Building South Asian Political Power 

Please join New York University School of Law’s South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA) for a lunch-and-learn with Neil Makhija about building South Asian political power in a climate of unprecedented repression, racism and xenophobia. The son of Indian immigrants who made Pennsylvania home, Neil brings a wealth of experience in politics, voting rights, and civic engagement.

Neil will reflect on his experience running for office in 2016 as the Democratic nominee for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 122nd House District. During his candidacy, he won the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court case, In Re: Makhija (2016), which protected the rights of students and recent graduates to run for office in their home state under the Pennsylvania Constitution.

Neil will also turn attention to his work with the Indian American IMPACT Fund, which seeks to build Indian American representation in shaping public policy from state capitols to Congress. Undergirding IMPACT’s philosophy is a belief that it is more critical than ever for South Asians to build solidarity with communities of color to wield political power. Neil will discuss recent enfranchisement efforts in the 2020 general election and Georgia run-off, candidate recruitment and training, and Indian American value-based funding.

Tuesday, April 6 11-12pm ET  RSVP here | Zoom link