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Free Voices. Sikh Voices. Vaisakhi 2014
Inclusion of the Sikh Experience
National Report on School Bullying Released in Congress
Over the past year, the Sikh Coalition continued to ensure that educational curricula and resources as well as law enforcement trainings include information on Sikhs and the Sikh experience. We partnered on three important new resources:
On March 13, 2014, in the U.S. Congress, the Sikh Coalition released a national report on the bullying of Sikh school children. The report was released at a briefing in the U.S. Capitol Building co-hosted by the Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus and the American Sikh Congressional Caucus. Congressman Mike Honda, Chair of the Congressional AntiBullying Caucus, joined congressional staffers and Sikh community members at the event.
• Let’s Get Real by Groundspark is a 30-minute film and 130-page curriculum guide to combat school bullying. The curriculum discusses the bullying experiences of a Sikh student.
• In the Face of Xenophobia: Lessons to Address Bullying of South Asian American Youth released by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) in 2013, is a 90-page curriculum guide. Dalip Singh Saund, Bhagat Singh Thind, the Stockton Gurdwara, Balbir Singh Sodhi, the post-9/11 backlash, anti-Sikh bullying and the Oak Creek Gurdwara shootings are all discussed in the curriculum. • The Medical Manual for Religio-Cultural Competence includes an entire chapter devoted to Sikhism and caring for Sikh patients. It is written by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding in consultation with experts in the fields of religion and medicine.
The Sikh Coalition was invited back to train the New York City Police Academy, and invited for the first time to train the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, about Sikh beliefs and the significance of the Sikh articles of faith. “Tanenbaum is deeply grateful to the Sikh Coalition, a valued partner and friend, for serving as an expert reviewer of The Medical Manual’s chapter on Sikhism. Their dedication and commitment to this project and generosity in sharing of their time and invaluable expertise, have helped make The Medical Manual a trusted and comprehensive resource on caring for Sikh patients.” -Mark Fowler, Managing Director of Programs of Tanenbaum
“GO HOME, TERRORIST” A Report on the Bullying of Sikh American School Children
The report, entitled “Go Home Terrorist,” – A Report on Bullying Against Sikh American School Children, found that the majority of Sikh children surveyed, just over 50%, have endured school bullying, and that this number rises to 67% for turbaned Sikh children. The report is based on surveys and focus groups of over 700 Sikh school children in four metropolitan areas: Seattle, Indianapolis, Boston, and Fresno during 2012 and 2013. The report calls for federal data collection on the bullying of Sikh school children. In addition, the absence of accurate information about Sikhs in school textbooks nationwide is cited by the report as an opportunity to combat school bullying. The Sikh Coalition thanks the sangat members who participated in the research that led to the report.
“TURBANED SIKH CHILDREN EXPERIENCE BULLYING AT MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NATIONAL RATE.” W W W. S I K H C O A L I T I O N . O R G /
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Fighting Discrimination – 105 Members of Congress Ask Pentagon to Accept Sikh Articles of Faith On March 10, 2014, 105 bipartisan members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel calling for equal opportunity for all Sikhs who wish to serve in the U.S. military. Led by Representatives Joseph Crowley (NY), Rodney Frelinguysen (NJ), Judy Chu (CA), and David Valadao (CA), the new letter from Congress is a big step forward in our multi-year campaign to ensure that Sikhs are not discriminated against because of their religion by the Department of Defense—the nation’s largest employer. The new letter more than doubles the amount of Congressional support our community has received on this issue since the Sikh Coalition began this campaign in 2009. Unlike Sikhs in Canada, India, and the United Kingdom, Sikh Americans are generally not allowed to maintain their articles of faith in the U.S. Armed Forces. Since these restrictive policies took effect in 1981, only three Sikhs – Maj. Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, Capt. Tejdeep Singh Rattan, and Cpl. Simran Preet Singh Lamba – have received rare permission to serve in the U.S. Army while maintaining their articles of faith. Despite their achievements, including promotions, awards, and two successful deployments to Afghanistan, their accommodations are neither permanent nor guaranteed and can be taken away at any time, even shortly before retirement.
Interfaith Dialogue We believe that our work extends far beyond the Sikh community. The issues we address benefit various other communities, and we have found that like-minded stakeholders appreciate collaborative efforts. To this end we have begun to invest in intentional partnerships with like-minded communities. Over the past few months, we have been working to build a relationship with one of the largest religious communities in America, the Presbyterian Church (USA). We met with leaders in the Church to understand opportunities and needs, and together we initiated a series of dialogues to help introduce Sikh experiences in Christian churches. We hosted the first dialogues in this series in New York City with resounding success, and we look forward to expanding this program to churches all around the country.
“We respectfully request that the U.S. Armed Forces modernize their appearance regulations so that patriotic Sikh Americans can serve the country they love while abiding by their articles of faith.” - Letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel from 105 members of the U.S. Congress
Sikh Youth Leading the Way
In September 2013, the Junior Sikh Coalition (JSC) entered its second year, adding 15 new and enthusiastic members, bringing the total number to 23 youth. Since last fall, JSC members have already engaged in a variety of events, collaborated with several organizations, and have been covered by numerous media outlets. For example, they were invited to an NBC News Education Nation Student Town Hall, moderated by MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry. Soon after, JSC member Simranpreet Singh Kainth was interviewed on ABC TV’s Viewpoint, and in March 2014, in support of our national report on school bullying, Pawan Singh was quoted in a NY Daily News article. JSC took part in the White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders and advocated at an Asian Pacific American Youth Advocacy Day at City Hall. Since January 2014, several members of the JSC have also begun an intense 13-week debate-training program in preparation for an interfaith debate tournament in April. JSC has expanded its Know Your Rights on Bullying campaign by facilitating an anti-bullying workshop in Connecticut, and has confirmed dates with additional Khalsa Schools throughout the tri-state area.
Under new Pentagon rules adopted last January, current and future Sikh service members may even be required to remove their turbans, cut their hair, and shave their beards in violation of their religion while their accommodation requests are pending. The Sikh Coalition will continue to challenge discriminatory government policies, including military regulations which restrict the right of Sikhs to maintain their articles of faith.
“On behalf of the Norwalk Gurdwara, Khalsa School and Sangat, we would like to THANK YOU for visiting and sharing the insights and tools we need to empower our children and parents.” - Ranjit Singh Samra
Sikh Advocates: Raising the Sikh Profile Thank You!!! With your generous support, we raised over $1,230,000 in 2013 to support this work! We look forward to your continued support in 2014 and beyond. -Sikh Coalition Staff & Board
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imhrbwnI For questions, please contact us at contact@sikhcoalition.org or call us at (212) 655-3095.
Since 2011, the Sikh Coalition has professionally trained over 30 leaders from around the nation to be Volunteer Advocates in their local communities. Our Advocates have made important strides for civic engagement and civil rights on both a national and local scale. Across the nation, our Volunteer Advocates participated in Day of Seva events and published op-eds in local and national newspapers on the first anniversary of the Oak Creek tragedy. In Georgia, a Volunteer Advocate worked with the local community to initiate the first-ever Sikh Awareness and Legislative Day in the State Capitol. In California, Volunteer Advocates worked to increase awareness about the community during Sikh Awareness Month, which included passing city proclamations across the state, providing presentations in schools and disseminating information to educators. In addition, our Volunteer Advocates collected more than 1,700 community petitions to the U.S. Congress in support of our continuing effort to expand opportunities for all Sikhs to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. In 2014, we look forward to graduating a new class from our Sikh Advocate Academy.