Current Events
Sikh Summit on Capitol Hill: U.S. Lawmakers Apprised of Sikh-American Issues
PRESS RELEASE
Washington, D.C.
In a week-long series of meetings with lawmakers, Sikh organizations and community leaders engaged United States Senators and Members of Congress in a dialogue about issues that most affect Sikhs in the country.
The 2010 Sikh Summit was organized by UNITED SIKHS as part of their ongoing advocacy projects to protect Sikh civil and human rights. Issues presented to legislators included Hate and Bias Crimes, Verbal Harassment, and General Xenophobia, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Misidentification and Watch-list Issues, Employment Discrimination, TSA and Photo-Identification Issues, a Separate Count of Sikhs in Census, the safety of Sikhs in Pakistan, and the Right to Turban in France and Belgium.
The Sikh Summit was a way for leaders of the Sikh community and Sikh organizations across the United States to gather on Capitol Hill and express issues of the Sikh community to Senators, Congress persons and members of government think-tanks.
Sikh delegations were warmly received
by representatives who lent an attentive ear to the concerns of the
Sikh-American community, and offered their support for issues such as
discriminatory practices during air travel, injustices faced in the form of
xenophobia like hate crimes, bullying in schools etc, and procuring a
separate code for Sikhs in future Census and American Community Surveys.
Issues related to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) - like
Sikhs being singled out for additional screening or incorrectly detained
due to mistaken identity, watch list issues and lack of follow up on
redress procedures gained considerable support among lawmakers.
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren sympathized with the plight of Sikhs
discriminated at airports and detained during international travel.
Congressman John Garamendi agreed that there is a training issue, and
lack of consistency in how these concerns are handled across airports.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's office and Senator Joe Lieberman shared the
concern about arbitrary targeting for Sikhs in airports and lack of due
process on TRIP complaints, and have offered assistance in furthering
dialogue with TSA and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Another issue that garnered encouragement was the counting of Sikhs in
the Census. United Sikhs is part of a nationwide campaign to receive a
separate code to count Sikhs in national surveys. As of now, Sikhs who
self-identify on the census form under "Some other Race" are
automatically coded as Asian Indians with no way to disaggregate data,
and therefore no substantial numbers on the number of Sikhs in the
country.
Congressman Xavier Becerra agrees that having a disaggregated number is important to be able to provide adequate services to the population, and Congresswoman Judy Chu's office offered immediate assistance to get a separate code for Sikhs in upcoming American Community Surveys. Congresswoman Yvette Clark remarked she was "100% supportive of the issue."
Among delegates were representatives from California, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC and Washington (State) who brought their own viewpoints and concerns from their respective communities to discussions with lawmakers from their own particular regions.
Sahib Kaur, a college
student from Virginia, said, "Growing up in this country as an American,
I would like to be part of the norm, than be the exception to the
rule." Charanjit Kaur Chanana, an educator from Connecticut, stressed
the importance of education and awareness to decrease bullying in
schools and increase cultural diversity.
The Sikh Summit was innovative in the way it brought together
law-makers, advocates and, most importantly, community members. Kuldip
Singh, President of United Sikhs, particularly emphasized the role of the
community in advocating for issues that affect them the most. He said:
"It is now crucial for us to be our own advocates. Community members
have an important say in policy-making as constituents and as Americans,
and more Sikhs should give voice to specific matters that impact their
community."
Delegates alluded to the long term impact of a multi-lateral effort
like the Sikh Summit on future generations. Narinder Singh Malik of
Georgia remarked, "We are an integral part of the American society, and
we collectively presented our Sikh issues for the benefit of our youth."
Jasmeet Singh Jaspal from California echoed a similar sentiment and
said, "It was a humbling sight to see Sikh Americans speaking out for
the concern of the community, vocalizing local/ national issues to
government leaders and taking action for ensuring a better future for
generations to come."
United Sikhs Director Kashmir Singh is looking forward to working
with lawmakers and implementing solutions to Sikh civil rights concerns.
"Each lawmaker received a memorandum on Sikh issues, and we have made
some recommendations on how to address these issues. We are hoping to be
able to continue our work with policymakers and community members on
how to translate these thoughts into action and be part of the decision
making process that affects our community."
The dialogue generated from the Summit and the support from lawmakers on
Capitol Hill will form the foundation for proactively seeking and
implementing resolutions to Sikh concerns at a policy level, and will be
compiled in the 2010 Sikh Summit Report, which will be released
shortly.
2010 Sikh Summit Delegates met with the
following lawmakers:
Members of United States Congress
-
Albio Sires (NJ-13)
- Brian Bilbray (CA-50)
- John Barrow
(GA-12)
- John Garamendi (CA-10)
- John Lewis (GA-5)
- Judy Chu (CA)
- Loretta Sanchez (CA-47)
- Michael Honda
(CA-15)
- Pete Stark (CA-13)
- Scott Garrett (NJ-5)
-
Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)
- Steve Rothman (NJ-9)
- Xavier
Becerra (CA-31)
- Yvette Clarke (NY-11)
- Zoe Lofgren (CA-16)
United States Senators
- Arlen
Specter (PA)
- Benjamin Cardin (MD)
- Dianne Feinstein (CA)
-
Jim Webb (VA)
- John Cornyn (TX)
- Joseph Lieberman (CT)
- Kay Bailey
Hutchison (TX)
- Kirtsen Gillibrand (NY)
- Patricia Murray
(WA)
- Sherrod Brown (OH)
Additionally,
the delegation also met with:
- House Committee on TSA
- USCIRF
- USDOJ Meeting
-
White House Office of Public Engagement
May 13, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: Balbir Singh Sodhi, JP (London, United Kingdom), May 13, 2010, 3:06 PM.
I wish the United Sikhs and the other Sikh organizations involved in this worthy cause, a speedy success.
2: Gurjender Singh (Maryland, U.S.A.), May 13, 2010, 9:32 PM.
Dear United Sikhs Director Kashmir Singh ji: Congratulation for your wonderful effort to educate Congressmen and other lawmakers. Besides this, I would like to make a few suggestions: 1) We need to educate common people on the road about Sikhi. Starting with the significance of the Sikh turban. We do not have to teach full Sikhi. We can do it via advertisements in newspapers, Metro, TV, and main stream media, radio, various talk shows, etc. 2) Simple advertisement such as salute to the first Army Sikh with a turban (with picture), or the first Sikh Prime Minister of India (with turban), will go a long way. 3) Bring the young generation in the front so that they can discuss the turban issue without going in loud; 4) Bring all young associations to work together to reduce overhead expenses.