Denise Leifker

“Hindu.”, “Go back to your county.”, “Terrorist.” These are remarks heard around the Yuba City, California area by ordinary, hard-working, American citizens who happen to come from East India and happen to be Sikhs. Because Sikhs are misunderstood, they have become a second set of victims of 9/11.

As a Sutter County Probation Officer, I care about justice not only for probationers under my supervision but I also care about social justice in the Yuba City community. Recently, I became concerned about what I perceived to be unfair, discriminatory treatment of Sikhs in Yuba City. To investigate this problem, I interviewed three Sikhs who live in Yuba City. To protect their identities, I refer to them as Jon Jones, Michael Morris, and Sara Sanders.

Jon Jones works in the agricultural field and has done so for over 27 years. He is very involved in the Sikh community, and he shared information about the consequences of 9/11 for Sikhs. He does not dress in the traditional Sikh manner. Michael Morris, a medical doctor, was born and raised in India. He moved to the United States in the 1970s. Like Jon, Michael is very active in the Sikh community, and he promotes various Sikh activities such as the annual festival in Yuba City and a recently released movie, out of Hollywood, “The Gold Bracelet”. The film is not just about Sikhs but about respecting diversity and tolerance in America. Michael wears a turban in the traditional Sikh manner. As for Sara Sanders, she is a school counselor. She promotes the activities of the Sikh community, and she also is promoting the recently released movie “The Gold Bracelet”. Sara dresses in the traditional Sikh fashion on certain occasions. She thinks any discrimination she has experienced is likely due to the way she has dressed or the company she kept.

Discrimination

In the aftermath of 9/11, Muslims or those who “appear” to be Muslim, such as Sikhs, have suffered discrimination. Acts of discrimination against Sikhs have been reported around the world. As of 2006, 800 hate crimes were reported against Sikhs in the United States. Although the numbers have decreased since 2001, there are still acts of hatred occurring locally and nationwide. These acts of hate include murder, assault, death threats, and hate speeches against individuals, as well as vandalism, arson, and threats against homes, schools, business and places of worship. Discrimination against people who “appear” to be Muslim is proving to be a persistent problem, particularly in the workplace and in air travel. Of obvious concern are cases where travelers have been denied boarding or been removed from aircraft after having passed through security screening, or have been required to remove religious head coverings for no apparent reason. I specifically recall an incident, not more than three months ago, in which I was standing in line to board a plane and a Sikh gentleman was standing next to me. No one would let him step in line. He was obviously growing frustrated, and I stepped back to let him in. He looked at me with a sense of relief and quietly stepped in line.

Two days following 9/11, outside of Sunrise mall in Citrus Heights, California, a Sikh man and his eleven year old son were taunted by a passersby saying, “Terrorists, go back to Afghanistan”. A day or two after that, a man was arrested in West Sacramento for blocking the entrance to a Sikh temple and draining a pool of sacred water. For months following 9/11, Carmichael and Vacaville, California postal carriers of Sikh dissent were reported to authorities by local residents as “looking suspicious”. According to Michael Morris, in Yuba City an eighteen year old man was pushed off of his bicycle by harassers as he was peddling home from the temple one summer day. Michael stated that in the past it was not unusual for him to be called “Osma” or to be “given the finger”. He feels these actions have subsided since 9/11 but are certainly not unheard of.

According to a 2003 article by Raj Jayadev, there were three shootings of cab drivers in two months in the San Francisco Bay area. Davinder Singh, 21, was shot to death by two passengers September 13, 2003 in Redwood City. Gurpreet Singh, 23, was killed July 2, 2003 in Richmond, and another cab driver, Inderjit Singh, 29, was shot in the jaw July 5, 2003 when he responded to a call from his dispatcher. Police in Richmond and Redwood City determined robbery to be the primary cause of the shootings, but many Sikh cab drivers say the crimes were about racial hatred. “They just see the turban and the beard and they hate us.” says Baljit Singh, an older Sikh man who has driven a cab in the Bay Area for four years.

In March of 2006, an Elderly Sikh man sustained a fractured hip after he was knocked off his bicycle by unknown assailants in Yuba City. The Sikh man was riding his bike near Garden Highway, when four or five occupants of a sport utility vehicle began throwing rocks at him. None of the rocks hit him, so he ignored the men - described as either Hispanic or white males between 25 and 30 years old - and continued riding. The men drove ahead of the Sikh man and stopped the vehicle, where one man got out and allegedly pushed the Sikh man, causing him to fall off his bicycle.

