauma of displacement from migration. Khan had studied histories of migration and racism and was inspired to create spaces for people from countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh where bridge-building could take place. What started more than two decades ago as an organization that tried to draw parallels between people’s lives by understanding the community at large, SAN later came to address issues of health, immigration, civil rights and domestic violence.

“It had to be organic, not inserted or imposed, but built from the ground up,” said Khan. “And from there it evolved as we started formalizing how to reach out and carve a space within the community.”

Today, the Artesia-based SAN provides services in the areas of health, civil rights and violence prevention to the greater Long Beach community with a focus on the diverse South Asian American population including those of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan descent.

SAN conducts outreach and education programs and engages in organizing and advocacy across its three main divisions: CHAI (Community Health Action Initiative), AWAZ (Voices Against Violence) and CRU (Civil Rights Unit).

In CHAI, workshops are one of the building blocks. They were designed to educate the public on topics such as AIDS/HIV, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and several forms of cancer. The main focus was originally on physical diseases, but CHAI later evolved to incorporate a program that included information on behavioral health with an emphasis on nutrition, physical exercise, depression and a “Quit the Habit” guide for smoking cessation. The workshops guide individuals through pre and post testing, evaluating cause/risk factors as well as complications. The goal is that by teaching people to make small behavioral changes, they can lead healthier, stronger and happier lives.

AWAZ, the anti-violence unit works on issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and human trafficking. CRU, the civil rights unit, addresses issues of immigration and national security, workers’ rights and discrimination.

According to SAN’s Executive Director Manju Kulkarni, her staff and board of directors are most proud of the social justice framework that guides this organization enabling them to envision a more just and equitable world.

SAN’s influence can be felt far and wide throughout Southern California in both big and small ways. The organization’s successes this year includes launching the DesiVote, which provides voting material in Hindi; creating a youth program for Whitney High School in Cerritos that helps to create leaders of tomorrow; enabling uninsured kids to get access to health benefits; and opening several citizenship clinics.

All of this and more will be celebrated at SAN’s upcoming gala event, which will feature as its emcee Sonal Shah, who majored in pre-med and went on to become Dr. Sunny Dey on the television show Scrubs. The event includes a gourmet Indian Buffet and dancing to Bollywood hits as well as a performance by the USC Trojan Bhangra Team.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will support SAN’s core programs which empower South Asain survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse as well as aid in promoting healthy living from newborns to grandmothers and help the community to organize and reduce hate crimes, discrimination and racial profiling.

SAN’s 22nd Anniversary Celebration will be held at the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens starting at 5PM on November 4. Tickets are $125 and can be purchased at Event Brite or by contacting Neeta Sampat at (562) 403-0488 x100. For more information about SAN, please visit www.southasiannetwork.org.