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Discover a century of South Asian American activist history on the streets of Berkeley, California!
Community historians Barnali Ghosh and Anirvan Chatterjee bring South Asian American history to life on an engaging 2-mile walking tour. You’ll visit original sites, hear the stories, and come away inspired by four generations of immigrant freedom fighters, feminists, and more. These are the secret histories we were never taught. → Learn more, or register for an tour ← As seen in National Geographic, NPR, San Francisco Chronicle, Atlas Obscura, and more. We were voted Best of the East Bay (2014), awarded the national APIA Preservation Award (2016), and received a proclamation from the city of Berkeley on our 10th anniversary (2022). We’ve run 243 tours for 3,441 people since 2012, and are still going strong! P.S. Check out our Instagram, Facebook, Secret Desi History blog, Black/Desi solidarity 101, public research notes, and mailing list. |
Comments from participants
Participants have called it:
Previous dates: Aug 4 (BASS 2012), Sep 29, Oct 13-14, 20-21, 28, Nov 3-4, 17-18, 2012, and Mar 30, Apr 7, May 4, Jun 16, Jul 4 (DesiQ conference), July 13, Jul 27 (BASS 2013), Aug 25, Sep 21, Oct 20, Nov 1, 16-17 2013, Mar 8, 27 (Stanford Alternative Spring Break), April 4 (NAES conference), April 13, April 26 (AAAS conference), May 3, May 24 (Stanford Okada dorm), May 26, June 15, July 19, Aug 24, Sep 6, Oct 25-26, Dec 20, 2014, and Jan 31, Feb 21, Feb 27 (Berkeley APASD), Mar 28, Apr 26, May 31, June 5 (Race, Space, Violence conference) 2015, 13, 20 (Seeding Change), July 26, Sep 20, Oct 3 (Dalit Women Fight), Oct 4 (APA NorCal 2015, with Black Panthers Tour), 17, 22 (NLG SF conference), December 19, 26 (Munshi) 2015, Jan 23, Feb 7, Mar 6 (Arcadia), Mar 19, Apr 23, May 22, June 25, July 16, Aug 17 (Seeding Change), 28, Sep 24, 2016, Jan 28, Feb 26, Mar 11, Mar 26 (Grassroots Asians Rising), Apr 30, May 7, Aug 14 (Seeding Change), Sep 2, Aug 8, Oct 28, Nov 4 (Stanford Okada), Dec 2, 2017, Jan 21, Feb 12, Feb 25, Mar 25 Apr 15, May 19, June 16 (O.P. Jindal), June 19 (Seeding Change), June 24 Jul 8, Aug 13 (BASS), 25, Sep 23, 29 (UCB, Markaz), Oct 7 (AID), Oct 28 (Berkeley Historical Society), 2018, Feb 10, Mar 3, 10 (Cal APATH), 22 (APIDA), 24, Apr 16 (Techniques of Memory), 28, 2019, May 9 (GSPP), May 19, June 21 (Seeding Change),, June 30, July 7 (including APIENC LEX), Aug 5 (BASS), Aug 11 (SMU Human Rights), Aug 25, Sep 22, Oct 13, Nov 16 (UCB), Nov 17, Jan 12 2020, Jan 26, 2020 (UCD MENASA Retreat), Feb 16, 2020, June 27 2021 (reopening!), July 11 (feat. Rani Bagai), 25, Aug 1, Oct 9 (200th, feat Rishi Reddi), Oct 24, Nov 14, Dec 19, 26, 2021, Jan 9 2022, April 17 (public + UCB Jakara), May 22 (Bridgespan), May 22, May 29, July 10, July 31 (CAIR), Aug 10 (Third Act), 13 (BASS), 21, Sep 18, Sep 23 and 30 (BPL), Oct 1 (UCSF), 8 (Stanford A3C), 15, 16 (CEDSOC, SF State), Nov 20, Dec 4 (Ramanujam), 12, 2022, Feb 26, Mar 5 (Berkeley Haas) 2023
