SAAFC

This is a platform for open dialogue and change.

Sumit Shukla & Rupal Joshi, 2023 AD

Sumit wears the Vanta Pant in herringbone and Orion Jacket in dark navy herringbone. Rupal wears the Vanta Pant in grey and the Forma Jacket 2 in dark navy herringbone.

Sumit Shukla & Rupal Joshi, husband / wife duo and two of three co-founders of South Asian Americans for Change (SAAFC), discuss the mental health implications of culture and how to implement change.

All words by Sumit Shukla & Rupal Joshi in conversation with Seneca.

Sumit wears the Vanta Pant in herringbone and Orion Jacket in dark navy herringbone.

Rupal wears the Orion Jacket in charcoal donegal. Sumit wears the Aria Shirt in forest cord.

We want to de-stigmatize the issues that are so often swept under the rug.

Rupal wears the Vanta Pant in grey and the Forma Jacket 2 in dark navy herringbone.

Oh, you're depressed? Just drink more water. You'll be fine.

R: You have food, a job and a place to live, what’s there to be depressed about? Just drink tea. Do yoga. There's a traditional Indian fix for everything, right? And if we are ever vocal about mental health struggles, we are told to “be strong,” implying that having any mental health conditions means that we are weak. But the truth is many South Asians suffer from perfectionism, anxiety, and depression. And this can bleed into all aspects of our lives. For example, maybe you have finally found your significant other, but you suffer anxiety and cannot commit to them because you know your parents will not accept them. You may even want to marry a South Asian, but then there is another problem because they aren’t the “right kind” of South Asian. Maybe you are working a job you hate with long hours, and you ended up there because your parents pushed you into a specific career.

S: Our parents’ beliefs were frozen in time when they immigrated and it's difficult for them to understand the pressures that we grew up with when they had to deal with so much more. Oftentimes, they live insulated from American or Western culture, whereas for us, reconciling the two cultures is our reality. It’s difficult for older generations to accept that taking care of one’s mental health is crucial and that it impacts everyone. But just because they don’t understand does not mean we should not take care of ourselves. We have to do this to ensure the future of our community is thriving. It starts with acceptance.

Sumit wears the Vanta Pant in herringbone and Orion Jacket in dark navy herringbone. Rupal wears the Vanta Pant in grey and the Forma Jacket 2 in dark navy herringbone.

When our folks moved to the US from India, they were in survival mode.

R: They were focused on their baseline needs. Let's get money, let's get food on the table, let's get our children educated so they can be more economically stable than us. They weren't thinking about the best way to raise emotionally supported children. And although they definitely wanted the best for us and likely did not intend for this, our generation grew up with this immense pressure to do exactly what our parents wanted us to do. And if/when we push back on that, we feel so much guilt because we feel the need to “pay” for their sacrifice in immigrating to the US. This pressure has led to tons of mental health issues for our generation.

My entire life, I've been trying to be somebody that's worth something in my family’s eyes.

S: I am the firstborn, born into a very traditional household in a large family. In our culture, the eldest son is responsible for providing for the entire family, leading the way forward when the elders step down. I’ve been shouldering that burden, and ignored the impact the pressure was having on me. My entire sense of self was built on fulfilling their wishes, which subconsciously chipped away at my sense of self. At some point, deeper cracks started to form that I couldn’t ignore.

I’ve been on a mental health journey for the last 4 years now, reconciling who I am against the expectations of who I’m supposed to be. Rupal has supported me throughout the entire journey, the ups and downs. This support and my journey through the hardship has been so powerful and has taught me anything is possible.

Rupal wears the Orion Jacket in charcoal donegal and Vanta Pant in black . Sumit wears the Vanta Pant and Aria Shirt in forest cord.

SAAFC is a movement to create a more equal and accepting South Asian American community.

R: We want to de-stigmatize the issues that are so often swept under the rug. We’ll do that with open communication. There is power in numbers, power in having influential members of the community come together to discuss matters of mental health. If all of these people are talking about something and it's getting out into the world, that aspect of, "Oh, we don't talk about this in our culture," will hopefully start to recede. And our mission isn’t just about mental health. Mental health is the first of many stigmas that we will be dismantling and is our focus for 2023-24. We also plan to eliminate traditional and limiting beliefs surrounding gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, sexual and/or physical trauma and violence, and substance abuse.

