HISTORY

COPO, the Council of Pakistan Organization as it was called earlier, came into being in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy. Several members in Central Brooklyn acknowledged the backlash faced by South Asians, particularly Muslims, in the neighborhood. After extensive brainstorming among neighborhood representatives, COPO opened its doors on February 1, 2002 to respond to the crisis facing the affected communities. To make the organization appeal to wider cross section of the community, the name was changed to Council of Peoples Organization.

Prior to 9/11, the community members were already isolated and poverty stricken. They toiled at below-minimum wages, lived in substandard housing, had limited access to healthcare, and lacked proficiency in English.

Following 9/11, racism, racial profiling, and selective immigration enforcement only added to the woes of the South Asian population. These political and socio-economic factors gave rise to an isolated and underserved community. COPO’s formation plugged this loophole at a time when almost no community organization was primarily serving low-income South Asians and Muslims in Brooklyn.