Unity could lead to reduction in hate crimes

Ikram said. “What are the next steps we could take to prevent this from happening, aside from just catching the person, because it may be someone else that comes up with this idea?”

Other topics discussed included discrimination in the workplace and the rise of hate crimes against South Asians — especially since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Sikh men are increasingly targeted because they are often mistaken for Muslim Americans, organizers said.

Their turbans — which religiously symbolize spirituality and holiness and are also a sign of honor in the Punjabi culture — are often associated by people with terrorism and 9/11, according to the Sikh Coalition.

Domestic violence is also prevalent in the South Asian community, and some women in the audience brought up the need for more culturally sensitive shelters in Nassau County.

Language barriers often add to the difficulty of these situations, community members said, along with a lack of awareness of the resources that are out there. Particularly vulnerable are the elderly, women and children in need, they said.

“We have to make sure that government is working for you. There are so many resources available on the state, even on the federal and local level,” said Assemblywoman Solages. “It’s important that we have forums such as this where we can talk it out.”

Members of the Indo-Caribbean community expressed feeling disregarded and isolated from others in the South Asian population. They have Indian ancestry but are from West Caribbean countries such as Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana and Grenada.

However, local Indo-Caribbean leaders said these town halls create a sense of unity between people with similar struggles and who are fighting for the same solutions. Some audience members expressed a strong interest in volunteering for local organizations or government initiatives.

Gurpreet SinGh, far left, Daler Singh, Japneet Singh, Chitinderpal Singh, Gurjot Singh and Harmanpreet Singh are leaders in the Sikh community of Richmond Hill, Queens, who participated in the South Asian Town Hall at Elmont Memorial Public Library. One of their organizations, the Khalsa Community Patrol, strives to make the neighborhood safer for those impacted by the rise in hate crimes in the area.

Some solutions Carrié Solages and Michaelle Solages are working on at the county and state levels include introducing halal food in school meal plans, making Eid al-Adha and Diwali official holidays, implementing a community center in the third legislative district, pushing for more multilingual translators in police departments and expanding the number of beds in local shelters.

“There’s a power when we come together and just be there for each other,” said Japneet Singh, co-director of New York Grows Together.

County LeGiSLator Carrié Solages, far left, co-host Abdul Rahman and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages collaborated on the first-ever South Asian Advisory Group Town Hall on March 2. The elected officials discussed hosting more forums in the future.

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