The South Asian Caucus of American Speech-Language Hearing Association (SAC-ASHA) [formerly Asian Indian Caucus- AIC] is one of the multicultural constituency groups of the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association (ASHA). The AIC executive board proposed and recommended a change of name for the Caucus in 2021 in order to better represent the diversity of our members who identify or have South Asian origin. We strive to be an inclusive caucus so that our membership embodies the geographical, linguistic and cultural heterogeneity of the South Asian professional community in the USA.
History of the Asian Indian Caucus:
The AIC was formed in 1994 at the annual convention of ASHA in New Orleans. AIC was established to address the professional, clinical and educational needs of people of South Asian origin residing in the United States in the area of communication sciences and disorders.
The Asian Indians, otherwise known as South Asians, refer to persons who trace their origin to the Indian subcontinent including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. This is a forum for individuals of South Asian origin and those interested in service delivery to and research of clients of Asian Indian origin. To address these, AIC conducts an annual meeting at the ASHA convention, publishes annual e-newsletter showcasing member contributions as it relates to evidence based service delivery for individuals of Asian Indian origin, and maintains an active e-listserv to promote exchanges between students, clinicians and researchers interested in professional and service delivery issues related to individuals of Asian Indian origin.
