South Asian American Digital Archive
A nonprofit digital archive preserving and sharing the diverse history of South Asian Americans in the United States.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The South Asian American Digital Archive, commonly known as SAADA, is a United States nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, documenting, and making accessible the histories of South Asian Americans. Established in 2008, it addresses the limited visibility of South Asian American experiences in conventional historical collections by building a digital repository of documents, photographs, newspapers, oral histories, audio and video recordings, pamphlets, websites, and other materials. SAADA defines South Asian American broadly. Its collection-development scope includes people whose heritage can be traced to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, as well as South Asian diaspora communities elsewhere in the world. The archive's subjects include early immigrants and visitors, political organizing, labor and professional associations, religious institutions, community organizations, student groups, cultural production, and the experiences of prominent artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians, intellectuals, activists, and public figures. A distinctive feature of SAADA is its digital-only, post-custodial model. Rather than requiring original materials to be transferred into a central physical repository, SAADA generally works with individuals and institutions that retain custody of their original records while the archive provides digital access copies and descriptive information online. This model allows the organization to document dispersed community histories while respecting the custodial relationships of contributors. In 2012, SAADA introduced a visual browsing interface that allowed visitors to explore the collection without first selecting a subject, time period, or type of source. The archive includes material relating to figures and organizations such as Dalip Singh Saund, the first person of Indian heritage elected to the United States Congress; the Gadar Party; architect Fazlur Rahman Khan; Bhai Bhagwan Sing Gyanee; and the Kerala Catholic Association of Southeast Michigan. Its public-facing work extends beyond collection management. Through projects, publications, oral-history initiatives, and online storytelling, SAADA encourages communities to contribute their own accounts and interpret archival materials in contemporary cultural contexts. Notable initiatives include the First Days Project, launched in 2013 to collect stories about immigrants' initial experiences in the United States; Tides, an online magazine presenting stories drawn from the archive; Election Stories, which documents South Asian American responses to the 2016 and 2020 United States elections; and Where We Belong: Artists in the Archive, a program supporting dialogue among South Asian artists about archives, immigration, minority representation, and symbolic erasure. SAADA also published Our Stories: An Introduction to South Asian America in 2021, bringing together contributions from scholars, artists, activists, and practitioners. SAADA is organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in Illinois and based in Philadelphia. Its support has included individual donations and grants associated with institutions such as the Mellon Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The organization received recognition for its historical and archival work, including the Roy Rosenzweig Prize for the First Days Project in 2015 and the Philip M. Hamer–Elizabeth Hamer Kegan Award from the Society of American Archivists in 2016.
History
The South Asian American Digital Archive was established in 2008 to preserve and share historical materials documenting South Asian life in the United States. Its creation responded to the relative underrepresentation of South Asian American experiences in mainstream archival and historical narratives. Instead of treating the archive only as a storage facility, SAADA developed a public digital platform through which dispersed community records could be collected, described, interpreted, and viewed by researchers, educators, family members, and the wider public. SAADA's approach is based on a digital and post-custodial model. Original records generally remain with the people, families, or institutions that hold them, while SAADA creates and publishes digital access copies. This structure is particularly useful for community history, where important records may be distributed across households, associations, religious institutions, local newspapers, and cultural organizations rather than held by established research libraries. The model also permits the archive to document materials without requiring contributors to surrender original objects. The archive's collecting scope encompasses a wide range of South Asian American experiences. It includes the histories of people connected to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and broader South Asian diasporas. Subject areas include pre-1965 immigration and travel, racial conflict such as the Bellingham riots, political activism, labor and professional organizations, community and regional associations, religious institutions, student groups, newspapers, and the work of South Asian American artists, filmmakers, writers, musicians, and intellectuals. Named holdings include material concerning Dalip Singh Saund, the Gadar Party, architect Fazlur Rahman Khan, Bhai Bhagwan Sing Gyanee, and the Kerala Catholic Association of Southeast Michigan. In 2012, SAADA expanded the ways in which users could encounter its holdings by adding a visual browsing function. Instead of requiring a visitor to begin with a defined search category, the interface supported more open-ended exploration of the archive. That same period also saw the Foundation for the Future campaign, which sought to strengthen the organization's sustainability and public profile. SAADA subsequently developed projects that connect archival practice with oral history, artistic production, civic participation, and public education. The First Days Project, launched in 2013, gathers written and spoken accounts of immigrants' first experiences in the United States and has included stories from immigrant communities more broadly. Where We Belong: Artists in the Archive brought together South Asian artists for sustained discussion about using archives and art to challenge the symbolic disappearance of immigrant and minority communities. Tides, the organization's online magazine, publishes narratives and interpretations based on archival materials. Election Stories records South Asian American perspectives on the emotional and political effects of the 2016 and 2020 elections. SAADA also broadened its educational role through the 2021 publication Our Stories: An Introduction to South Asian America. The book combines historical scholarship with contributions from artists, activists, and practitioners, presenting an accessible introduction to the field. Recognition from the American Historical Association in 2015 and the Society of American Archivists in 2016 reflected the organization's contribution to digital history, community archiving, and archival practice. SAADA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in Illinois and based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its reported support has included individual donations and grants from organizations including the Mellon Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. It operates as a cultural and historical nonprofit rather than a commercial media or technology company, with its website and digital collections serving as its principal public interface.
