Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world, accounting for over 30 million people worldwide. In the early 20th century, Sikh settlers began migrating to the U.S. from India for job opportunities and good farmland, and since then, the Sikh population in America has rapidly grown to over 1 million. Yet, even though Sikhism is the fifth-largest religion in the world with such a significant population when the National Sikh Campaign (NCS) conducted a nationwide survey on Americans’ understanding of Sikhism, it found that 60% of Americans were clueless about the existence of this religion (Singh, par. 2). This shocking number is clear in the lives of the average Sikh living in America who experiences all forms of hate and bigotry daily. Because of the lack of knowledge of the religion, Sikhs have always been grouped in with Muslims even though these are two completely separate religions, and after the devastating attack of 9/11, Sikhs faced massive religious discrimination denying them the full extent of the American dream. This dream entails that everybody in America, regardless of race or religion, has equal opportunities in all aspects of life and can pursue their dreams to their full extent. However, Sikh Americans are cheated out of this dream due to the prevalent religious discrimination, harmful rhetoric, and common occurrences of violence that they face.
Fig. 1. Survey on Americans’ Understanding of Sikhs (DeseretNews, 2015).
One central problem that stands in the way of Sikh Americans being able to achieve the American dream is the widespread religious discrimination they face that primarily stems from a lack of understanding of the religion. Several reports have concluded that certain traditions of Sikhism have led to an increase in stereotyping and segregation. For instance, a 2017 CNN news report stated, “Since 9/11, Sikh-American groups say members of their religion have faced discrimination and abuse because their long beards and turbans make them more visible than other minority groups. Last year, multiple Sikhs reported that they felt no safer, 15 years after the terrorist attacks, and that the threat of hate and racism has become a part of their daily lives” (Suri, pars. 5–6). The lack of education in this country has led to the xenophobia shown in the news report. As we stated before, the average American is oblivious to the religion, and so when they see an American-Sikh walking down the street or shopping at Walmart with a long beard and turban, they immediately associate that image with the pictures they see in the news of extremist groups such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda. This racial profiling has affected the average Sikh in all aspects of life and it has even led them to be deprived of public services. In 2016, ProPublica covered what became national news stating, “Sikh American model Waris Ahluwalia was barred from boarding a flight in America because of his beard and turban” (Thompson, pars. 8–9). This incident became viral and Waris became a massive figure and was even featured in an episode of the daily show, which covered the extent of anti-Sikhism in the U.S. In this episode, Waris and several other Sikh Americans described countless stories of being forced to go through additional security checks at airports, being banned from jobs, and even being denied from eating at some restaurants. Through all these cases, we cannot deny the hard truth that religious discrimination affects Sikhs at the highest levels and structures in American society.
Fig. 2. Waris Alhuwalia (Joshua Rich, 2016).
Another essential topic we need to address is the rhetoric directed toward Sikhs. In recent years, the hateful rhetoric towards them has increased since 2016 with protests of deporting minorities. PBS did a study on the causes of anti-Sikhism and reported, “During the 2016 Presidential Campaign, various talks by certain politicians on keeping Muslims out of the country and enforcing stricter immigration laws spurred hatred towards the Sikhs” (Kai-Hwa Wang, pars. 12). This reveals the extent of racist rhetoric against Sikhs in the U.S. and how it’s not just used by ordinary uneducated people, but even by politicians and presidents. To understand the effects and consequences this hateful rhetoric has on Sikhs’ mental well-being, let’s look at Inderjit Singh Mukker, a 54-year-old driver who has lived in Illinois for 25 years. ProPublica interviewed Inderjit and stated, “He seemed tired. Tired of people calling him travel head diaper head or terrorist. He was tired of people telling him he wasn’t an American even though he was a U.S. citizen and lived in Illinois for more than half his life” (Thompson, pars. 5–6). Through Inderjit’s experiences, we can see a clear example of the hateful rhetoric that Sikhs constantly face in the U.S. and the mental toll that it has taken on them over the years, eventually wearing them down. Some of the core aspects of the American dream are personal fulfillment, happiness, and peace. But how can we preach this dream and offer these things in our country to the rest of the world when we have people like Inderjit who are constantly treated like garbage by a society that rejects them due to their faith? The answer is we can’t unless we educate the American people and change the harmful rhetoric used against Sikhs.
Fig. 3. Inderjit Singh Mukker (ProPublica, 2017).
Fig. 4. Protest on hateful rhetoric (CNN, 2016).
