LIVINGSTON — Hardeep Rai’s turban-wrapped head bobbed as the 40-year-old ambled along Peach Street beneath the shadows of the pointed golden bulbs of the Sikh Temple. With rich brown farm fields behind him and the garlic clove-shaped domes of the house of worship ahead, he almost could have been walking in his native India. God, as during many other moments in the day, was coursing through his thoughts as he strolled to one of the city’s two gurdwaras to pray for his wife, three daughters and everyone else. Admittedly, with a house, a 30-acre ranch in Cressey and his own business, he enjoys a life he’s thankful for. And he’s carved it out with grit and will in a land that promises rewards for just such virtues. Rai is just one of the estimated 1,500 Sikhs who’ve settled in Livingston seeking opportunities for themselves and future generations. Their presence has been marked at once by a willingness to assimilate with their Latino and other neighbors and by a desire to preserve their distinct religious identity. Although Sikhs have been streaming into the Central Valley for more than a quarter-century, contributing measurably to the region’s economy and culture, they remain an enigma to many residents. Whether they join other immigrant groups in America’s vaunted melting pot or, like some émigrés, become separate ingredients in an ethnic mixed salad, Sikhs will continue to influence events and trends throughout the community. “By accepting people at the fringes and people that are different, you are accepting the notion of democracy,” UC Merced sociology professor Simón Weffer said. “Each individual person has a say, and that can be shaped by whatever religion, ethnic or cultural background they have.” Sikhs in America stand at a crossroads where there’s a call to imprint their heritage on their children. They want the next generation to succeed as doctors, lawyers and politicians — all while retaining their religion. At the same time, Sikhs are trying to distinguish themselves from Muslims in a post-9-11 nation that’s watchful and fearful of men with bushy beards and turbans. Though they’ve been a fixture in some areas of California for more than 100 years, many residents know little about Sikhs, their culture and their beliefs. Punjabis first fled their fertile agricultural state in India during the late 1860s, though it wasn’t until a 1970s immigration boom that they began settling in Livingston. Most of the nation’s 500,000 Sikhs hail from the state of Punjab, which borders Pakistan in northwest India. Stoked by the dreams shared by almost all immigrants, their journey to the Central Valley town was guided by the prospect of better-paying jobs they heard could be found by working in Foster Farms’ chicken factory — a clear improvement over toiling in Punjab’s torrid wheat and sugar cane fields. The Sikhs and their temples decorated with portraits of their gurus can be found from Live Oak down to El Centro. California boasts the largest Punjabi population in the country with about 125,000 followers. Back at the Livingston temple, Rai knelt before a painting of the sacred Golden Temple that stands on the other side of the world. As Sikh hymns droned around him, he began to pray. The job heard across the world Sometime in early 1970, Foster Farms hired a Sikh woman from Winton to work in its chicken processing factory in Livingston, a city with a population then of about 2,000. One Sunday, while worshipping in Stockton’s temple, she told the other Sikhs about her new job. Fewer jobs were being found on the farms in Stockton and Yuba City, and the news shot across the Pacific Ocean. It may have been a steady paycheck for the woman, whose name has been lost over the decades, but she pinpointed the city as a prime destination for Punjabis seeking work in America. India, a 36-hour plane ride from California, has 1.2 billion residents and is one-third the size of the United States, which has about 300 million residents. Punjab is home to about 24 million and is considered the Indian equivalent of the Central Valley. It has a dry and hot summer climate, and its rich soil produces much of the country’s food. For many Punjabis, surviving every day is a challenge, said Nirinjan Singh Khalsa, executive director of the California Sikh Council, which was formed to educate Americans about Sikh culture after the attacks on the World Trade Center. There are thousands of small farms where families grow enough to eat and just a little to sell. “Nothing goes to waste,” Khalsa said. “It’s a struggle just to get a little bit.” In India, the Samras were growing wheat and sugar cane when, through their local temple, they learned of the jobs at Foster Farms. They’re believed to be the first Punjabi family to abandon the agrarian life for Livingston, and they didn’t see another Indian in the city for six months. The father, mother and two sons stepped off the plane on May 21, 1970, and weaved their way to what would become home. Sarwan Singh Samra was hired at Foster Farms, where he worked nights on the processing line to support his family, which lived in an apartment on Simpson Avenue. Though Samra retired after 30 years there, the 72-year-old still manages the apartments he bought in Merced and basks in his sons’ successes. One produces movies in Southern California, while the eldest, Gurpal, serves as the city’s second Sikh mayor. The family helped to forge a