As recently as July of 2006, Iqbal Singh, was standing with his 2-year-old granddaughter in his family's carport, waiting to depart for a religious service at the San Jose Gurdwara, when he was stabbed once in the neck with a steak knife. Everett Thompson, the 25-year-old assailant, was a neighbor who said in police interviews that he stabbed Singh because he wanted to kill a Taliban.

Nationally, acts against Sikhs have been even more horrific. On September 15, 2001, in Mesa, Arizona, a Sikh gas station owner was shot and killed by a man yelling “I stand for the flag”. A man approached the gas station and fired shots from his truck into the store before moving on to fire shots at other Arabic gas station owners in the area. According to a story in the New York Times, in May of 2003, in the Phoenix, Arizona area, a truck driver was shot and seriously wounded in the abdomen and thigh because he was a Sikh who wore a turban. The driver, Avtar Singh, had parked his 18-wheeler in Phoenix and was waiting for his son to pick him up when at least two young white men pulled up and yelled, ''Go back to where you belong!'' and began firing shots.

A little less serious, yet still remarkable, in March of 2003, a Sikh American sued the New York City Police Department for firing him. He was allegedly fired for refusing to remove his turban and trim his beard. Amric Singh Rathour applied for the position of level II traffic enforcement agent in late 2000. In 2001, he was hired and sworn in as an officer at a ceremony. During this NYPD ceremony, he wore his turban and maintained his uncut beard. When Rathour arrived for his first day of training, he was told that he was required to wear a hat and would have to forego his turban. Rathour submitted a religious accommodation request and was denied. Similarly, in 2002, a Sikh member was denied entry into the front lines of the U.S. Army because he refused to cut his beard.

In September of 2003, a member of the Sikh population sued Delta and Atlantic Coast airlines and a flight attendant for mistreating him on a flight for wearing a traditional beard and turban. He claims that he retrieved a magazine from an overhead bin and sat down when he was berated by the flight attendant who referred to him and a Muslim from the Middle East. When he attempted to explain that he was Sikh not Muslim, the flight attendant told him “shut up” and “do not cause any problems”. She said she would ask the Captain to take the plane back to the gate.

According to Sara Sanders, she had a similar discriminatory experience in 2002 when she went to Disneyland with her family. She was on her way through security when she realized she accidentally left a small bottle of cologne in her baby’s diaper bag. At the security checkpoint, she was forced to throw it away. The woman felt that she was discriminated against because she was a Sikh, traveling with other Sikhs. Any white person would not have been asked to throw it away. The security personnel remarked to her, “We wouldn’t want it getting into the watering system”. Sara has chosen not to travel by plane since this incident. She does not like having to deal with the fear and risks. The Sikh production “Mistaken Identity: Sikhs in American” produced in 2002, reveals that there were in excess of 290 attacks on Sikhs in the United States. By 2006, this number had soared to over 800. All of these acts have made Sikhs feel frightened, restless and uncertain; feelings that should not be felt by American citizens anywhere. Many Sikhs feel that the best way to reduce discrimination is to educate people and to be proud of their religion and customs.

One of the ways that Sikhs try to promote their love of the United States and send people a clear message is by showing their patriotism. According to Sara Sanders, older Sikh men that dress traditionally, often put flags on their bikes, vehicles, and in the yards of their homes. These acts are done more for protection than for any other reason. When people see the flag, some of their fears and hatred disappear.

On the positive side, two interviewees proclaimed that Yuba City and Marysville, home to over 800 Sikhs, is a very understanding and accepting area. Sikhs have been in the Yuba City and Marysville areas for over one hundred years and people recognize that they are neither Muslims nor terrorists. They stand for something different, something special.

Who are the Sikhs?

The first Sikhs arrived to the Yuba City area in 1880 from Punjab, India. Male immigrants were allowed to enter the United States, but their wives were forced to stay behind. Since the females were not allowed to follow, many early arriving Sikh men married women in the United States. Laws prohibited them from marrying white women, so many Sikh men married Mexican women. Since the Punjabi language is very difficult to learn, early Sikh men often became fluent in Spanish. Immigration laws were very strict until after World War II, when a large number of Sikhs started to arrive. Men were now allowed to bring their wives, and Sikh families began to grow.

