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Our Impact

At SAEF, our focus is to elevate the Indian American brand to be a meaningful representation of the community. We envision a future where Indian Americans feel a PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP in all things Indian and lobby for impactful change on how the community is perceived , treated and acknowledged as it assimilates into AMERICANA.

What is Pride Of Ownership?

For decades, Indian Americans have been contributing to American life and culture in a myriad of ways. Approx. 50% of US hotels are owned by the community while 1 in 8 doctors in the US identify as being of Indian origin. However, even with this kind of impact, we see that Indian Americans do not occupy the same space in American pop culture. Even today, South Asians are typically seen as a monolith in the US that is reduced to one or two stereotypes. This image of a token minority diminishes the significance of both the Indian American lived experience and their contribution to American society. Our aim is to start conversations about Indian American life by working on projects that will empower and change the image around Indian Americans so that a strong brand can be created for all generations of the community.

How do we plan to do that?

At SAEF, our work is dedicated to building a strong Indian American brand through initiatives that marry Americanisms with Indianisms. This leads to enhanced and impactful conversations about the community.

Our flagship initiative South Asian Spelling Bee aims to do the same. Spelling bees are known to be an American brain sport, and when mixed with the diligence of academic focus from Indian Americans, it results in success!

Since 2008, almost every year an Indian American speller has been the champion and has been invited on a national media tour including a visit to the White House. This type of exposure created a widespread awareness for the Indian American community, piqued interests from other communities and gave the diaspora publicity on a national scale.

What is our hope for the future?

We have seen how the South Asian Spelling Bee helps empower generations of new champion spellers. With the lighting of the tricolor on the WTC we will facilitate conversations about the largest democracy – India, within the context of the oldest democracy – the USA. Through the imagery curation of Diwali, on the country’s most iconic landmark – the World Trade Center, we want to encourage conversations about Indian heritage and its integration into the cultural mosaic that is American life.
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Corporate Givers

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The South Asian Engagement Foundation (SAEF) aims to elevate the Indian-American brand through educational initiatives and civic engagements.

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