SALDEF Hosts 17th Know Your Rights Forum (Los Angeles) In order to continue to inform our local Sikh American Sangats about their constitutional civil and religious rights, SALDEF was privileged to host another successful Know Your Rights forum in Los Angeles at the Khalsa Care Foundation Gurdwara on Sunday, November 5th. The purpose of this Forum was to: (1) ensure Sikh Americans understand their rights and protections against discrimination and bias as citizens and residents of the United States, (2) introduce Sikh American community members to agencies and groups that can address complaints, incidents, or issues they may have and (3) provide local, state, and federal governmental agencies the opportunity to build relationships with and address the specific needs of their local Sikh American community.
At the Forum, SALDEF partnered with: SALDEF Southern California Regional Director Bhupinder Kaur, Sarah Majdiak from Department of Justice-Community Relations Services, Karrie Maeda from Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Frank Abreu from the Transportation Safety Administration and Michael Ramsey from the FBI. Bhupinder Kaur served as the emcee for the event, and also delivered key messages in Punjabi following each presenter to ensure the Sangat received a thorough understanding of the important messages delivered. Many Sangat members approached speakers after the event to ask questions ranging from what to do if your child is bullied to reporting hate crime incidents and actions to expect from local and federal law enforcement agencies. SALDEF appreciates the time taken by the speakers to participate in the Forum on their day off, and thanks their agencies for their continued support. We would like to thank the management and sangat of the Khalsa Care Foundation Gurdwara for their partnership in holding this highly successful event. SALDEF is committed to empowering the Sikh American community nationwide about their rights and how to exercise them without fear or hesitation. If you feel your Sangat could benefit from a Know Your Rights forum, please complete this form or contact know-your-rights@saldef.org. Join us now to support SALDEF’s critical work at this pivotal time. 
