SALDEF Advocate: March 2015
Sikh Americans Score On and Off The Court
SALDEF Conducts Training in Harris County Sheriff’s Office 
On February 20, SALDEF Executive Director, Jasjit Singh, conducted a cultural sensitivity training for the Harris County Sheriff’s Department in Houston, Texas. Attended by 45 members of the Sheriff’s staff—including command staff, human resources professionals and patrol officers—the presentation addressed Sikh beliefs, articles of faith, and how to engage with the Sikh American community more effectively. Training materials featured SALDEF’s On Common Ground, which was produced in collaboration with the Department of Justice. The training took place as part of the historic announcement earlier this year, which allowed Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal to serve in the Sheriff’s Department with his articles of faith intact. 
New Documentary Off The Menu Highlights Power of Langar Documentarian Grace Lee’s latest project, Off The Menu: Asian America—which explores what it means to be Asian American through food and culture—highlights how langar played a role “in the healing process,” after the August 2012 shootings in Oak Creek. The doc will premiere at the Center for Asian American Media’s Film Festival at the Castro Theater in San Francisco, CA, March 15. The doc was produced by CAAM and KQED, and SALDEF is featured in the documentary. Read about how langar touched Lee and if you are based in the Bay area, buy tickets to the premier today! SALDEF SikhLEAD Alum Speaks Out Against “Otherness” in Huffington Post 
Guneet Kaur Chawla, a SALDEF SikhLEAD Alum and senior at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is taking a stand after three Muslim students from her community, Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, and Razan Abu-Salha, were murdered by their neighbor. While SALDEF, alongside the civil rights community, continues to urge the Department of Justice to investigate the murders as a federal hate crime, Chawla wrote about how her community, the greater Chapel Hill community, is coming together in order to take a stand against hate. Learn why It is Time to Eliminate ‘Otherness.’ ACTION: Tell your Representative to Support Voting Rights on the 50th Anniversary! Thousands of Americans will gather in Selma, Alabama on March 7, 2015 to commemorate the civil rights marches there, which eventually led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Last year the Supreme Court overturned a key provision of the Voting Rights Act that protected minority voters in states with a history of discrimination. SALDEF Executive Director Jasjit Singh submitted testimony on behalf of Sikh Americans at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Voting Rights Amendment Act (VRAA) in June 2014. This bill will enhance voting protection for those who are limited in English proficiency and prevent states from discriminating against minorities by making all voting and district changes subject to federal approval. Tell your congressional leader to support the VRAA today. “Our right to have a voice at the polls is one of our most fundamental rights as Americans,” Singh wrote. “As Sikhs and as Americans, we will continue to stand up for the rights of those who voice is being diminished.” 
Former NCAA Basketball Star Speaks Out on Eve of National Tournament On the eve of March Madness, former NCAA basketball player and Sikh American, Darsh Preet Singh reminds the world about FIBA’s “turban ban,” and the need for equality and religious freedom on the basketball court. The former college star recounts his own unique story to The Times of India while he continues to urge the global sports association to #LetSikhsPlay. 
Speakers Bureau Member Launches Literacy Project SALDEF congratulates Speaker Bureau Member Amman Singh Seehra on the success of the latest One Project Event. Started two years ago, Seehra, a One Project co-founder, has brought together faith-based organizations, youth, and community leaders to help address local issues and serve the greater area. This time the organization focused on reading: Donating 2600 Books to the Mercer Street Friends Preschool Program and Isles Youth Institute. Learn more about how SALDEF’s Speaker’s Bureau inspired the co-founder, and how he brings people together as One.
AROUND THE NATION: Sikh American News
SikhNet Kicks Off International Women’s Day With Kaur On Tuesday, March 3rd, just in time for International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8, SikhNet.com celebrated #kaurpower with a free online animated movie for girls AND boys. KAUR—A Story of Courage and Equality tells the story of a young Sikh girl, Saibhang Kaur, who has her inner strength and courage to pursue her love of science upon hearing the true story of the 18th century Sikh warrior Mai Bhago. 
Supreme Court Appears to Favor EEOC in Religious Headcovering Case On February 25, the Supreme Court leaned towards upholding religious freedom after hearing the case of a Muslim woman who was denied employment at Abercrombie & Fitch because her headscarf did not meet the retailer’s uniform policy. In Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, Inc., Samantha Elauf, 17, charged the clothing chain with violating anti-discrimination laws when the company denied her a job because of her hijab. The retailer argued she needed to explain her headscarf was worn for religious reasons in order to be protected by religious discrimination laws. While the nation waits to hear the court’s ruling, the company has changed its policies on headscarves and settled some cases related to the religious headcovering. 
Sikh American Exhibit Opening In Texas Last week marked the opening of SIKHS: Legacy of the Punjab at the Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio, Texas. Originating at the Smithsonian Institution, the exhibit explores Sikh heritage and culture, and now includes an overview of Sikhs in Texas. Thanks to the organizers, this exhibit will educate the general public until October 18, 2015. (Photo Credit: Lakhpreet Kaur of Kaur Life) NCAPA Commends Department of Homeland Security on Immigration Reform SALDEF, as part of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), commends the Department of Homeland Security on its latest immigration reform: The spouses of certain high skilled immigrants (H-1B visa holders) will soon be allowed to work in the United States while a partner’s Green Card is being processed. The new regulations will go into effect in early summer and will allow more than 150,000 immigrant spouses to contribute to the work force of the nation. For more information on the new rule and how to apply for employment authorization, visit the USCIS website. 
APIAHiP Creates New Mapping Project to Recognize Asian American Historical Landmarks To raise awareness about the historical and cultural contributions of Asian Americans, the Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHiP) is collaborating with organizations like SALDEF in a new project: East at Main Street: APIA Mapping Project. The organization hopes to gather images and stories that recognize important landmarks, capture the diverse makeup of the Asian American community and create a better picture of our contributions to American history. SALDEF encourages Sikh Americans to participate. For more information please visit the project website or check out their blog. 
San Jose’s Guru Nanak Khalsa School Celebrates 25 Years SALDEF congratulates the Guru Nanak Khalsa School on its 25th Anniversary. Principal Pushpinder Kaur, who has run the school since 1992, says enrollment has grown from a few students to over 700 students. The curriculum and dedication of it’s teachers serve as a role model for Gurdwaras and schools across the nation. GNKS commemorated it’s anniversary with an Akhand Path done by students and parents and kirtan on February 22. Kaur told SALDEF, “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.” Detroit Pistons Host Sikh Community Night The Detroit Pistons will host a Sikh Community Night on April 10, 2015 at The Palace of Auburn Hills, their arena in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Community members are invited to join a free throw after the game! Visit Pistons.com/SikhHeritage with offer code Pistons. 
Medal of Honor Awarded to Oak Creek Police Officers Oak Creek Police Officer Sam Lenda and retired Lieutenant Brian Murphy were awarded the Medal of Valor—the nation’s highest honor for public safety officers—by Vice President Joe Biden in Washington D.C. for their “selfless actions,” during the August 2012 attack on the Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Murphy, who was the first officer at the Gurdwara, was hit with 12 bullets during the attack, while Lenda arrived on scene and shot the attacker, preventing further bloodshed.
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