trend that continues today with about 20 Sikhs moving to the city every year; Foster Farms remains a magnet. “America has no boundaries,” Samra said. “Where else can you come in and have so many opportunities?” Today, the company employs close to 600 Asian employees in its 2,300-person plant. The majority are Sikhs, though the category includes Chinese and Japanese workers, spokesman Tim Walsh said. The number of Asian employees has grown about 6 percent in the last decade, though no statistics about the company’s work force date back to the 1970s. Foster Farms never made an effort to advertise to any nationalities, and hires the best-qualified candidates, he said. Workers often will refer family and friends to the plant. The West Coast poultry giant celebrates the differences among its employees with its annual Diversity Day event, Walsh said. “It’s not a push against their heritage,” he explained. “We embrace it.” Rai’s journey From the street, Rai’s two-story home in south Livingston blends with all the others in the middle-class neighborhood. His white work truck is parked in the driveway, and the blades of the lush lawn reach toward the sky. Inside, portraits of Sikh gurus and the local priest are arranged next to the flat-screen television playing an Indian soap opera about a woman being unable to decide which man to marry. All this was bought with $20 and an iron-fisted work ethic. After an arranged marriage with his wife in 1990, the couple flew to the United States to live with her parents, leaving India behind. “It’s very hard to find jobs over there,” he lamented. “There’s too much population.” The early years were dismal. Work was hard to find, even though Rai could speak English, and when he did land a job driving a tractor at a Chowchilla farm, he only pocketed $50 a day for 12 hours’ work. After spending four years spinning his wheels, he got behind an 18-wheel truck and began hauling processed chicken and other foods across the West all night long. The job kept him away from home for two or three days at a time, yet he could save money. He soon bought a home and a ranch in Cressey. In 2005, he founded Central Valley Truck School in Turlock, which teaches hundreds of Latinos and Sikhs how to drive freight haulers. Within the next few years, he plans to open more driving schools in the Central Valley. His three daughters, ages 3, 9 and 11, are all learning English and Punjabi, and one already dreams of becoming a dentist. As the family’s second generation in America, Rai wants to ensure that Sikhism burns bright within them, though it’s contending against Western culture. Sikhs are tasked with maintaining their culture, which abhors drugs, alcohol and illicit sex in a country where those habits are almost second-nature. With children in school and parents at work, the temples should offer classes to embed the language and religion in the religion’s youngest disciples, he believes. “If you forget your culture, you don’t know where you came from,” he explains, sitting barefoot and sipping spiced tea. Created for equality Sikhism was founded 500 years ago, making it one of the youngest major religions in the world. An estimated 24 million follow it, making it the fifth-largest creed. Guru Nanak, a high-class Hindu, founded the religion during a moment of enlightenment — he realized that everyone was equal, regardless of their wealth. Sikhism rejected the caste system in India that kept families from progressing socially and economically, and also elevated the importance of women at a time when men owned them like property. Mens’ last name became Singh and women adopted Kaur as a way to eliminate their caste identities. Over the next 200 years, nine more gurus followed Nanak, each building on the teachings of his predecessor. Sikhs believe in one God for everyone and that embarking on a spiritual journey is most important, said Khalsa, the director of the state’s Sikh council. “No ritual can make you holy, it’s your love of God,” he professed. Two main beliefs guide the religion. One, called simran, is a constant meditation on God; the second, sewa, dictates charity and service to everyone. Five articles comprise the faith — long hair, a small dagger, a steel bracelet, a comb and underwear. The uncut hair symbolizes obedience to God, while the the knife represents justice. The comb means cleanliness, and the boxer shorts lead to high moral character. The bracelet is a bond with God with no beginning or end. Battling ignorance While many families are trying to keep Sikhism alive, the religion’s advocacy groups in the United States are trying to chisel away American ignorance of their culture and beliefs. The stereotypes can be mostly harmless, but when heightened by fear of bearded and turban-wearing men, they have caused the murder of Sikhs thought to be Muslim terrorists. Americans unfamiliar with the religious tenets lump Middle Eastern and Asian religions together, ignoring their many fundamental differences. The 24 million Sikhs worldwide believe in one God, follow the teachings of 10 gurus and hold that there’s salvation for everyone — Christian, Jewish or Muslim. The 1 billion Muslims follow Islam, the world’s second-largest religion. They study the Quran, believe in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and call Allah their God. Hinduism is the world’s third-largest religion with 811 million followers who recognize many gods and believe that the soul is reincarnated in death. Buddhism has about 325 million adherents who believe that a soul will reach nirvana through thought and self-denial. With America’s attention focused on the Middle East, Sikh leaders are in a race against a ticking terrorist clock to differentiate themselves from fundamentalist Muslims before any events happen that could trigger attacks on their local communities. “There was always this fear of the turban and the beard,” said Rajbir Singh Datta, associate director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund. “It’s the unknown and the differences.” Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Sikhs have felt compelled to make more of an effort to educate local governments, law enforcement and residents about their culture and beliefs. Locally, an annual Main Street parade brings residents out of their homes and showcases traditions that date back to colonial India. The Livingston Police Department has trained its officers to understand the cultural differences when they interact with the Sikh community. Chief Bill Eldridge said he knew nothing about Sikhism when he took the job 15 years ago and has channeled his own ignorance into bridging the gaps, though he concedes there’s always more that can be done. His officers know that men should be addressed before the women and that the small dagger is a religious symbol rather than a weapon. There have never been any racially motivated attacks reported on Sikh residents, both before and after 9/11, he said. Livingston’s 7,000 Latinos and 1,500 Sikhs have worked long and hard for a good life, and Eldridge thinks that’s why there haven’t been any tensions or fights. “There’s no reason for jealousy or animosity,” he said. “We don’t have the nose-in-the-air syndrome.” During his 15 years in Livingston, Rai said he’s never encountered prejudices either, adding that it’s because so much of the population has deep roots in other countries. Outside the temple, he munched one of the peaches that had been left in a basket there and spoke about how he will never retire or sell his business. Then Rai stripped the pit of all its sweet pulp. In a bountiful country that’s offered him so much, he won’t let its fruits go to waste. Reporter Scott Jason can be reached at 209-285-2453 or sjason@mercedsun-star.com. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/ Merced Sun-Star
Valley feels like home for Sikhs
A recent initiative by the Department of Homeland Security would expand communication between its agencies and Arab, South Asian and Muslim youth in America. A conference on the issue, called “Roundtable on Security and Liberty: Perspectives of Young Leaders Post 9-11,” is being hailed by participants as a positive first step in repairing years of mutual mistrust.
“We’re dealing with profiling within our communities, and this provides us with a voice to change these problems,” said Rajbir Singh Datta, 25, of the Sikh American Legal Defence & Education Fund (SALDEF) of Washington, D.C., who participated in the conference. “When you’re a high school or college student, you are always dealing with these problems, but not sure how to solve them.” Datta, who lives in Washington, was one of 30 or so young leaders from a wide range of backgrounds who met with several government and law enforcement agencies at the conference, held at George Washington University in Washington in late July. “The youth want — and got access to — government people,” Datta said. Panel discussions ranged from “The State of Arab, Muslim, South Asian, Sikh, and Middle Eastern American Young People Today,” to how to get a job with the federal government. Datta said the best part of the conference was the frank discussions that took place between government officials — including Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff — and participants. “These are youth leaders within communities that are not already integrated with organizations that have a national voice,” Datta said. “You got an un-political response to questions from the government such as ‘How are we doing?’ ‘You’re doing horrible’; they knew they’d get a straight answer.” Datta’s group conducts educational outreach and sensitivity training about Sikhs — a group of non-Muslim South Asians that suffered intense post-Sept. 11 backlash as visible targets because of their traditional turbans. He said there are many positive steps the government has taken to improve community relations, but young people don’t seem to be aware of them. Hesham Mahmoud, of the New Jersey chapter of the American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee, said his group regularly meets with law enforcement and government officials to try to improve relations. “We try to do as much as we can on the local level,” he said. “We meet to communicate our concerns when specific issues occur, and to keep lines of communication open.” Mahmoud said such relationships can benefit both groups — law enforcement feels they can build trust in more insular communities, and members of those communities feel their concerns are being heard. “It’s more a two-way communication,” Mahmoud said. “We always make it clear we are not spies in the community, but if we see something in the community of concern, we’ll definitely enforce the law.” Brett Hovington, chief of community relations for the FBI in Washington, one of the