May 21, 2009 (Washington, DC) – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) urges the Sikh American community to thank Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado for his leadership in adding the Sikh American perspective to the Congressional Record in connection with the groundbreaking Hate Crimes Bill. At SALDEF’s request, Rep. Polis specifically addressed “the very real evil of hate crimes against Sikh Americans” and lamented the fact that “a particular group of loyal, patriotic Americans is targeted for attack and ridicule because of the peaceful observance of their faith.” He concluded his statement with a call to action: “We must not ignore the problem. We must confront it, call it what it is, and work to make sure these kinds of attacks never happen again.” Click Here to Read the Full Statement by Rep. Jared Polis SALDEF urges you to heed the call of Rep. Jared Polis by supporting the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act (S. 909), a legislative measure that aims to increase the power of the federal government to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. A similar version of the bill (H.R. 1913) passed the U.S. House of Representatives late last month by a 249-175 vote. Now it is time for the U.S. Senate to consider this historic proposal. Click Here to Contact Your Senator 1. Tell your Senator to support the Hate Crimes Bill 2. Tell your Senator that Sikh Americans are still subjected to hate crimes 3. Tell your Senator to speak out on behalf of Sikh Americans on the Senate Floor If you have ever been the victim of a hate crime because of your Sikh identity, please consider sharing your story with your Senator to emphasize just how serious the problem really is. If you ever suffer discrimination or violence because of your Sikh identity, please contact SALDEF via email or by telephone at (202) 393-2700.
SALDEF Applauds Rep. Jared Polis for Raising Sikh American Issues in Congress; Urges Sikh American Community to Support the Hate Crimes Bill
Gala Sponsors Thank you for your generous support to SALDEF Diamond Sponsors Dr. Gurbux Singh and Mrs. Amitesh Alag Future Computing Solutions, Inc. Gold Sponsors FBI Drs. Gagan & Bhupinder Bains Drs. Rommel & Hardeep Dhadha Malik Family P2S Engineeing R Systems Ratanjit Singh Sondhe Silver Sponsors ODNI Dr Arinder Singh and Mrs. Manpreet Chadha Baldev Singh Sethi and Family BhagatSinghThind.com Energy Conversion Applications, Inc. Guru Nanck Sikh Temple (Buena Park, CA) Hamilton Brewart Dr. Harmohinder Gogia Dr. Piara Singh Riverside Gurdwara Sawhney Family Sir Speedy Printers, Tustin, CA U2W, Inc. SALDEF would also like to thank and recognize the dedication and leadership of the 2009 Southern California Gala Organizing Committee
On May 2, 2009, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) and more than 400 members of the Sikh American community of Southern California and from across the country, joined together to honor civic and community leaders for their contributions to the causes of civil rights and community empowerment. The Dalip Singh Saund Legislative Leadership Award was given to Dr. Judy Chu, Vice Chair of the California State Board of Equalization and former member of the California State Assembly, for her demonstrated commitment to creating greater public awareness about the problem of hate crimes against Sikh Americans. Dr. Chu reiterated her commitment to promoting mutual respect and understanding among all Americans. The Dorothy Height Coalition Building Award was accepted in absentia at a ceremony in Washington , DC by Mr. James Standish and Mr. Richard Foltin, of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and the American Jewish Committee, respectively, in recognition of their leadership in promoting religious freedom in the workplace for all Americans. The SALDEF Youth Leadership Award was presented to Mr. Gurumustuk Singh for pioneering the use of the internet to create global awareness about the Sikh religion and developing Sikhnet into the preeminent website for the Sikh community worldwide. Because November 2009 marks the 25th anniversary of the anti-Sikh pogroms that swept through New Delhi and other parts of India in November 1984, the Bhagat Singh Thind Community Empowerment Award was given to the Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council in recognition of their ongoing efforts to rehabilitate individuals who were widowed and orphaned because of the carnage. SALDEF recognized Mr. Persichini for spearheading proactive community outreach to the Sikh, Arab, and Muslim American communities to address post-9/11 concerns about hate crimes and bias. Mr. Persichini acknowledged the work of SALDEF in the context of law enforcement partnerships and expressed optimism about ongoing efforts to build bridges between law enforcement agencies and post-9/11 communities. Other highlights of the evening included colorful artistic performances by local Sikh youth; an art auction organized by local community leader Mr. Bicky Singh; and a stand-up comedy performance by internationally renowned Sikh comedian Mr. Bali Bhan. SALDEF would like to thank the event sponsors for their generous support, as well as the Southern California Organizing Team, who put in countless hours in ensuring the success of this event. For additional information about the 2009 SALDEF Civil Rights Awards Gala, please contact Kavneet Singh, SALDEF’s Managing Director, at kavneet@saldef.org.
Tell SALDEF if you have ever sought a public school teaching job in Oregon or Pennsylvania
April 22, 2009 (Washington, DC) – Yesterday, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, met with Department of Justice officials and noted that observant Sikhs are effectively prohibited by law from working as public school teachers in Oregon and Pennsylvania. Please tell us if you have ever sought a public school teaching job in Oregon! Send an email to legal@saldef.org or contact us by phone at (202) 393-2700 Ext 131. Please tell us if you have ever sought a public school teaching job in Pennsylvania! Send an email to legal@saldef.org or contact us by phone at (202) 393-2700 Ext 131. These laws constitute a modern form of segregation. Apart from being un-American and potentially illegal, they effectively prohibit observant Sikh Americans from pursuing teaching careers in Oregon and Pennsylvania and reinforce bias and ignorance of the sort that underlies hate crimes, discrimination, and school bullying against Sikh Americans.
April 6, 2009 (Washington, D.C.) — The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, cannot survive without your support. Please consider investing your tax refund in Sikh American civil rights to ensure that SALDEF can continue to raise the profile of Sikh Americans throughout the United States. Thanks to you, SALDEF and its allies were able to neutralize proposed legislation in Oklahoma that would have prohibited observant Sikhs from wearing dastaars (Sikh turbans) in driver’s license photographs. Almost 900 individuals and entities signed our petition, and numerous federal agencies, national civil rights organizations, and media outlets were alerted to the problem within hours of its occurrence. Thanks to you, Oklahoma legislators will now have to think twice before attempting to confront the Sikh American community. Thanks to you, we have been able to educate dozens of sangats across the country through our Know Your Rights Forums. These forums have provided a vital opportunity for Sikhs to learn about their rights and interact with government officials and have also served to enable government agencies to learn about the Sikh religion. Thanks to you, SALDEF will bring several Sikh American civil rights issues to the attention of the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies later this month. The agenda items include reinforcement of the longstanding national policy permitting religious headcoverings in driver’s license photographs; recruitment of observant Sikhs in the U.S. Armed Forces; and condemnation of state laws in Oregon and Pennsylvania that appear to prevent observant Sikh teachers from wearing religious articles in public schools. Your ongoing support will take us far. Your recurring monthly donation of $10, $25, $50 or $100, will allow us to continue our mission of safeguarding the rights of Sikh Americans. Together, we can create a safe and progressive environment for future generations of Sikh Americans. Please distribute this widely to family, friends and at the local Gurdwara
1. SALDEF Speaks at Nation”s Top Law Schools
2. SALDEF Participates on Interfaith Panel at UC Berkeley
3. SALDEF Discussion on Warner Bros DVD
4. Get Your 2009 Sikh American Pocket Calendars Today
5. SALDEF Organizes Know Your Rights Forum in Atlanta
6. SALDEF Urges Oklahoma Senate to Support Religious Freedom
7. Upcoming Events
SALDEF Speaks at Nation”s Top Law Schools
On February 21, 2009, SALDEF participated in a panel discussion at Yale Law School at the 15th Annual Rebellious Lawyering Conference. Additionally, on February 12, 2009 SALDEF gave a presentation about its work to students and professors at the William & Mary Law School under the auspices of the Institute of Bill of Rights Law. The presentation featured a screening of On Common Ground, the law enforcement training video co-produced by SALDEF and the U.S. Department of Justice.
