South Asian Studies Institute

“I thought I had a good idea of what to expect. I received hundreds of calls, often just to cry. I can hear not only the pain and the anguish, but also the anger that no one believed the stories they had told. I can also hear their sense that they have lost some hope … Read more

The SASI was pleased to host renown political activist and intellectual Yogendra Yadav who spoke about India’s farmers movement. As the ongoing farmers struggle in India completes six months, it has attracted global attention. The Indian diaspora has taken special interest and played a key role in this movement. Focusing on extraordinary milestones and the … Read more

The SASI continues the work of the South Asian Canadian Legacy Project with the support of a range of dedicated community members as part of the Project Management Team and the Advisory Committees. Below are some important updates and milestones as we reach the one year mark since the Province funding announcement towards the work … Read more

“Wake up, work hard, be kind and consistent.” This mantra has been on repeat during my time and journey thus far while working at the South Asian Studies Institute at UFV. I began my studies at UFV India (located in Chandigarh) and later transferred to the University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford.  I pride myself … Read more

(As seen in UFV Today) A visionary leader with an unshakable commitment to equality and cultural justice, Dr. Satwinder Bains is the 2021 recipient of UFV’s Faculty Service Excellence Award.“As a woman of colour, not only is she smashing glass ceilings of patriarchy within academia, but also in conservative cultural spaces,” says Anita Lal, co-founder … Read more

Dr. Bains, SASI Director is a part of the Academic Advisory Committee joining scholars, activists and professionals from across Canada to create a national strategy combatting hate. She will also speak on coalition building across Asian Canadian Communities. The conversation comes in light of the exponential rise in anti-Asian violence, hate and crime in British … Read more

The South Asian Studies Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley is pleased to be commemorating #AsianHeritageMonth in the month of May. This month has much deep resonance, meaning and purpose to us as Canadians as we shine a light on the many diverse and far reaching contributions and impacts of Asian Canadian individuals and organizations on life in … Read more

(Artist Celina Koops, CHASI Research Assistant) Guest Blog Post: Dr. Inderjeet Singh Mann: The SASI is pleased to present a guest blog by Dr. Inder Mann, UFV’s Peace and Reconciliation Centre (PARC) Visiting Scholar and SASI Research Fellow to present a blog commemorating April as Sikh Heritage Month. We are grateful for a collaboration with … Read more

As part of the lecture series on Caste at SASI – Dr. Surinder Jodhka, Professor of Sociology at the Centre for Social Systems, presented his ground breaking and important research on April 23rd, 2021. The lecture, as described by SASI Director Dr. Satwinder Kaur Bains, is part of the SASI’s ongoing and meaningful commitment to … Read more

On April 14th  the South Asian Studies Institute launched a permanent outdoor exhibit and temporary indoor exhibit at the Sikh Heritage Museum located in the National Historic Site Gur Sikh Temple, Abbotsford BC. The exhibit, titled Komagata Maru: Discrimination Meets Determination pays homage to historic 1914 and to the power of determination to enact meaningful change … Read more