agencies that participated in the recent youth roundtable, said the agency is paying more attention to young people, especially in light of increasing radicalism among young immigrant groups throughout Europe. “For the FBI, it was an overall change in our mission, where we started to realize the importance of having a better understanding of the demographics in this country as they started to change,” Hovington said in a telephone interview from Washington Friday. “The community definitely wanted more communication with government, and at the FBI, we realized we had to make inroads into those communities — it was on both fronts.” Shaarik Zafar, of the Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which organized the conference, said it was refreshing to hear new perspectives on what it’s like to grow up as a Muslim, Arab-American or South Asian in a post-Sept. 11 world. “It was a very frank and constructive conversation with young people about the issues they face,” he said. “And we look forward to continuing the discussion.” Reach Samantha Henry at 973-569-7172 or henrys@northjersey.com [http://www.northjersey.com/]
Secretary Chertoff Engages with Arab, Muslim and Sikh American Youth Leaders Washington D.C. – August 2, 2007: Last week, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) participated in a roundtable discussion, Security and Liberty: Perspective of Young Leaders Post-9/11, hosted by the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute. The roundtable presented an opportunity for thirty Arab, Muslim, South Asian, and Sikh American youth leaders to interface and engage with high level government officials, policy experts, and national community leaders including DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff. They primarily discussed issues of civil rights and how they relate to homeland security. “The roundtable presented us with an opportunity to explain the effects government security policies and initiatives have on our respective communities,” said SALDEF Legal Fellow Nitoj Singh. SALDEF Associate Director Rajbir Singh Datta served on a series of panels, highlighting both the challenges the Sikh American community has faced since 9/11 and the increased opportunities for positive community-government relationships. “The two-day roundtable was another step in creating a lasting dialogue between Arab, Muslim, and Sikh American youth and federal policymakers so that we may work together to jointly face the challenges of protecting the nation and its citizen’s civil rights,” said Mr. Datta. “The event highlighted the importance of engaging young leaders in the discussion and the contributions they can make.” SALDEF thanks DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, Daniel Sutherland, Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the DHS, and Frank J. Cilluffo, Associate Vice President for Homeland Security at The George Washington University, for organizing and hosting the July 24-25 roundtable at the George Washington University School of Law.
SALDEF works to create stronger bonds with EEOC and to ensure awareness of unique discrimination that Sikh Americans face Washington D.C. – July 11, 2007: Yesterday, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest national Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the country, met with Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner Stuart Ishmaru. The goals of this meeting were to increase understanding of Sikh religious and cultural practices and to discuss strategies for ensuring that Sikhs are not illegally discriminated against in the workplace. Also attending the meeting were representatives from the Sikh Coalition and United Sikhs. In a prepared memo to the EEOC, SALDEF wrote that “(we) believe it is imperative that the EEOC further enhance its understanding of the cultural practices and traditions of Sikh Americans. Sikh Americans run into a number of employment issues, which are markedly different from other faith groups and culture.” SALDEF is currently involved in addressing over a dozen different legal complaints concerning workplace discrimination. It discussed with the EEOC cases where Sikh Americans were fired because of uniform policies that interfered with the wearing of the religiously mandated dastaar (turban) or kirpan, or because workplace drug testing policies that required the cutting of hair. In all of these cases, Sikh Americans were prohibited from full enjoyment of the right to freedom of religious expression. “The meeting was a great first step in developing a long term relationship between the EEOC and our community,” remarked SALDEF Associate Director Rajbir Singh Datta. “Our hope is to continue working with the EEOC nationally and locally to ensure their investigators understand the concerns and issues our community faces. It is important for there to be effective lines of communication between the Sikh community and the federal government if we are to ensure that every Sikh American is able to enjoy his full constitutional right to freedom of religion within the workplace.” SALDEF would like to thank EEOC Commissioner Stuart Ishimaru for taking the time to meet with and better understand the concerns of the Sikh American community. If you believe you are the victim of employment discrimination, please submit an online complaint, or contact SALDEF at 202-393-2700 ext 27 or info@saldef.org.
