January Advocate

SALDEF Year-End Fundraising Goal Exceeded!

With the community’s generous support we surpassed our 2012 year-end fundraising goal to raise $150,000.  SALDEF would like to thank everyone for their generous donations! This money will help us continue our mission of defending, informing and empowering Sikh Americans. We could not do this without your generous support!  You can support our work by making a one-time or recurring monthly donation at www.saldef.org/donate. SikhLEAD Internship Deadline Approaching Apply to SALDEF’s SikhLEAD Internship Program by February 3rd to have an opportunity to spend your summer in Washington DC and intern with congressional offices, federal agencies or the White House. Through this program, young Sikh American leaders will have access to a competitive opportunity that will serve to further their academic and professional aspirations as well as provide exposure to careers in the public sector. Learn more and apply here. SALDEF Presents to Educators in the Inland Empire On December 1st, SALDEF’s Birpal Kaur presented Sikhi 101 to educators via the Give Bigotry No Sanction training event. The presentation was geared towards teachers, and provided information and talking points to be used in the classroom for K-12 students.  Over 50 educators, both from public and private school backgrounds, engaging in the presentation and received information about Sikhs, and also how to address issues that Sikh students may be facing around bullying or harassment. The day long training addressed issues around bigotry and religious freedom and democracy, and specific tools for educators to use in their classrooms to teach about hate and tolerance. If you are interested in having SALDEF speak at your event, please contact us. Know Your Rights Forum Held in Virginia On December 9, 2012, a Know Your Rights Forum was successfully hosted in Sterling, Virginia for the Northern Virginia area Sikh sangat.  Approximately 100 members of the local sangat participated in the forum, discussing issues of workplace discrimination, school bullying, hate crimes, and gurdwara security and safety. Representatives from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice, Community Relations Service (CRS), the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) were in attendance. A special note of appreciation to Charles Phillips of CRS and the Gurdwara committee of Raj Khalsa Gurdwara for support and assistance with this event. If you are interested in having a Know Your Rights forum in your area, please contact SALDEF’s Birpal Kaur via info@saldef.org. Fred Korematsu Celebration in San Francisco, CA The Korematsu Institute is celebrating Fred Korematsu Day 2013 by honoring 16 American civil rights heroes who’ve been long overlooked. This will be a historic gathering of civil rights heroes and the descendants of heroes who have passed on. Included in this collection of heroes, is Sikh American pioneer Bhagat Singh Thind.  On Sunday, January 27th from 2:30-4:30 the Fred Korematsu Day of Heroes celebration will take place at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, CA. Tickets are $25 regular admission, with VIP and student pricing available. For more information, please click here. DHS Rule to Support Family Unity During Waiver Process Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced the posting of a final rule in the Federal Register that reduces the time U.S. citizens are separated from their immediate relatives (spouse, children and parents), who are in the process of obtaining visas to become lawful permanent residents of the United States under certain circumstances. The final rule establishes a process that allows certain individuals to apply for a provisional unlawful presence waiver before they depart the United States to attend immigrant visa interviews in their countries of origin. The process will be effective on March 4, 2013 and more information about the filing process will be made available in the coming weeks at www.uscis.gov. To read the full release, click here. Follow us on Facebook & Twitter! To stay more informed about our work and opportunities that may arise for community involvement, please ‘LIKE” us on Facebook. Also, please become a follower of SALDEF on Twitter and get real-time updates about current events in the Sikh American community, issues we are working on, and meetings we are attending.  Check out our recent activity and follow us at facebook.com/SALDEF and twitter.com/saldef Upcoming Events: