Sikh American Spotlight: Pushpinder Kaur Leans In SikhLEAD Spotlight: Storyteller Jasleen Kaur tells a new Sikh American story Identities Mic Chronicles the Sikh American PSA and Spirit of Chardi Kala SALDEF Speaks Out Against Government Surveillance of Muslim Americans Washington Post Captures SikhLEAD Interns Supporting VRAA as SALDEF Executive Director Jasjit Singh Submits Testimony at Senate Hearings SALDEF Urges FOX News to Correct Irresponsible Messaging About Beards and Sikh Americans, and Lands Front Page Piece in Huffington Post Raising Awareness, SALDEF Speaks Out Against Racist Team Name On Behalf of Native Americans in Huffington Post Tell your story. Join the 1984 Living History Project
Sikh American Spotlight: Pushpinder Kaur Leans In 
As the principal of San Jose’s Guru Nanak Khalsa School since 1992, Pushpinder Kaur, has witnessed her program grow from a small classroom to over 700 students who come from near and far to attend a breadth of programs including Punjabi language, Gurmat studies, kirtan, public speaking, Sikh history and philosophy. A pioneer in her own right, Kaur went from teaching Punjabi in 1989 to running the entire school in 1992. “I was called principal off and on by students and teachers, but I kept on denying the title,” Kaur humbly said. “I always said, ‘I am one of the 100 teachers.’” “Twenty-five years ago I started to teach penti akhri to a few children,” she explains. “I was raising two young children and working on a Master’s Degree in teaching English as a second language. I realized, what I was learning to teach English could be used to teach Punjabi as a second language.” Kaur created the Stepping Stones PSL (Punjabi as a second language program) curriculum which is being used in schools across the United States, Canada and Australia. The educator said she receives calls each year from other gurdwaras who wish to start new schools, or improve existing ones. She has helped start and run over 50 schools. “We are very fortunate to have been in this place and environment to have started GKNS and developed it to be a role model to be followed in terms of curriculum and organizational structure,” Kaur explained. Kaur has not only been a role model for Gurdwaras and parents for many years (she is the mother of Sikh American lawyer Tejinder Singh—who recently presented a case in front of the Supreme Court—and a doctor, Tejkiran Lilly Kaur), but serves as an example for Sikh women as well. “I’m not sure if I qualify to give advice, but I would say: Don’t give up on yourself. Value yourself, your dignity, and your body more than you do. Cherish yourself because you are a gift, and more capable than the world would every want you to know.” As a teacher Kaur also spoke about the importance of programs like SALDEF’s SikhLEAD educational initiatives, LDP (Leadership Development Program) and the Internship Program. “Sikhs are born leaders. Leadership should arise from within- from knowing yourself, your cultural and religious heritage, your language etc. You can be an awesome American if you are an awesome Sikh first. Learn all there is yourself and then go eradicate the darkness of ignorance about Sikhs in any way you can.” Want to know more about Principal Pushpinder Kaur? Find out why this teacher’s conversations are “awesome,” what advice she would give her 20-year-old self, and the motto she lives by everyday… What is your idea of happiness? Holding my grandson What person do you most admire? My son-for being an amazing Sikh and an awesome human being What is your greatest regret? Giving grief to my parents when I was young What is your most admired virtue? Truthfulness What characteristic do you most deplore? Being an introvert (in myself), being untruthful (in others) What is your motto? Do my best in everything I do! If you could change one thing about your children what would it be? Give them value of money When and where are you happiest? When I am creating teaching materials What is your most treasured possession? My family- both sides Who are the heroes of your life? Guru Nanak, my mother and father What phrases or words do you overuse? Awesome! What do you consider your greatest achievement? Raising two fabulous children, and creating Stepping Stones PSL books What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self? Work harder, listen to parents What do you most value in your friends? Truthfulness in relationship Where would you most like to live? A village in Punjab SikhLEAD Spotlight: Storyteller Jasleen Kaur Tells a New Sikh American Story 