26 year-old Sikh American lies in critical condition after being attacked on July 3rd Washington D.C. – July 5, 2007: The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nation’s oldest Sikh civil rights and advocacy organization, urges the entire Sikh American community to be vigilant against possible bias motivated incidents during the July 4th holiday week. During the course of the past several days, the world has been in a degree of shock regarding the string of failed terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom. The attempts in front of a night club and Heathrow Airport earlier this week to the controlled bombing by law enforcement of two vehicles and the recent arrests of eight young suspects have pushed the nation into a relative state of fear. Earlier this week, 26 year-old Sikh American, Satender Singh of Sacramento, CA, was violently assaulted by a group of individuals while at a local park with several of his friends. The perpetrators of this vicious attack reportedly yelled xenophobic and homophobic remarks at Mr. Singh. As of this morning, Mr. Singh lies in critical condition in a local hospital on life support and with minimal brain activity. “Many hate crimes are perpetrated by individuals who have a history of making hate and bias-motivated speech,” remarked SALDEF Managing Director Kavneet Singh. “It is incumbent upon the community to track and report comments and hate-inspired conduct which may result in violent crimes in the future.” Over the past decade, SALDEF has observed that following any incident relating to terrorism, bias-motivated crimes against the Sikh American community have often increased. Over the July 4th holiday celebration and holiday weekend, SALDEF urges the Sikh American community to remain vigilant against possible bias motivated comments and hate crimes. Additionally, over the past week SALDEF has participated in conference calls with FBI Headquarters and the FBI Washington Field Office to discuss community concerns regarding the recent international events. SALDEF commends the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security on their efforts and the messages they and President Bush have used in an effort to minimize fears in the United States. A few precautions you can take during the July 4th Holiday: Ensure you know where you and your family are at all times. Make sure you know who the proper authorities in your community are and how to contact them. If someone makes a comment, ignore it, and document what happened and what was said against you or a family member as soon as possible. If physical action is taken against you, call 911 and document the incident as soon as possible so that nothing is forgotten. Please download and distribute SALDEF’s Know Your Rights Guide for a complete list of how to handle a number of different potential situations. SALDEF and the entire Sikh American community offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Satender Singh, and pray for his recovery. If you have any additional information about this case or have tips about the suspects, please contact investigators at 916-874-5115. If you believe you have been the victim of a hate crime or a bias incident (comment) report it immediately to SALDEF at http://saldef.wpengine.com/reportform.aspx or directly at 202-393-2700 ext 27 or info@saldef.org.
SALDEF Encourages Community Action on Hate Crime Prevention Washington D.C. – June 9, 2007: The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) strongly urges all Sikh Religious Leaders to sign on to an interfaith letter in support of The Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA) (Senate bill number S. 1105). In the previous Congress, this bill enjoyed broad bi-partisan and law enforcement support from across the nation. The interfaith letter, available online here, urges United States Senators to co-sponsor and pass ground breaking hate crimes legislation which will provide local governments with necessary resources to serve their communities. Bias crimes are increasingly a cause for concern within the Sikh American community in a pre- and post-9/11 context. The FBI Hate Crime Report, although voluntary, has documented over 115,000 hate crimes since 1991. In 2005, 7,183 hate crimes were reported, of which, 17.1 percent were perpetrated against individuals of faith and 14.2 percent against ethnic minorities. Current law authorizes federal involvement only in those cases in which the victim was targeted because of race, color, religion, or national origin. Unfortunately, some local jurisdictions neither have the resources nor will to investigate and prosecute assailants alleged to have committed a hate crime. Additionally, current law does not protect victims on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. LLEHCPA will allow the federal government to assist states and local law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes when the local agencies request such support. Doing so will make our nation safer for all Americans and allow smaller municipalities to procure additional resources to effectively investigate and prosecute bias crimes. The law also extends serious hate crime legislation to those states where current laws are inadequate. “This legislation represents a significant step in ensuring those who violate someone’s civil rights will be brought to justice,” said Kavneet Singh, Managing Director of SALDEF. “Our elected officials must recognize the need for stronger and more effective laws against hate crimes. These crimes are not just against the person, but against the entire community he or she represents.” The legislation has a broad range of support of over 200 civil rights, advocacy and law enforcement organizations including; the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Anti-Defamation League, Human Rights Campaign, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, among many others. To sign the letter, go here. Click on “Sign the letter” and fill out the appropriate contact information. Indicate that you heard about the letter through SALDEF. By signing this letter you join religious leaders of a multitude of faiths from across America, SALDEF, and its coalition partners in denouncing hate crimes. For more information on SALDEF’s past legislative and hate crimes initiatives, please see below: SALDEF meets with FBI Director Robert Mueller SALDEF Congratulates House for Passing Hate Crime Bill Partnerships with U.S. Muslim, Sikh Leaders Boost Law Enforcement SALDEF Welcomes Congressional Legislation on Hate Crimes
Clinic and Presentation to Address and Advise South Asians on Immigration-Related Concerns Washington D.C. – June 7, 2007: In order to help navigate the complex web of immigration and naturalization law, six leading national and local South Asian advocacy organizations are cosponsoring a free legal clinic and presentation on immigration-related issues on Sunday June 10, 2007. Participants will receive free legal advice from immigration attorneys on an individualized basis as well as learn more about family immigration policies and updates on the current immigration debate in Congress and its potential implications to non-citizens. Translation services will also be provided for those who speak Bengali, Guajarati, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu. What: Free Legal Clinic on Immigration Issues When: Sunday June 10, 2007 10:00 am to 1:30 pm Where: Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity 11319 Elkin Street Wheaton, MD 20902 Event Sponsored By: Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC), the Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity (GCCD), the DC Muslim Bar Association (DC-MBA), the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow (SAALT), and the South Asian Bar Association of DC (SABA-DC) For more information please contact APALRC at (202) 393-3572 ext 19 or ext. 22.
