The issues needing to be addressed are quite large considering the fact that Asian Americans have been seen as cheap labor in the past. Many South Asians can trace their background to Bangladesh, Maldives, Napal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other areas such as Africa, England, and the West Indies.
It is these groups and their history that are asking for leadership in the Asian American Organizations to benefit their children and further generations to stop the turmoil they lived with. Poverty in their original countries drove them to the US for a thought of the American dream in the last several decades. This is no more than what happened when America was first settled. Of course now we have many programs and Asian American Organizations that may be of benefit to gather more leadership for the issues seen today.
There are poverty concerns for those who move to the US in a legal manner. They are helping their kin back home as well as those who have arrived in America. During Katrina many of the Asian Americans suffered from fates in which there was not enough helped offer, especially to those who needed to show legal immigration. It is this and other issues that the Asian American Organizations and leadership hope to fix. Leadership in the Asian American Organizations found help lacking for many Asian Americans. The hurricane relief was asking for papers to be shown in order to get monetary help during a time when there was no way of working. Leadership for the Asian American Organizations was appalled at what legal immigrants suffered. Furthermore the leadership felt that hurricane relief should be offered to anyone, legal or no that needed help. SAALT as one of the Asian American Organizations fought to see that this help was provided.
More than that SAALT seeks to rectify the relief and future aid needed through government and political stands. By having more leadership within Asian American Organizations as well as in the government the Asian American will not be overlooked. By collecting donations the Asian American Organizations are able to sponsor those in need to make sure Asian Americans are covered in the next crisis. Furthermore with training for leadership they hope to have the next generation prepared to step into political spots to further their cause. It is not just about Asian Americans in many of the organizations, but about minorities that need help.
More Info - http://www.saalt.org/pdfs/ConBriefingKatrina.pdf