Three years ago, Jasleen Kaur graduated from SALDEF’s first SikhLEAD Leadership Development Program class and began a new chapter of her life: Sikh American storyteller. Today, she has taken the lessons she learned from LDP, and the friendships she made, to produce the Sikh Monologues—vignettes that depict divergent stories from the Sikh American experience. Conceived as a response to the lack of creative expressions surrounding the community’s experience, The Sikh Monologues is targeted towards raising awareness amongst a national audience. The first show premiered in Los Angeles on June 15. Kaur initially began to realize her dream after she participated in Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues while she was an undergraduate at The University of California at Berkley. “I have always felt proud of my identity, but being a part of the Vagina Monologues journey enabled me to better articulate and contextualize what it means to be a woman, and especially a woman of color, in America. I wanted to bring this kind of empowerment to Sikhs as well.” To transform this idea into reality, Jasleen traveled to 15 cities across the United States and interviewed over 100 Sikh Americans. As she traveled from city to city, she called upon her SikhLEAD family for support. Many of her fellow SikhLEADers housed her and introduced her to their sangat and Sikh communities. “The network LDP provided enabled me to have a strong and supportive base in each city.” Kaur explained. “It was their enthusiasm for the project that made my research so much easier than if I’d jumped straight into a sangat.” Jasleen spent countless hours speaking with community members digesting their stories. Afterwards, she compiled the varying monologues based on these interviews, using real people and real stories. “Through this project, I hope to bring the stories of children and grandparents and parents from different parts of the United States to the homes of every Sikh American so that we as a community know that we are not alone in our struggles, in our triumphs, in our failures and in our successes. I want to educate our own community about our shared narratives and open our eyes to those whose struggles we cannot imagine,” Kaur explained. But Kaur also wanted more from her storytelling than just strengthening the community— she wanted to raise awareness about Sikh Americans in a new, and creative form. “These monologues will be conveying the Sikh American story and the Sikh way of life with information from real people, presented by real people. Thus, not only will non-Sikhs learn about Sikhs Americans and Sikhism, but they will learn that we too are a population riddled with nuances and not a homogenized “other.” Through this creativity and accessibility, the Sikh Monologues hopes to create a less hostile environment for Sikhs in America.” After couch surfing across America, Kaur will settle down in Berkeley this fall and begin the next chapter of her story: Law student! Want to know more about Jasleen Kaur? Find out how Mindy Kaling plays a part in this SikhLEADer’s life, why airports and metro stations make her feel “fantastic,” and why her favorite Punjabi saying may seem shocking…. What was your worst experience during your Sikh Monologues project? Being brushed aside like I didn’t matter when I asked an uncle about why he is Sikh. (Sexism, ageism) Best? Literally knowing I have a national support system (LDP, the people I interviewed) What is your idea of happiness? Eating Pad Thai, drinking jasmine milk tea with boba, reading the latest book-to-movie novel, all at a small little coffee shop on the coast of Italy while subconsciously planning the next Kaur Voices event. Food. Caffeine. Books. Travel. Community organizing. Self. What person do you most admire? Mindy Kaling What is your greatest regret? Not fluently learning another language What is your most admired virtue? Fearlessness What characteristic do you most deplore? Tie between unchecked ego and judgmental(-ism?) What is your motto? Walk a little further. You never know what sight’s your feet may gift you. When and where are you happiest? Airports and metro stations What is your most treasured possession? Right now, it’s my translated book of Rumi poems What phrases or words do you overuse? Fantastic What do you consider your greatest achievement? The beautiful souls I call friends. To surround oneself with such company is a reflection on the greatness of human connection. What do you most value in your friends? Commitment/trustworthiness Where would you most like to live? New York Favorite food? Thai Most hated food? Indian and Vietnamese Favorite punjabi saying? Menu punjabi nahi aandi Identities Mic Chronicles the Sikh American PSA and Spirit of Chardi Kala 
Policy Mic writer, Zac Cheney-Rice, chronicles the making of SALDEF’s PSA and the optimism Sikh Americans display even after suffering prejudice when wearing their articles of faith in Sikh Americans Are Leading an Historic Fight Against Anti-Turban Bias. “What’s really important for non-Sikhs to know about our faith is our belief in … perpetual optimism,” SALDEF’s Executive Director told Cheney-Rice. “From when we are young children, we are taught that this way of living is a natural extension of how Sikhs view God as one, omnipresent being that connects us all. I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve my community even in the most challenging times, and I’ve seen chardi-kala in-action … So we are not frustrated. What keeps us up at night is making sure that our work creates a fostering environment for all Americans, including Sikh Americans.” SALDEF speaks out against government surveillance of Muslim Americans 