SALDEF working with FBI to increase service recruitment and retention within Sikh American Community Washington D.C. – May 25, 2007 – This past Sunday, May 20, 2007, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nations oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization, co-sponsored an event with the Sikh Foundation of Virginia (SFV) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to increase recruitment of Sikh Americans into the Bureau. For the past several months, SALDEF has been advocating on behalf of the community for concerted efforts to increase the recruitment of Sikh Americans into the FBI. In meetings with National FBI Headquarters, FBI Washington Field Office, and the FBI’s Personnel Recruiting Unit (PRU), Bureau representatives have told SALDEF that Sikh American youth and young professionals, including those who possess Punjabi language skills, are highly desirable to the FBI. Speaking at the event were: Rajbir Singh Datta – Associate Director, SALDEF; Harjit Singh Chawla – Board Chairman, Sikh Foundation of Virginia; Gwendolyn Hubbard – Division Chief, FBI Personnel Resources Unit; Joseph Persichini – Assistant Director, FBI Washington field Office, Sunjeet Singh – Sikh FBI Analyst The purpose of this pilot event was to engage with the community and gauge the effectiveness of a possible national intitiative between SALDEF and the PRU to increase recruitment and retention of Sikh Americans into the FBI as special agents and professional support staff. “SALDEF is working closely with the FBI and other federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security to encourage active recruitment efforts withing the Sikh American community,” stated SALDEF Managing Director Kavneet Singh. “We urge Sikhs from across the country to collaborate with SALDEF to organize similar events in their local communities to explore opportunities with federal agencies.” Additionally, SALDEF is working with the Washington Field Office of the FBI and a number of Arab and Muslim organizations on a Future Agents in Training (FTI) program to recruit a total of fifteen high school students, aged 16 – 18, to participate in a week long event in Quantico, VA at the FBI Training Academy. This pilot program, if successful, has the potential to expand nationally and provide Sikh American youth with the unique opportunity to learn more about the FBI and its career options with an on-hands approach. If you would like to organize a similar event in your local community, please contact SALDEF at 202-393-2700 ext 27 or by email.
