About Sri Lankan Youth of America
About Us
Sri Lankan Youth of America was founded to represent and empower the next generation of Sri Lankan Americans by amplifying Sri Lankan American voices through interviewing Sri Lankan Americans to give representation and a platform to authentic stories and experiences. In doing this, we hope to pave the road for accurate representation and widen the possibilities for all minority communities.
Our Mission
All Sri Lankan Americans can surely relate to being mistaken as Indian, and the feeling of not correcting the misidentification because it feels easier to let it happen than to have to explain themselves. In addition, the media, particularly media consumed by youth, portrays South Asians as static stereotypes, further marginalizing the Sri Lankan American identity and leading Sri Lankan Americans to stray away from embracing their culture and lean towards being "whitewashed". SLYA aims to amplify authentic Sri Lankan American voices by highlighting the voices, stories, and experiences of Sri Lankan Americans to counter this overlooking by building a community through authentic representation.