South Asian American Digital Archives loses funding from National Endowment for the Humanities

- ADVERTISEMENT -

A leading organization that works to preserve the history and stories of Indian Americans and others hailing from South Asia, has in a sudden turn of events, lost its federal funding.

The non-profit South Asian American Digital Archives, SAADA, which has been documenting the lives and history of communities hailing from that Subcontinent, was informed recently it would not longer be getting the grants allocated to it by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

SAADA urged the community of South Asians in the US to come forward to bridge the funding gap. In an email sent to readers, SAADA’s founder and executive director Samip Mallick, that in an overnight series of emails late last week, the organization was informed by NEH “acting chairman” Michael McDonald that SAADA’s three grants have been terminated.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

The exact message sent to SAADA reads as follows:

“These grants were supporting fellowship programs creating unique and meaningful opportunities for community members to participate in SAADA’s work, Mallick said.

Additionally, two grants from the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) are in limbo, as it was announced last week that their staff have been placed on “administrative leave” and will soon be targeted by a “reduction in force.”

“I went through a gamut of emotions last week. Frustration, disappointment, anger. I felt it all,” Mallick said, as he had been dreading something like that may happen over the last two months since the Trump administration took office..

Every day he feared that at any moment all of SAADA’s upcoming federally-funded programs would be ended.

“But when the termination emails from NEH appeared in my inbox, I was taken aback by what I actually felt—all of a sudden, I felt completely free,” Mallick says, as if the sword of Damocles that had been hanging over SAADA’s head was lifted. “The future was back in our hands,” Mallick said.

When SAADA was founded 17 years ago, its applications for funding to NEH and IMLS were rejected on grounds South Asians were too niche a group, he recounted.

Seven years ago, the two federal organizations relented and funds from NEH and IMLS were used over the past few years to launch new programs and initiatives.

“But SAADA’s very existence for nearly two decades has only been because of the support of our community,” Mallick contends and credits support from the community for SAADA to become the strong organization it is today. “I know that SAADA will emerge from this period stronger than ever,” he asserted.

He urged supporters and donors to continue their investment, and for those not yet involved, to get behind the organization. (saada.or/donate).

“Community storytelling is incredibly important, and we simply can’t do it without you. We will not let our history be erased!” Mallick appealed.

Related posts:

Writing our history… Digitally: 2021 was a banner year for Indian-Americans, others recording their immigrant journey Dr. Bani K. Mallick of Texas A&M selected for Fulbright-Nehru Distinguished Chair SAADA holds Archival Creators Fellowship celebration in New York City Several Indian-American organizations in New York to receive state funding