SALDEF in the News
Bipartisan resolution introduced to recognise contributions of Sikh Americans
On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers introduced a resolution in the Congress recognizing the contribution of Sikh Americans in the country. The resolution states that Sikh Americans, “pursue diverse professions that add to the social, cultural, and economic vibrancy of the US, including service as members of the Armed Forces, and making significant contributions to our great nation in agriculture, information technology, small businesses, the hospitality industry, trucking, medicine, and technology.” Additionally, SALDEF commented, “We sincerely appreciate Congressman Cox’s efforts in recognizing the Sikh American community and its contributions to this great nation.”
Recent News
Gov. J.B. Pritzker designates April as ‘Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month’
Governor JB Pritzker signed a new law, taking effect on January 1, 2019, which designates April as Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month in the state of Illinois. In Pritzker’s comment he adds, “as we shape our state to be a place that embraces our future with open arms, we would do well to take a page from the Sikh community.”
Turban Day: Niagara Falls holds celebration of Sikh culture
The Western New York Sikh community held the second annual Turban Day event on Goat Island in Niagara Falls, N.Y this past weekend. The goal of the event was to educate people about the Sikh faith and teach attendees about the significance of the turban.
Another weekend, two more mass shootings in America
“A beloved Northern California festival, a neighborhood Walmart in Mississippi, another Walmart near the US-Mexico border and a popular entertainment district.” These four locations were the scenes of shootings which together left at least 34 people dead and more than 50 wounded, this past week. The deadliest shooting took place in El Paso, Texas where while Families were buying school supplies ahead of the first day of classes next week, a shooter murdered twenty people and injured 26. After learning that the suspect wrote a four-page document posted online that espouses white nationalist and racist views, Gov. Greg Abbott said the case will be prosecuted “as both a capital murder but also as a hate crime.”
‘RAG HEAD: An American Story’ play remembers Sikh Temple shooting
This Monday marked the seventh anniversary of the mass shooting at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek where six people were killed and several were wounded. Rag Head, An American Story, is a play based on the events that took place and it addresses hate crimes against immigrant communities. The play was only on this past weekend at the Broadway Theater in Milwaukee, where all three shows were sold out. The play’s associate producer, Pardeep Singh Kaleka, lost his father in the shooting. Kaleka added that hearing about two mass shootings in the span of 24 hours is tiresome, but it’s furthered his mission to keep spreading a message of love.
Religious leaders lament mass shootings, call for action from Trump, Congress
Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO of Faith in Public Life added that “On the seventh anniversary of the attack on the Sikh temple at Oak Creek, which killed six people, we mourn continued mass murder in El Paso and Dayton. People are being murdered by weapons of war because of their race, their religion or simply being in the wrong place.”
Gun violence vigil remembers Sikh Temple attack, mourns victims of past weekend’s shootings
Over a hundred faith leaders, politicians, activists, and enraged citizens converged on Walker Square Park for a vigil to remember the seventh anniversary of the Oak Creek Sikh temple shooting as well as to mourn the victims of recent mass shootings in California, Texas, and Ohio. The attendees came bearing signs reading #WeAreOakCreek, #WeAreGilroy, #WeAreElPaso and #WeAreDayton. “In addition to mourning the victims of recent shootings, many of the vigil’s speakers emphasized the importance of sustained action in the face of gun violence.”
Bulletproof backpacks have become another back-to-school staple
Many office supply stores are selling the Guard Dog Security’s ProShield Scout backpacks with signs on their displays which say, “protection in session” and “bullet-resistant backpack.” “In recent years, there has been an increase in bullet-resistant consumer products coinciding with the rise in shootings at schools and other public places.”
‘They’re going to lose everything’: Families are devastated after Mississippi ICE raids
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation resulted in about 680 arrests from seven different food processing plants across Mississippi. It was the largest workplace sting in at least a decade. Family members of those detained added “When the bus comes, oh, everybody was jumping for joy. It was very exciting. But at the same time, it was sad because a bunch of us waited for the loved ones to get off the bus and a lot of them didn’t get off.”
Bhagat Singh Thind’s Case Shows The Link Between Whiteness and Citizenship
Bhagat Singh Thind’s story revealed how powerful institutions used the concept of “whiteness” to decide who gets to be a citizen in America. As soon as Thind’s U.S. citizenship application was accepted in 1920, a naturalization examiner appealed the Oregon court’s decision, kicking off what would become a fierce fight to gain citizenship. The main statutes determining eligibility at the time were the Naturalization Act of 1790, which limited naturalization of immigrants to any “free white person” of “good character.”