The South Asian Canadian Digital Archive (SACDA) is an initiative of the South Asian Studies Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley. It is a pan-Canadian digital archive that documents the rich and multifaceted history and heritage of the South Asian diaspora in Canada. By collaborating with individuals, families, community organizations, and heritage institutions, SACDA ensures that the stories and legacies of South Asian Canadians are digitized, described, and made accessible to the public with open access. With a vision centered on inclusivity, community engagement, and collaboration, SACDA addresses a pressing gap in the Canadian record by prioritizing the often-overlooked histories of South Asian communities.
The history of South Asians in Canada spans over 120 years, beginning in 1903 when the first immigrants arrived on Canadian shores. These early settlers faced numerous challenges, from systemic racism to discriminatory immigration policies, yet their resilience and determination laid the groundwork for future generations. Today, the South Asian community is Canada’s largest racialized group, with the 2021 Census reporting a population of 2.6 million. South Asian Canadians have played a pivotal role in shaping Canada’s identity and their contributions extend across industries, politics, arts, and social activism. Despite this rich history, archival representation of South Asians in Canada has been sparse. Many stories, histories, and records remain undocumented, inaccessible, or lost to time. SACDA addresses this historical void, ensuring the preservation of the community’s social and cultural heritage.
At the core of SACDA’s mission is a community-driven archival praxis. The initiative emphasizes collaborative storytelling, enabling individuals and families to actively contribute to the identification, documentation, and curation of archival materials. By fostering a participatory approach, SACDA not only democratizes knowledge creation but also ensures that the archive reflects the lived experiences and cultural nuances of South Asian Canadians.
Collections
The South Asian Canadian Digital Archive houses 75 collections and five online exhibits, covering themes such as migration, labor activism, arts, and culture. A hallmark of SACDA’s holdings is their multilingual and multimodal nature, with materials available in Punjabi, Hindi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, and Persian. Formats range from letters, manuscripts, and ledgers to photographs, videos, oral histories, and ephemera, offering a comprehensive record of South Asian Canadian heritage. Beyond preservation, SACDA transforms knowledge creation through custom metadata dictionaries and a local authorities database, ensuring accurate, inclusive representation of South Asian Canadian histories.
URL: https://sacda.ca/