The discussion at Yale focused on the causes of hate crimes against East Asians, South Asians, and Middle Eastern Americans in recent decades. According to SALDEF Legal Director Rajdeep Singh Jolly, these challenges stem from, “a toxic mixture of xenophobia, Islamophobia, racism, and a powerful ignorance of the sort that relegates Arabs, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and South Asians to a single monochrome storage bin in the minds of the narrow-minded.” After recounting numerous examples of hate crimes and discrimination against Sikh Americans in recent years, SALDEF closed its presentation as follows:
“The progressive – and some might say rebellious – doctrine of the Sikh religion foreshadowed the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the women”s rights movement, and the American civil rights movement by several centuries. In principle, at least ideologically speaking, Sikhs may be the most Americans of Americans. How ironic then that they should be subjected to violence in a county whose highest ideals the Sikhs have for much longer considered their own.”
SALDEF Participates on Interfaith Panel at University of California – Berkeley
On February 12, SALDEF Managing Director Kavneet Singh was invited to sit on a panel at the University of California, Berkeley to discuss the Role of Faith in Times of Crisis. The program, which was held in conjunction with the campus” annual Interfaith Week, was sponsored by the Associated Student Bodty of UC Berkeley and designed to explore faith”s positive influence in supporting people during challenging times. Over twenty students participated in the interactive session with representatives from the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities. Mr. Singh spoke about the role of sangat (community) and seva (selfless service) in the Sikh tradition and how as a Sikh one is mandated to be engaged in giving back to their community.
SALDEF Discussion on Warner Bros DVD
Last fall, SALDEF objected to the use of the racial slur “towelhead” as the title of a Warner Bros motion picture. Because the word has historically been used in a manner that has led to violence against Sikhs in the United States, SALDEF felt that mass-market saturation of the word was tasteless and offensive, especially because the underlying film had little to do with race and more to do with the graphic sexual exploitation of a teenage girl. Because of the controversy surrounding the word, SALDEF participated in a taped about the issue with Academy Award winning screenwriter Alan Ball—the film’s director—and Alicia Erian—the author of the book on which the film was based. The discussion focused on racism, corporate social responsibility, and the absence of Sikhs in Hollywood, and is now included in its entirety on the DVD version of the film.
Reviews of the debate have been positive, and film fans around the country have written to SALDEF to express gratitude for clarifying the significance of the Sikh turban and the nature of the challenges faced by Sikhs in the post-9/11 environment. According to one critic who reviewed the DVD version of the film:
Ironically enough, the DVD”s single special feature offers a lot more provocative and intelligent food for thought than the film proper, and those actually looking for the film suggested by the title will actually get the smart, deep dissection they were expecting. The 80-minute “Towelhead: A Community Discussion” is actually two separate panel discussions regarding the title. The first, lasting 30 minutes and moderated by Ball and featuring Bishil, Macdissi, and Hussam Ayloush of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) brings up a lot of thoughtful points about racial slurs and the role of minorities in the media, but that”s a mere warm-up for the main event, an impassioned discussion with Ball, Erian, and Rajdeep Singh Jolly, Legal Director of Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF). Jolly so eloquently attacks the issue of the title, its potential effects, and the judgment and responsibility of the entertainment industry that Ball and Erian often seem ill-equipped and at a loss for defenses.”
Get Your 2009 Sikh American Pocket Calendars
In their sixth year of production, the 2009 SALDEF pocket calendars have been fully redesigned to include updated full-color images of SIkh Americans along with more examples of core Sikh values and facts about Sikhs in the United States. On the back, the calendars have a 2009 calendar in a small, handt, easy-to-use design. The calendars are available in packages of 100 for just $10 plus shipping and handling.
SALDEF Organizes Know Your Rights Forum in Atlanta
On January 25, 2009, with the support of the Sikh Study Circle Inc, SALDEF conducted its latest Know Your Rights Forum. The Forum was attended by community members and representatives from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Department of Justice, Georgia Department of Education, and the Atlanta Police Department. Since 2005, SALDEF has organized Know Your Rights workships for Sikh American communities in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and Texas. These educational forums not only allow Sikh Americans to learn about their rights and interact with government officials but also enable government agencies to learn about the Sikh religion and ongoing challenges faced by Sikh Americans, including hate crimes, employment discrimination, and school bullying. To learn more about these educational forums or to organize one for your local community, contact SALDEF at education@saldef.org.
