Know your roots. Branch out. Grow together.
The Banyan Tree is a South Asian community center based in Berkeley, CA. We offer classes, camps, and events around South Asian stories, histories, and cultures for people of all ages. We are a secular, inclusive, and equity-centered organization.
Why we exist
In South Asia, an old Banyan tree was a place of shade and sanctuary for communities to gather, for weary travelers to find respite, for elders to talk the afternoon away, and for children to play amidst its maze of branches. Like the neighborhood Banyan tree, we are a space for our communities to gather, grow, and thrive together.
South Asian families carry generations of wisdom—from food that heals to freedom stories. We are the Banyan Tree under which our communities can share this wisdom together, laugh together, eat together, learn together, grow together, and face the challenges of our world together.
Banyan trees grow their baby roots from their branches, until these roots grow into strong trunks of their own, and the Banyan trees of the future. We are a space for our youth, our baby roots, to claim the resources they need to grow into the next generation of Banyan trees.
SUMMER!
Early Bird Registrations get 10% off until March 30.
Upcoming Events
Movie Night: Homebound
April 10, 2026 | 7:00PM - 9:30PM |
$25 | Clarion Performing Arts Center, San Francisco, CA
Join us for a viewing of Homebound, a heartfelt 2025 Cannes Film Festival film about two friends striving for dignified work from their marginalized caste, religious, and socioeconomic positions. The film will be screened in Hindi with English subtitles. It will be followed by an optional discussion / social time. This event will be held at Clarion Performing Arts Center: 2 Waverly Pl, San Francisco, CA 94108
Root to Rise
The Root to Rise program is a club, with cohorts from 5 to 13 years old, in Berkeley, CA. We bring stories of South Asian history to life through fun activities across art, mindfulness, STEM, sports, cooking, dance, and so much more. We support our youth in exploring their interests, building supportive friendships, and ultimately creating a multimedia magazine together that represents their discoveries through the program.
The Seed Fellowship
The future is created by the seeds you plant today. The Seed Fellowship is a program for South Asian high school & college students to plant seeds for the future of their world, their community, and their lives. This includes creating community projects, South Asian language education, writing a family history, and much more.