SALDEF is deeply troubled by recent news that U.S. Government Agencies have targeted Muslim Americans for surveillance based on their religious beliefs. As such, SALDEF has signed onto a letter to President Obama and U.S Attorney General Eric Holder that requests the government explain these actions and immediately stop all suspicious targeted surveillance. Howard Professor and SALDEF Board Member Jasbir Kaur Bawa also spoke out against this blatant disregard for civil liberties in an op-ed, Suspicious Citizens in the Land of Justice and Liberty, that appeared in the DC insider blog Talking Points Memo. Washington Post captures SikhLEAD Interns Supporting VRAA as SALDEF ED Jasjit Singh Submits Sikh American Testimony at Senate Hearings 
SALDEF SikhLEAD interns joined our allies to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer and the ongoing fight to protect all Americans’ voting rights, as captured by The Washington Post. Last year, in Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court overturned a central provision of the Voting Rights Act that had protected minority voters in states with a history of discrimination. SALDEF Executive Director Jasjit Singh submitted testimony on behalf of Sikh Americans at the bipartisan Senate Judiciary Committee hearing—attended by SALDEF SIkhLEADers— on the Voting Rights Amendment Act (VRAA) in June. “Our right to have a voice at the polls is one of our most fundamental rights as Americans,” Singh wrote. “We applaud the Senate for holding hearings on the VRAA and we strongly encourage the house to do so as well. As Sikhs and as Americans, we will continue to stand up for the rights of those who voice is being diminished.” This bill will enhance voting protection for those people who are limited in English proficiency by offering language assistance at polls—ensuring Sikh American participation and representation in both local and federal elections. It will also prevent states from discriminating against minorities by making all voting and district changes transparent and seeking federal approval for these changes. SALDEF thanks the Senate for moving forward on the VRAA, but urges Sikh Americans to contact their Representative and request the House to do the same. Tell your congressional leader to support the VRAA today. SALDEF Urges FOX News to Correct Irresponsible Messaging About Beards and Sikh Americans, and Lands Front Page Piece in Huffington Post 
Shortly after Robert Bergdahl began to give interviews regarding the release of his son, Fox News began an irresponsible Islamophobic discourse that took place on two Fox News national broadcasts, The O’Reilly Factor and Fox and Friends . The shows criticized Bergdahl for his appearance, insinuating his beard was somehow “suspicious,” “Islamic,” and then, without just reason or cause, connected to the Taliban. These thoughtless comments—for a national television audience—demonized not just the Sikh American community but also Muslims, Hindus, and other communities and enhanced a fear of a turban and beard. SALDEF contacted producers at both shows. After receiving no response, SALDEF secured an op-ed on the front page of The Huffington Post and Executive Director Jasjit Singh also appeared on RT: The Big Picture: The Right vs. Bergdahl’s Beard, bringing attention to the issue and the anti-beard and turban prejudice it perpetuates amongst Americans. Raising Awareness, SALDEF Speaks Out Against Racist Team Name On Behalf of Native Americans in Huffington Post In support of Native Americans, SALDEF joined the campaign against Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, denouncing the use of the derogatory term “Redskins” in the football team’s name. Board member Jasbir Kaur Bawa, representing SALDEF and Sikh Americans, explains why the controversial term should be abolished from our vernacular and reasons why the team owner should change the NFL team’s name and logo in a Huffington Post op-ed, Whether It’s Against African Americans or Native American, Racism in Sports Must be Stopped. 
Tell your story. Join the 1984 Living History Project. In an effort to build an archive chronicling the anti-Sikh attacks that took place in 1984—and marking the 30th anniversary of the Amritsar attack and Delhi pogroms—the 1984 Living History Project would like Sikh Americans to submit video stories recognizing the Sikh American spirit of survival and strength. For more information, go to 1984 Living History Project.