SALDEF Urges Oklahoma Senate to Protect Religious Freedom
On March 3, 2009, SALDEF issued a community advisory and petition about the passage of a bill (HB1645) in the Oklahoma House of Representatives that aims to “strictly prohibit” individuals from wearing “head scarves” and “head garments” in driver’s license photographs. Because the legislation does not exempt religious headcoverings, the civil rights of observant Sikhs who wear dastaars (Sikh turbans) are in jeopardy. Observant Jews, Muslims, and Christians are also threatened, as are other individuals who are required to wear religious headcoverings. SALDEF has alerted several federal agencies, members of Congress, civil rights organizations, and interfaith groups to the dangers posed by HB1645 and will continue to build opposition to the bill. Because of the media pressure applied by SALDEF and other organizations so far, Senator Roger Ballenger—one of the original sponsors of the legislation in the Oklahoma Senate—has withdrawn his support. As a result, the bill faces an uncertain future in the Oklahoma Senate.
- Please help us ensure that HB1645 is thoroughly rejected by contacting Senator Cliff Branan — Chairman of the Transportation Committee in the Oklahoma State Senate. Encourage him to defend religious freedom for all Americans in Oklahoma. You can reach him by telephone at (405) 521-5543 or by email at branan@oksenate.gov. Always be polite and respectful in your comments, but do emphasize that virtually every state in the country (including Oklahoma) and the federal government permit Sikh Americans to wear religious headcoverings in identification photographs.
- Click here to watch local news coverage about HB1645, including a provocative explanation of the bill by one of its supporters — Rep. Wade Rousselot —who suggests that religious minorities should either abide by the rules of this country or forgo the privilege of a driver’s license. Please contact Rep. Wade Rousselot and politely remind him that the rules of this country permit Sikh Americans to wear religious headcoverings in identification photographs.
SALDEF to conduct training for third largest Sheriff’s Office in the United States Washington DC, March 13, 2009 – Last Friday, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, conducted the first of several trainings for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the third largest law enforcement agency in the United States. SALDEF Southern Regional Director and Sikh American community leader Bobby Singh conducted a training for an incoming class of deputies in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. The training is part of SALDEF’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program (LEPP), which has trained over 130,000 police officers since 2002. Mr. Singh has been engaged with annual trainings for law enforcement officials in Harris County since 1999. “We are proud of our partnership with SALDEF and the Sikh American community,” said Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia. “Collaboration with diverse community members fosters mutual respect and trust between law enforcement officers and the public and promotes safety for all.” “Through these trainings, we are hoping to develop a more welcoming environment for Sikh Americans in Houston,” said Mr. Singh. “It is only through true partnership and collaboration with our public servants that Sikhs in Harris County will be assured of their right to practice their faith freely.” Background This training effort is a response to community outrage stemming from a December 2008 incident where during the course of investigating the burglary of a Sikh American family’s home, a few Harris County officers allegedly made suggestive remarks to the family about Muslims, terrorism and the Mumbai terrorist attacks. When one of the deputies noticed a family member wearing a kirpan (religious sword), he allegedly pointed a taser gun at her head. Ultimately, police officials handcuffed multiple family members, including a sixty-year-old grandmother. Contact: Rajbir Singh Datta, 202-393-2700 ext 127, info@saldef.org
Proposed law will forbid Sikh turbans in driver’s license photos Washington DC; March 3, 2009— Earlier today, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, called upon members of the Oklahoma State Senate to prove that religious freedom will be protected in Oklahoma. This demand comes on the heels of the passage last night of legislation (H.B. 1645) in the Oklahoma House of Representatives that would “strictly prohibit” individuals from wearing “head scarves” and “head garments” in driver’s license photographs. Members of the House voted 88-8 in favor of the measure. Tell the Oklahoma Senate to Protect Religious Freedom! According to an editorial in a local newspaper, this legislation was introduced by Oklahoma Rep. Rex Duncan in response to news that a Muslim woman was allowed to wear a hijab in her driver’s license photo at her local Department of Motor Vehicles. Because the proposed law forbids all headcoverings, the religious