- 2021
Our Stories is published
[1]SAADA publishes Our Stories: An Introduction to South Asian America, combining scholarly, artistic, activist, and practitioner perspectives.
- 2016
SAADA receives an archival association award
[1]The Society of American Archivists presents SAADA with the Philip M. Hamer–Elizabeth Hamer Kegan Award.
- 2015
First Days Project receives the Roy Rosenzweig Prize
[1]The American Historical Association recognizes the project for its contribution to digital history.
- 2013
First Days Project launches
[1]The project starts collecting and publishing accounts of immigrants' first experiences in the United States.
- 2012
Visual browsing is added
[1]SAADA introduces a visual discovery mode that lets users explore archival materials without choosing a predefined subject, source, or period.
- 2012
Foundation for the Future campaign launches
[1]SAADA begins a fundraising and sustainability campaign focused on long-term preservation and awareness of South Asian American histories.
- 2008
SAADA is established
[1]The organization begins its work to preserve, document, and share South Asian American history through a digital archive.
Products and positioning
A community-centered, digital-first archival organization focused on making South Asian American history visible, accessible, and participatory.
Digital archive · 2008
SAADA Digital Archive
SAADA's core online repository provides digital access to materials documenting South Asian American history. The collection includes photographs, newspapers, written records, pamphlets, oral histories, audio and video, websites, and other digital files. Its post-custodial model allows original materials to remain with contributing individuals or institutions while digital copies are made available for research and public discovery.
Oral-history and storytelling project · 2013
First Days Project
Launched in 2013, the First Days Project collects personal accounts describing immigrants' early experiences in the United States. It combines oral and written histories and presents them as a public resource for understanding migration, settlement, identity, and everyday life across immigrant communities.
Online magazine
Tides
Tides is SAADA's online magazine. It publishes stories and interpretations based on archival materials and uses accessible editorial formats to highlight the range of South Asian American experiences, communities, and historical subjects represented in the collection.
Arts and archival program
Where We Belong: Artists in the Archive
Supported by the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, this program convenes South Asian artists for sustained dialogue about archives, artistic practice, immigrant histories, and the problem of symbolic erasure affecting minority communities. Participants have included Rudresh Mahanthappa, Chiraag Bhakta, Joti Singh, Chitra Ganesh, and Zain Alam.
Book and educational publication · 2021
Our Stories: An Introduction to South Asian America
Published in 2021, this book introduces South Asian American history through essays and contributions from scholars, artists, activists, and practitioners. It extends SAADA's educational mission beyond the online archive and presents varied perspectives on South Asian American life and historical development.
Civic storytelling project
Election Stories
Election Stories documents South Asian American emotional and political responses associated with the 2016 and 2020 United States elections. Users can browse submitted accounts either individually or through the project's organizing questions.
Marketing campaigns
- 2012Foundation for the Future
United States
A fundraising campaign designed to create a more sustainable organization, raise awareness of SAADA, and support preservation of South Asian American historical and cultural stories.
Brand decisions
2012
Introduction of visual archive browsingOtherBackground
Traditional archive interfaces often require users to begin with a known topic, collection, or time period.
Action taken
SAADA added a visual browsing mode that supports open-ended exploration of its materials.
Aftermath
Visitors gained an alternative way to encounter the collection through visual discovery rather than only structured search.
2008
Adoption of a digital post-custodial archive modelStrategyBackground
South Asian American historical materials are often dispersed among families, community groups, religious organizations, and other local institutions rather than held in a single repository.
Action taken
SAADA built a digital repository that preserves online access copies while allowing original materials to remain with the individuals or institutions that hold them.
Aftermath
The model enabled the organization to document geographically dispersed community histories and make them publicly discoverable without centralizing every original artifact.
Recent events
- 2016
SAADA receives the Philip M. Hamer–Elizabeth Hamer Kegan Award[1]
Other
The Society of American Archivists honored SAADA with the Philip M. Hamer–Elizabeth Hamer Kegan Award.
- 2015
First Days Project receives the Roy Rosenzweig Prize[1]
Other
The American Historical Association recognized SAADA's First Days Project with the Roy Rosenzweig Prize for work in digital history.
- 2012
SAADA launches the Foundation for the Future fundraising campaign[1]
Campaign
SAADA introduced a fundraising campaign intended to build long-term organizational sustainability, increase public awareness, and support preservation of South Asian American historical and cultural materials.
- 2012
SAADA introduces visual browsing for its digital archive[1]
Product launch
The archive added a visual browsing mode that enabled visitors to discover materials without first filtering by topic, source, or time period.
Sources2 sources
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