Newsletter - May 2025

May 2025: Spotlight on AAPI Excellence

VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 5

This month, we’re celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month! A time to recognize the diverse cultures, rich histories, and meaningful contributions of AAPI communities across the country. From food and film to public health and policy, AAPI voices have helped shape the world we live in today and continue to inspire change every day. We encourage you to read the South Asian Coalition’s community explainer on the first 100 days of the new administration and how the policies and priorities impact South Asian communities.


Throughout May, we’ll be sharing stories, events, and resources that highlight AAPI heritage and uplift the voices making a difference. Whether you’re learning something new or honoring your own roots, we hope this month sparks connection, reflection, and celebration. And speaking of celebration…


🎓 Congratulations, Class of 2025! 🎉


We want to give a big shoutout to all of the graduates this month! From high school, to undergrad, to post-grad, to clinical graduates - Congratulations! We’re so proud of everything you’ve accomplished and wish you the best of luck in your next chapter. We look forward to being a continued resource and community for you as you move forward in your careers.


We’d love to celebrate with you—tag us in your graduation posts or share your accomplishments with us so we can highlight your success in our community!

Let’s dive in!

SAPHA Gala and Conference

We want to hear from you! What do you want to see at the first

SAPHA Conference and Gala? 


Fill out this survey to give us your input be entered into a raffle to win a free ticket to the SAPHA Gala! 🎟️

AAPI Research Spotlights


In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, SAPHA is proud to celebrate South Asian public health professionals who are making an impact across the country. From conducting vital research to leading teams and driving change in their communities, these individuals exemplify excellence in public health. 


Follow us on social media throughout the month as we spotlight their inspiring work and contributions.


Check out our initial posts here – and stay tuned for more highlights!

🌟 Upcoming SAPHA Webinar: Let’s Talk Justice 🌟


How does economic justice shape the health of South Asian communities? 


Join us for The Hidden Costs of the Model Minority Myth: Advocating for Economic Justice in South Asian Communities, a powerful conversation on the ties between opportunity, income, and wellbeing. 


Hear from Sydelle Barreto from National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF)  as she shares insights and strategies for change.


📅 Date & Time:

• 5/29 at 5:30pm ET

• 5/29 at 4:30pm CT

• 5/29 at 3:30pm PT

Sydelle Barreto is a dedicated and creative policy and advocacy professional who is committed to moving the needle a little closer to collective liberation each and every day. Sydelle began her career in education policy, where they worked on issues such as diversifying the educator pipeline and fighting for a thriving wage for child care workers. 


Prior to joining NAPAWF, they served as the Assistant Director of Federal Policy at SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, where they championed inclusive and evidence-based sex education. Sydelle is deeply passionate about fighting for a world where the marginalized are affirmed in their identities and have the power, information, and resources to make decisions about their own health, pleasure and wholeness. Sydelle is a proud 1.5 generation Indian American who was born in Mumbai and raised in New Jersey. They received a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Northeastern University and an M.A. in Philosophy and Social Policy from George Washington University.  


👉🏽👉 Register Now to secure your spot and be a part of this impactful discussion!

SAPHA at GWU Research Day



SAPHA intern Palash Bhanot recently developed and presented a poster highlighting his work on creating the data disaggregation section of our website.


He shared his findings during George Washington University’s (GWU) Research Day , showcasing the importance of accessible, detailed data in advancing health equity.

Palash will be graduating this May with his Master of Public Health from GWU—congratulations, Palash!


Learn more about his project on our website!

💡 Organization Spotlight: Educate to Empower


Educate to Empower (E2E) is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to improving breast cancer screening awareness and access across Philadelphia. E2E recognizes that too many women face barriers to breast cancer screening and follow-up care, whether due to lack of information, financial constraints, or cultural and language barriers. 


E2E strives to change that by bringing breast health education, screening opportunities, and personalized support directly into the community. E2E offers a variety of programming options of varying length to meet the needs of your community including on-site mammogram registrations, risk assessments, interactive education sessions, and even empowerment and wellness workshops for teens and young women. 


Founded by fourth-year students at UPenn, Simran Rajpal and Gauthami Moorkanat, they were awarded UPenn’s 2024 President’s Engagement Prize for their work to launch E2E


✅ For more information and potential partnership opportunities, reach out to E2E by contacting them at exec@educatetoempowerphilly.org

🧠 May is Mental Health Awareness Month !

Check out SAPHA's list of mental health resources for South Asians here

🚨 New Publication: Nature, prevalence and determinants of mental health problems experienced by adolescents in south Asia: a systematic review


​A recent systematic review published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia examined the nature, prevalence, and determinants of mental health problems (MHPs) among adolescents in South Asia, encompassing Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The review included 117 studies, with 87 being school-based, and highlighted significant variability in the prevalence of MHPs across the region.


The review underscores the high prevalence of MHPs among South Asian adolescents and the multifaceted determinants influencing mental health. It highlights the need for culturally appropriate mental health policies and programs that address these social determinants and fill existing evidence gaps.


For a more detailed understanding, access the full study here

📽️ New South Asian Docudrama: The Brown Heart


If you are interested in South Asian cardiovascular disparities, this is a must see.

In an effort to disseminate what the medical/public health community has learned to a lay audience, Drs. Nirmal and Renu Joshi tell their own story and those of many other South Asian men and women from around the world. 


Dr. and Dr.Joshi interviewed several public health/medical/scientific professionals from India, Pakistan, the UK, and the US on this journey. They showcase the newest evidence, including several results from the MASALA Study , answering the “Why” and “How” questions in an engaging and thought-provoking way. 


The end result is a 2 hour docudrama called The Brown Heart.

The Brown Heart is now streaming on JioHotstar in India.


Want to know what the buzz is about? Check out this review from the Times of India : Read the review to see what critics are saying.


Watch the movie here: https://www.thebrownheart.com

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