S: We've seen a lot of steps being taken in other cultures to look at the health of a person holistically, both physical and mental. Why not our culture? At SAAFC, we’re providing resources and de-stigmatizing areas like therapy. It shouldn't be so hard to find a therapist. Which insurance do they take, how are practitioners reviewed? Why can’t I find a South Asian therapist that understands my culture? Perhaps we can be another entry way into that journey for you. I call this organization a platform because we created this for the people of our community to come together to make a difference in our lives and the lives of future generations. This event is one of many that will bring our community together to this platform to yell at the top of their lungs: we want change.

Sumit wears the Vanta Pant in herringbone and Orion Jacket in dark navy herringbone.

We're also elevating South Asian American artists.

S: We have an art market of pretty new, up-and-coming artists selling their pieces. And then we have a panel discussion with Nadia Jagessar from Indian Matchmaker, Amrit Kapai from Family Karma, Rohit Gijare from "Come Fall in Love." And also Annika Sharma, host of That Desi Spark podcast. And all of them are going to be talking about their own mental health journey and how they use their art to stay mentally healthy.

Sumit wears the Vanta Pant in herringbone and Orion Jacket in dark navy herringbone. Rupal wears the Vanta Pant in grey and the Forma Jacket 2 in dark navy herringbone.

The “Healing through Art” gala is the first of many events.

R: The Healing Through Art gala is our official launching event. It’s about tackling mental health by taking this sticky issue that we don't talk about at all and pairing it with something that is so ingrained in South Asian culture–art. We love dance. We love music. We love paintings. We’re taking this thing that everybody's super comfortable with (art) and using it to talk about this thing that nobody wants to talk about (mental health).

If we can touch even one person through our platform. Support just one through their own mental health journey. We will have succeeded.

Sumit Shukla & Rupal Joshi, 2023 AD

Measurements. All garments are hand-measured for accuracy.

It may be helpful to compare these product measurements to a similar garment you already own. To do this, place the garment on a flat surface and take all measurements from the outside.

Modena Shirt

Chest
40"
42"
45"
47"

Back Length
28"
28"
28 1/2"
28 1/2"

Sleeve Length
24"
24 1/2"
26"
26 1/2"

Shoulder Width
17 1/4"
17 3/4"
18 1/2"
19"

Lumen Shirt

Chest
39"
41"
44"
46"

Back Length
28 3/4"
29 1/4"
30"
30 1/2"

Sleeve Length
24 3/4"
25 1/4"
26 1/2"
27"

Shoulder Width
17 1/2"
18"
18 1/2"
19"

Forma Jacket 2

Chest
36 1/2"
38 1/2"
41 1/2"
43 1/2"

Back Length
28 1/2"
29"
29 3/4"
31 1/4"

Sleeve Length
24"
24 1/2"
25"
25 1/2"

Shoulder Width
17 1/4"
18"
19"
19 3/4"

Terra Jacket

Chest
40"
42"
45"
47"

Back Length
28"
28 1/2"
29 1/4"
29 3/4"

Sleeve Length
25"
25 1/2"
26"
26 1/2"

Shoulder Width
18"
18 1/2"
19 1/4"
20"

Vanta Pant

Waist
30"
32"
32"
34"
34"
36"

Outseam
39"
39"
41.5"
39"
41.75"
40"

Inseam
29"
29"
31"
29"
31"
29"

Hem Opening
12.5"
12.75"
12.75"
13"
13"
13.25"

Vanta GPT

Waist
30"
32"
32"
34"
34"
36"

Outseam
40"
40.5"
43.25"
40.5"
43.25"
41"

Inseam
30"
31.5"
33.5"
31.5"
33.5"
32"

Hem Opening
13"
13"
13"
14"
14"
14"

Vanta Pro

Waist
30"
32"
32"
34"
34"
36"

Outseam
37"
37"
39.5"
39"
41.5"
40"

Inseam
29"
29"
31.5"
30"
32.5"
30.5"

Hem Opening
13"
13"
13"
13.25"
13.25"
13.5"

Cortina Longsleeve Knit

Chest
41"
43"
46"
48"

Back Length
25 1/2"
26 1/2"
27"
27"

Sleeve Length
23 1/2"
24 1/2"
25"
26"

Shoulder Width
18 1/4"
18 3/4"
19 1/2"
20"

Still Unsure?

Email contact@thinkseneca.com with your typical size, height, and weight.
Returns or exchanges.

Try your purchase in the comfort of your own home and, if it’s not quite right, let us know and we’ll arrange a free exchange or return.