DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving is a multigenerational, membership led organization of working class South Asian immigrants in New York City. Desi is a common term used by people of South Asian descent to identify as people from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tibet, and parts of the diaspora including Africa, England, Fiji, Guyana, and Trinidad.



DRUM was founded in early 2000 to build power of South Asian low wage immigrant workers, families fighting deportation and profiling as Muslims, and youth in New York City. DRUM has been a leading organization in protecting the civil and human rights of South Asian and Muslim immigrants since September 11, 2001.



We organize through political education and membership led action for immigrant rights, racial, economic, and social justice. DRUM builds the power of our members to change policies themselves. We particularly build the leadership of undocumented youth and women, to win full civil, human, and economic rights.



Our long-term vision is to build the power of immigrant workers in the U.S in unity with all low-wage workers and communities of color to win rights and dignity. We see our movements for justice in the U.S. rooted in working in solidarity with people of the Global South for just global trade, economic, and foreign policies.