rights of practicing Sikhs who wear their dastaars (Sikh turbans) are in serious jeopardy. Observant Jews, Muslims, and Christians are also affected, as are other individuals who are required to wear religious headcoverings. When SALDEF contacted Rep. Duncan on February 27, 2009 to express concern and elicit clarification about his motives, his office denied having knowledge of the issue. Now SALDEF is working alongside the ACLU of Oklahoma and other coalition partners to persuade the Oklahoma State Senate to ensure that a religious exemption is carved out of the proposed legislation. Sign SALDEF’s Petition and take action today! If the Oklahoma State Senate passes this legislation, and if the Governor of Oklahoma signs it into law, Oklahoma will lead the way backward—not forward—in the struggle for civil rights for all Americans. The impact on the Sikh American community of Oklahoma may be severe. “We look forward to educating Mr. Duncan and his colleagues about religious freedom,” said Rajdeep Singh Jolly, Legal Director of SALDEF. “We also call upon all religious communities, civil rights organizations, and concerned citizens throughout the nation to demand that the government of Oklahoma clarifies its commitment to protecting civil rights in the 21st century.” Sign SALDEF’s Petition and tell Oklahoma State Senator Roger Ballenger to show some courage and persuade his colleagues to support religious freedom for all Americans! If you want to voice your concerns by phone, you can reach the Senator at (405) 521-5588.
Washington DC; March 2, 2009 — In November 2008, SALDEF announced the availability of our 2009 Sikh American pocket calendars. Over the past three months, SALDEF has already distributed 15,000 English and 4,000 Spanish pocket calendars to communities across the United States. Make sure to while supplies last!
Since 2003, SALDEF has distributed over 300,000 pocket calendars to Sikhs across the United States and in communities in Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. In their sixth year of production, the 2009 calendars have been completely redesigned to include new full-color images of Sikh Americans, along with more examples of core Sikh values and facts about Sikhs in the United States. On the back, the calendars have a 2009 calendar in a small, handy, easy-to-use design.
Additionally, to help you reach out more effectively to your community, friends, and neighbors, Spanish language versions of the 2009 pocket calendars are also available.
The calendars are perfect for distribution at your workplace, schools, convenience stores, gas stations, patients, business partners, customers, senior citizen centers, public libraries, and schools and universities.
To order the Sikh American pocket calendars and other SALDEF publications, please click here or email SALDEF at pubs@saldef.org.
1. SALDEF Accepting Applications for 2009 Summer Internship Program 2. SALDEF Meets with the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General 3. SALDEF Meets with Congressional Leaders on the Opening of the 111th Congress 4. SALDEF Briefs Senate Democratic Leadership on Sikh American Concerns 5. ON SALE: 2009 Sikh American Pocket Calendars 6. SALDEF Conducts Training for Airport Security Officers in Connecticut 7. SALDEF Participates in Los Angeles Department of Homeland Security Roundtable Meeting 8. College Scholarship opportunity 9. Upcoming Events SALDEF Accepting Applications for 2009 Summer Internship Program The SALDEF Internship Program offers Sikh American youth an opportunity to be uniquely positioned to advocate for national policy issues on behalf of Sikhs. The program educates students on issues including, civil rights, public policy, women’s rights, national security and the legislative process. Interns will gain hands-on experience in community organizing, research, writing, legal issues affecting the community, political action, and educational outreach. Current opportunities available include: Legal, Legislative, Communications and Development internships. Click here for more information. SALDEF Meets with the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General On December 17, 2008 SALDEF Eastern Regional Director Savraj Singh, met with Gurpreet Singh, Chief of Staff of the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General and others, to discuss concerns regarding an increase in hate and bias acts against South Asians. A coalition of organizations spearheaded by Qudsia Raja of SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together) pressed the AG’s office to take proactive steps to better report and document incidents of hate crimes, educate law enforcement on South Asian communities, and protect children from bullying and harassment in schools. SALDEF will continue to work diligently on behalf of the Sikh American community in New Jersey. If you believe you have been the victim of a bias attack, please contact SALDEF at legal@saldef.org or 202-393-2700. SALDEF Meets with Congressional Leaders on the Opening of the 111th Congress On January 7, 