SALDEF, SABA-DC and NASABA organize forum to inform business owners about their rights and obligations under DC, Virginia, Maryland and federal law Washington D.C. – April 13, 2007: The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) has partnered with the South Asian Bar Association of Washington D.C. (SABA-DC) and the National South Asian Bar Association (NASABA) to organize a Know Your Rights Outreach and Compliance Seminar for Convenience Store and Gas Station Owners in the Virginia, Maryland, and Metro DC areas on April 22, 2007 at the National Gurdwara in Washington, D.C. Federal and State authorities have begun to strictly regulate the sale of everyday cold medications that can be used to manufacture the illegal and highly dangerous drug methamphetamine (also known as “Meth”). In 2005, 44 South Asian convenience store clerks and owners were arrested for selling ingredients that could have been used to create methamphetamine, but many of these people were unaware of the law and their rights. As a result, some of the storeowners lost their businesses and were deported back to India and Pakistan. Due to the increased use of cold medicines purchased at retail outlets by illegal methamphetamine manufacturers and drug addicts, Congress enacted the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005. This law establishes requirements for selling products containing ephedrine and pseudo ephedrine, which can be used for illegal production of methamphetamine. Across the nation, sellers of products containing these ingredients must follow the new law and the regulations it imposes on them. In addition, some states have enacted their own laws which in some instances may be tougher than the federal law. What: Know Your Rights Forum: Outreach and Compliance Seminar for Convenience and Gas Store Owners in the VA, MD, and DC areas When: Sunday, April 22nd — 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Where: National Gurdwara 3801 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20016 Who: Hassan Ahmed, Immigration Attorney; Law Offices of Nubani & Hassan, VA Manubir Arora, Criminal Defense Attorney; Atlanta, GA Vivek Chopra, Former State Prosecutor; Montgomery County, MD Dave Vatti, Federal Prosecutor; United States Attorney’s Office, CT SALDEF, SABA-DC and NASABA would like to ensure that local business owners are aware of their rights and obligations under District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, and federal law. For more information about this event, visit www.saldef.org or contact AS202-393-2700 or info@saldef.org
Participants turn out to celebrate their religion and bring awareness to recent hate crimes. By Jia-Rui Chong, Times Staff Writer April 9, 2007 With gold- and orange-fringed parade floats and the sound of harmoniums playing traditional hymns, more than 10,000 members of the Sikh community paraded through downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. Many participants wore traditional Sikh turbans as they celebrated Baisakhi, a harvest holiday that commemorates a key moment in the development of the religion. On the minds of many were recent hate crimes, made all the worse as they were apparently provoked by mistaken identity. “People don’t know. They think we’re Muslims,” said Raj Singh, 66, a Brea resident who was watching a float go by. “I hope, for the people standing on the road, or seeing this from their roofs, this will enlighten them.” Last month, a Redding man rammed a construction tractor into a Sikh temple and reportedly told police that he thought the building was owned by Arabs. Sikh leaders say such incidents have become more common since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “People see Osama bin Laden with a turban and beard, and they see us as the same because of ignorance,” said Sarbjit Singh, who teaches children about Sikh religion and culture at the Sikh Study Circle in Los Angeles. (None of the Singhs interviewed for this article are related.) Sarbjit Singh, 45, said that he doesn’t blame anybody for the harassment and that the Sikh efforts should not be taken to mean that the community believes it’s acceptable to discriminate against Muslims. “It hurts us when anybody gets harassed,” he said. Kavneet Singh, the Oakland-based managing director of the national Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said his office gets calls every month about acts of discrimination or misunderstanding about the religion. In one case this year, he said, a man was refused entrance to a bar in Costa Mesa because owners had a policy of not allowing hats — and he was wearing a turban. “There’s a real need for us to be more engaged in our communities,” said Kavneet Singh. “We need to introduce ourselves to our neighbors and make sure local law enforcement know who we are.” Baisakhi, which marks the year’s first harvest and the day when a principal guru in Anandpur Sahib, India, codified the religion’s spiritual and personal codes of conduct. For example, adherents keep their hair long and wear turbans as crowns of spirituality. Sikhism is the world’s fifth-largest religion with about 23 million practitioners worldwide. About 15 Sikh temples around California came together for the event. Daman Singh, 55, of Anaheim Hills said her family comes every year to L.A. to celebrate Baisakhi, which is also considered an auspicious day to get married. “It’s like people celebrate Christmas every year,” she said. As parade-goers talked about how the holiday is celebrated in India, Daman Singh pointed to a small boy who was in her husband’s arms. “This is for our grandson, to show him the culture of our land,” she said. Onlookers leaving the Lakers game at nearby Staples Center were at first puzzled by the glittering floats and sea of people, many of them in fancy embroidered versions of the traditional long shirt and pants known as shalwar kameez. Christian Portillo, 13, of Inglewood wondered, “Weren’t they a bunch of Islamic people?” Christian’s friend Cameron Harris, 13, of Gardena knew the difference. Cameron said he had asked one of the people in the parade what was going on and found out that they were celebrating a Sikh holiday. He said he understood his friend’s confusion because many ethnic groups wear turbans. “I got the message that they were trying to explain themselves and not be seen as outsiders,” Cameron said. “They look like good people to me.”
jia-rui.chong@latimes.com http://www.latimes.com/