- “a fantastic, interactive, inspiring, and provocative tour"
- “one of the most amazing experiences ever”
- “fun,” “engaging,” “very interactive,” “loved it,” “shocked,” “moved”
- “I really felt a sense of belonging from this tour”
- “I found it really moving…there are roots within our community that connect to our current activism”
Previous dates: Aug 4 (BASS 2012), Sep 29, Oct 13-14, 20-21, 28, Nov 3-4, 17-18, 2012, and Mar 30, Apr 7, May 4, Jun 16, Jul 4 (DesiQ conference), July 13, Jul 27 (BASS 2013), Aug 25, Sep 21, Oct 20, Nov 1, 16-17 2013, Mar 8, 27 (Stanford Alternative Spring Break), April 4 (NAES conference), April 13, April 26 (AAAS conference), May 3, May 24 (Stanford Okada dorm), May 26, June 15, July 19, Aug 24, Sep 6, Oct 25-26, Dec 20, 2014, and Jan 31, Feb 21, Feb 27 (Berkeley APASD), Mar 28, Apr 26, May 31, June 5 (Race, Space, Violence conference) 2015, 13, 20 (Seeding Change), July 26, Sep 20, Oct 3 (Dalit Women Fight), Oct 4 (APA NorCal 2015, with Black Panthers Tour), 17, 22 (NLG SF conference), December 19, 26 (Munshi) 2015, Jan 23, Feb 7, Mar 6 (Arcadia), Mar 19, Apr 23, May 22, June 25, July 16, Aug 17 (Seeding Change), 28, Sep 24, 2016, Jan 28, Feb 26, Mar 11, Mar 26 (Grassroots Asians Rising), Apr 30, May 7, Aug 14 (Seeding Change), Sep 2, Aug 8, Oct 28, Nov 4 (Stanford Okada), Dec 2, 2017, Jan 21, Feb 12, Feb 25, Mar 25 Apr 15, May 19, June 16 (O.P. Jindal), June 19 (Seeding Change), June 24 Jul 8, Aug 13 (BASS), 25, Sep 23, 29 (UCB, Markaz), Oct 7 (AID), Oct 28 (Berkeley Historical Society), 2018, Feb 10, Mar 3, 10 (Cal APATH), 22 (APIDA), 24, Apr 16 (Techniques of Memory), 28, 2019, May 9 (GSPP), May 19, June 21 (Seeding Change),, June 30, July 7 (including APIENC LEX), Aug 5 (BASS), Aug 11 (SMU Human Rights), Aug 25, Sep 22, Oct 13, Nov 16 (UCB), Nov 17, Jan 12 2020, Jan 26, 2020 (UCD MENASA Retreat), Feb 16, 2020, June 27 2021 (reopening!), July 11 (feat. Rani Bagai), 25, Aug 1, Oct 9 (200th, feat Rishi Reddi), Oct 24, Nov 14, Dec 19, 26, 2021, Jan 9 2022, April 17 (public + UCB Jakara), May 22 (Bridgespan), May 22, May 29, July 10, July 31 (CAIR), Aug 10 (Third Act), 13 (BASS), 21, Sep 18, Sep 23 and 30 (BPL), Oct 1 (UCSF), 8 (Stanford A3C), 15, 16 (CEDSOC, SF State), Nov 20, Dec 4 (Ramanujam), 12, 2022, Feb 26, Mar 5 (Berkeley Haas) 2023
What we do
Live eventsWe run an award-winning monthly walking tour, and curate art and community events.
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Original researchWe conduct and share original research, and collaborate with others doing related work.
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Advocacy & fundraisingWe work on local campaigns like Kala Bagai Way, and donate all profits to movement orgs.
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Talks & interviewsWe do talks and interviews about our histories, and share referrals with other activists and experts.
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