2009 SALDEF met with Members of Congress and their staff marking the opening on the 111th Congress. The event was a time to meet-and-greet with Members of Congress and their staff to develop and strengthen relationships that will enable SALDEF to further advocate on behalf of the Sikh American community. SALDEF Briefs Senate Democratic Leadership on Sikh American Concerns On January 7, 2009 SALDEF met with the Senate Democratic Leadership and their senior staff to inform them of the national concerns of the Sikh American community. This meeting is part of SALDEF’s ongoing effort to ensure that the Sikh American community has a strong voice in the halls of Congress and is holding our elected officials accountable. Among the issues that SALDEF discussed were, amending of the U.S. Military policy denying Sikh Americans the right to serve in the Armed Services, passing of hate crime and religious freedom legislation, as well as the need for the Senate Leadership to commit to meeting with various members of the religious community in the United States. ON SALE: 2009 Sikh American Pocket Calendars 2009 Pocket Calendars – 2009 In their sixth year of production, the 2009 SALDEF pocket calendars have been fully redesigned to include updated full-color images of Sikh Americans, along with more examples of core Sikh values and facts about Sikhs in the United States. On the back, the calendars have a 2009 calendar in a small, handy, easy-to-use design. The calendars are available in packages of 100 for just $10 plus shipping and handling fees. Order Your 2009 Pocket Calendars Today! SALDEF Conducts Training for Airport Security Officers in Connecticut On January 21, 2009 SALDEF New England Regional Director Navjeet Singh conducted a Sikhism 101 cultural awareness training for Transportation Security Administration officials in Connecticut as part of SALDEF’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program. Over 120 people attended the session including, Transportation Security Officers from Hartford, CT’s Bradley Airport and from Providence, RI’s Green Airport, representatives of the Connecticut State Police, and airport-based ground staff representing United Airlines, Air Canada, and Continental Airlines. Local community leader, and elected school board representative, S. Amarjit Singh Buttar, also attended the training and is working with SALDEF to organize additional presentations in the future. Click here for more information SALDEF Participates in Los Angeles Department Homeland Security Roundtable Meeting On January 27, 2009 SALDEF Volunteer Attorney Anudeep Kaur Singh participated in the quarterly DHS roundtable meeting in Los Angeles. The DHS roundtable was created in 2008 as part of an effort to increase communication between the government and local community organizations. The meeting focused on the progress made as a result of the roundtable meetingin 2008 and goals for the upcoming 2009 year. Some achievements made in 2008 included more religious training for local law enforcement, the Los Angeles youth roundtable, and increased awareness of TSA screening procedures. Goals for 2009 include community outreach at local gurdwaras, a youth national summit, and significantly more training programs for federal officials. Additionally, DHS made several informative presentations at the meeting, including what to expect during the transition period to the Obama administration, as well as information about the new US-VISIT program which requires additional non-US citizens to provide digital fingerprints and a photograph upon entry into the US (more information about US-VISIT can be found at here). College Scholarship Opportunity The National Association for Asian and Pacific American Education (NAAPAE) invites high school seniors, and college juniors and seniors to participate in its scholarship program. In the spring, NAAPAE will award up to two $500 scholarships to high school seniors and up to two $1,000 scholarships to college junior/seniors. The recipients will be students who meet the following qualifications: (A) are of Asian or Pacific Islander (API) descent; (B) are actively involved in extracurricular activities in school; (C) have outstanding academic records; and (D) are young leaders who show concern and commitment to Asian/Pacific Islander communities. Scholarship recipients must be citizens of the United States or Canada or be resident aliens. To apply, click here Upcoming Events * Meeting with Tina Tchen, Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison – Washington, DC March 2, 2008 * Meeting with United States Attorney – District of Columbia – Washington, DC March 5, 2008 * Director of National Intelligence Heritage Community Liaison Meeting – Fairfax, VA March 6, 2009 * Presentation to Columbia Union College – Takoma Park, Maryland March 25, 2009 * National Partner Meeting with the Census Bureau – Washington, DC March 30, 2009 * SALDEF 2009 National Civil Rights Awards Gala – Los Angeles, CA May 2, 2009 * Presentation to Johns Hopkins University – Baltmore, MD May 15, 2009