Reflections on the Experiences of Turbaned Sikh Men in the Aftermath of 9/11 (original) (raw)

TURBAN MYTHS: Reframing Sikh American Identity In Post-9/11 America

11 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 12 SCOPE 15 METHODOLOGY 18 HATE & BIAS 19 BACKGROUND ON SIKHS 23 RESULTS & ANALYSIS 63 CONCLUSION 64 SELECTED REFERENCES ABSTRACT How does a growing minority community in the US prepare itself to prevent and/ or respond to hate crimes when advocacy alone has not been effective? That was the question posed by the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) in the summer of 2013 when it commissioned the Stanford Peace Innovation Lab to conduct a study on perception of Sikh Americans and to develop recommendations based on the Lab's conceptual framework of "behavior design" -an emerging science that applies the precepts of behaviorial psychology to optimize technology and communication programs for behavioral outcomes. A combination of conditions -America's profound lack of knowledge of the Sikh community, widespread American bias against the turban, the limits of advocacy in the context of hate and bias -makes the case for a series of community-designed interventions optimized for more positive behavioral responses to the turban and "the people who wear them." Drawing on a number of data resources, community surveys, and academic studies the SALDEF/Stanford initiative presents a new approach to managing a specific cultural bias that may have an impact on how other communities manage their relations in an increasingly multicultural world.

Turban Myths: The Opportunities And Challenges For Reframing Sikh American Identity In Post-9/11 America

11 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 12 SCOPE 15 METHODOLOGY 18 HATE & BIAS 19 BACKGROUND ON SIKHS 23 RESULTS & ANALYSIS 63 CONCLUSION 64 SELECTED REFERENCES ABSTRACT How does a growing minority community in the US prepare itself to prevent and/ or respond to hate crimes when advocacy alone has not been effective? That was the question posed by the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) in the summer of 2013 when it commissioned the Stanford Peace Innovation Lab to conduct a study on perception of Sikh Americans and to develop recommendations based on the Lab's conceptual framework of "behavior design" -an emerging science that applies the precepts of behaviorial psychology to optimize technology and communication programs for behavioral outcomes. A combination of conditions -America's profound lack of knowledge of the Sikh community, widespread American bias against the turban, the limits of advocacy in the context of hate and bias -makes the case for a series of community-designed interventions optimized for more positive behavioral responses to the turban and "the people who wear them." Drawing on a number of data resources, community surveys, and academic studies the SALDEF/Stanford initiative presents a new approach to managing a specific cultural bias that may have an impact on how other communities manage their relations in an increasingly multicultural world.

Young Sikhs and Identity: The Turban &Terrorism

Young Sikhs in a Global World, June 18-19, 2013 at Lund University, Sweden For some Sikh Youth the tragedy on 9/11 was a turning point in how the turban was viewed by the general public and media. They were certain that the public and media considered the turban to have connotations with religious extremism. A number of leaders even went onto various channels to educate people about the distinctiveness of the Sikh dastar. For initiated Khalsa Sikhs they are required to wear a turban as a religious obligation. As a result of this perception some turbaned-Sikhs have been victims of racial violence and had their identity challenged by calls to assimilate into Western societies. A number of Sikhs and Gurdware were then attacked, resulting in a number of deaths. Sadly, the hate crimes culminated in the Wisconsin shootings, which was again a case of mistaken identity. The various Sikh channels, websites, all had a frenzy of activity at these various times, with lengthy discussions about how to tackle this issue ‒ many going into deep discussion about the ins and outs of Sikh theology and codes of discipline known as rahitnāme. This paper seeks to address how the youth in this situation consolidated their identity within the wider communities they live in. For some Sikh youth it reinforced their identity, while for others they sought to make the image softer and modern. In many instances they re-negotiated and reinterpreted what it meant to wear a turban, and attempted to bridge the old with the new.

Seeking Recognition: Patriotism, Power and Politics in Sikh American Discourse in the Immediate Aftermath of 9/11

Diaspora: a journal of transnational studies, 2010

After the events of9/11, Sikh Americans were victims of specific hate crimes and more generalized discrimination and distrust. This essay draws on participant observation and interviews conducted in the immediate aftermath of9/11 with the Sikh community of the greater Washington, DC, area to examine the range of their responses to the pressures confronted by the community. It examines both the creativ ity and the anxiety surrounding the intersubjective efforts of Sikh communities to redefine together diasporic Sikh identity in the eyes of a hostile non-Sikh public; this was achieved through the actions undertaken by a joint committee of the leadership of gurdwaras and advocacy groups. Vigils, charity work (sewa), public meetings, and advertisements in support of the 9/11 victims and their families were significant not only insofar as they professed American patriot ism but also because the backstage planning for them made clear the depth of diversity and difference within the Sikh-American communities of the region. Joint action was achieved even as, in certain pockets of the Sikh-American community of Washington, DC, Khalistani American activists conflated their patriotism for America with their patriotism for Khalistan by creating a discourse in which their two "homelands" were seen as simultaneously under attack by outside terrorists (Al Qaeda and the Indian state, respectively).

De-Islamizing Sikhaphobia: Deconstructing structural racism in Wisconsin gurdwara shooting 10/12

Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 2015

On Sunday, 5 August 2012, at approximately 10:00 a.m., an armed Wade Michael Page walked into the Oak Creek, Wisconsin Sikh gurdwara, a place of worship. Page killed six worshippers and injured four others. Although the murderer had links to several white supremacist organizations, authorities would not speculate on the motive of this incident. In fact, the word race was rarely mentioned in relation to this case. The lack of a sustained examination of racism as a motivating factor in this crime was very troubling within the media’s portrayal of this incident. Through a critical analysis of structural racism, this article highlights how the silences of racism, racialized identities, and the connections of racist acts such as the Wisconsin gurdwara murders to hate crimes perpetuates racialized and colonized violence on brown bodies. This structural racism absolves many Americans (and we would add many Canadians) of their deeply rooted racist beliefs and ideologies. By providing a coun...

Remembering Guru Nanak: Articulations of Faith and Ethics by Sikh Activists in Post 9/11 America

Religion, 2021

This paper explores the role of activism as an inflection point for engagement with religious and cultural identity by younger generations of Sikhs in the US. The response of young Sikh activists and the effects on the community are examined in the context of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. The paper begins with the reflections of a Sikh activist about her personal journey learning about Sikh faith and history, and her activism and personal interests. Important themes that reflect the attitudes of contemporary Sikh activists and organizations are discussed. The effects of the post-9/11 backlash against Sikhs in the US are compared to Guru Nanak’s experiences of and response to violence, strife, and injustice. The social, psychological, and spiritual benefits of service for those who provide service and care are explored in relation to Sikh philosophy, and from the point of view of contemporary cultural and historical studies of Sikh seva (selfless service) and hum...