Last but not least, to solve anti-Sikhism in the U.S., we need to address the rising occurrence of violent hate crimes against Sikhs. According to the Sikh Coalition Center, “In the first month following 9/11, there were over 300 cases of violent acts against Sikhs in the U.S” (Singh, par. 4). CNN did a nationwide survey and recorded that 54% of Sikh children have experienced harassment in school, and 67% of Sikh children who wear turbans have experienced physical abuse. (Suri, pars. 10–11). The U.S. Census Bureau recorded that in the years after 9/11, 73% of Sikhs faced acts of violence (Moundi, 5). These are just three of countless statistics that constantly report new violent hate crimes against Sikhs, but one commonality that we can conclude from these statistics is that violence against Sikhs is a very common issue. Many people are under the false perception that these hate crimes are very minor, such as simple pushing and shoving, and they don’t do any real harm to Sikhs. However, these crimes are often very severe and can lead to permanent physical and psychological damage, or even death. The Southern Poverty Law, which tracks hate crimes, reported, “A white man drove to a Chevron gas station in Arizona and murdered Sikh owner Balbir Singh, stating that he thought Balbir was hiding a bomb underneath the turban.” The murderer, Frank Roque, had reportedly told friends that he was “going to go out and shoot some towel-heads” the day of the attack (Thompson, pars. 14–15). How can we expect Sikhs to feel safe when they hear about these horrendous acts of violence happening for absolutely no reason? Ignorance and uneducation are plagues in this country, and while this is not the fault of the Sikh community, they’re the ones who have to pay the price, like Balbir Singh did that day with his life.
Fig. 5. A Tribute to Balbir Singh (SALDEF).
Fig. 6. A Tribute to victims of hate crimes (The Conversation).
Many people may disagree with the assertion that America has failed Sikhs. They may argue that America has offered them the full extent of the American dream because there are no specific laws against Sikhs, and therefore, they have just as much opportunity for success as anyone else. However, this is false because there have been several laws in the past that blatantly discriminate against Sikhs. For example, there was a law that still stands that Sikhs in the military cannot wear a turban and must cut off their hair and beard (Moundi, 7). This law violates three core tenets of the Sikh faith and discourages them from joining the military. These same people may also assert that Sikhs living in America have a higher salary and therefore higher quality of life than the average American. The BLS reported in 2019 that “Sikh Americans’ salary on average is around $52000, slightly more than the national average” (Suri, par. 15). However, this doesn’t invalidate that Americans haven’t failed Sikhs. There have been countless reported cases of employment discrimination against Sikhs in several industries, so for a Sikh American to become successful in America, he or she has to overcome far more obstacles than the average American. Despite the extra challenges Sikh Americans face, their being on par with the average American is nothing but a testament to their hard work and determination.
After examining the evidence, we can safely conclude that America has failed Sikhs and hasn’t provided them with the full extent of the American dream, a concept that encompasses the ideals of freedom, equality of opportunity, and the pursuit of success regardless of one’s race or
religion. To truly uphold America’s commitment to providing the American dream to all Americans, we, as a country, must work towards the betterment of Sikhs by eliminating the religious discrimination, hateful rhetoric, and brutal acts of violence that they face. Addressing this requires efforts to promote education, awareness, and tolerance, as well as challenging stereotypes and prejudices that have contributed to discrimination against them. Only then, can we create a true home for Sikhs where they can proudly call themselves Americans.
Fig. 7. Sikh Protest against anti-Sikh Laws (azcentral, 2017).
Works Cited
CNN. 7 Mar. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/03/06/asia/sikh-hate-crimes-us-muslims/index.html#:~:text=Since%209%2F11%2C%20Sikh%2D,levels%20not%20seen%20since%202001.
Digital Commons Law. Digital Commons Law, digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1021&context=rgssj-law-journal#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20Trend%20of%20Discrimination%20Against%20Sikhs&text=But%20as%20a%20devastating%20response,and%20racial%20and%20religious%20profiling. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
“Discrimination Against Sikhs Has Risen After 9/11.” AJ+, 10 Feb. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt_KC4Ww5mU.
PBS News Hour. 11 Oct. 2021, www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/this-is-in-our-dna-how-sikh-americans-advocate-for-solidarity-while-campaigning-against-hate-crimes-prejudices.
ProPublica. 4 Aug. 2017, www.propublica.org/article/sikhs-in-america-hate-crime-victims-and-bias.
The Sikh Coalition. 9 Aug. 2017, www.sikhcoalition.org/about-sikhs/sikhs-in-america/.