Sikhs in the United States total over 500,000 with approximately 100,000 of these living in California. Early Sikhs were very poor and worked hard as farmhands and manual laborers. In 1961, most of the Sikhs were farmers. There were only two professional Sikhs in the community in 1961. Michael Morris, arrived as a medical doctor in the 1970s. He came here in appreciation of our democracy but maintained his strong cultural beliefs and customs. Northern California has grown to be the center of Sikhism. Although many are still hard working farmers, the profits of years of hard work have paid off. You will easily find established Sikhs living in the wealthier parts of Yuba City and driving some of the fanciest sports cars around.

Religion

Sikhs are members of the fifth largest religion in the world and the second largest religion in the Yuba City area. What is it that makes the religion of Sikhs different from that of Muslims? First and most importantly, Sikhs respect other religions. Unlike the Muslims, who oppose other religions, Sikhs respect the beliefs of other religions even though they have their own specific beliefs. Sikhs believe in one “supreme being” and devote a great portion of their lives to God. Sikhism is a religion devoted to non-violence, community service, equality and tolerance. One example of how accepting the Sikhs are is the openness of their Temples. Sikh Temples are open nearly 24 hours a day and serve food to anyone in need. 15,000 Sikhs live in the Sacramento area and there are seven Sikh temples or gurdwaras.

One of the main things that make Sikhs appear similar to that of Muslims is the wearing of the turban. Sikhs wear a turban to preserve the hair that they never cut. The ritual of not cutting their hair is referred to as kesh. Sikhs choose not to cut their hair because it is the way God made them and they wish to leave that untouched. Also, kept underneath the turban is a small comb called a kariqua. The kariqua is kept in the turban to keep the hair clean and combed. Turbans can be worn by men, women and children, with men being the most likely to wear them. The turban has been at the crux of many acts of discrimination. “Before 9/11, maybe once in awhile some crazy guy would say something negative to me, but otherwise life was quite normal” (Hansra, J6: Creamer, 2006). Following 9/11, the entire United States seemed to grow suspicious of the turban and thus the Sikhs. Hate crimes grew, as it was assumed that the turban meant affiliation with the Taliban.

Two other symbols of Sikh religion are the kara which is a steel seamless bracelet and the kirpan. A kirpan is a knife or sword in various sizes carried by baptized Sikhs. According to Jon Jones, this knife or sword has reportedly been a problem for some Sikhs that have tried to wear it while traveling by plane. They are now only allowed to bring it with them as checked luggage. A final symbol of the Sikh religion, worn by baptized Sikhs, are undergarments referred to as kachheras. They are similar to boxer shorts and are often worn under the tunic style dress of the Sikhs. Kachheras can be worn by males or females. Members of the Sikh religion often choose to abstain from alcohol and tobacco and unlike the Muslim religion, promote equality of women.

Education and Spread of Information

Michael Morris feels that the key to educating people about the Sikhs is to teach the children in school. Textbooks need to contain information about the Sikh culture, along with pictures to help children learn. Children need to learn differences between religions, customs and practices. Otherwise, how else would children know that someone that looks like Osma bin Laden does not believe the same things that Osma bin Laden believes?

In addition to teaching children in schools, following September 11, 2001, there were many efforts undertaken to educate the public about the Sikh population. Videos were created for broadcast, meetings were held to gather support, members of the Sikh community met with President Bush asking for assistance with hate crimes, and numerous websites such as www.infoaboutsikhs.com and www.sikhpride.com were created. In addition, the Sikhs hold an annual Sikh festival in Yuba City, California in which everyone is welcome to attend and celebrate. During this festival, they celebrate their religion and customs through dancing, singing, remembering lost Sikhs, recognizing important people that have made a difference in the Sikh community and promoting various aspects of the Sikh religion. The 27th annual festival is scheduled to be held November 5, 2006.

Interesting to note, as if the Sikhs do not experience enough hate from Americans, a letter was received by Sutter County Sheriff’s Department, the Yuba City Police Department and the local newspaper on November 1, 2006, claiming they would destroy the Sikh Temple on the day in November of the celebration of the guru’s birthday. This letter was signed from the “Taliban group”. Can the Sikhs ever find peace and be allowed to be free of fear and demise? Hopefully, as time passes and people become more educated, this will be so. Sikhs are also actively involved in supporting causes to combat terrorism and assist in aiding victims such as donating to the American Red Cross. What more can we ask for from them? They are discriminated against on a daily basis and still continue to be generous and supportive.

Two Simple Lessons

Doing this informal investigation taught me a couple of lessons. First, Sikhs are kind and gentle souls; they need to be appreciated for who they are rather than who they “appear” to be. Second, ignorance about Sikhs causes discrimination. If you are not part of the Sikh community, I challenge you to take the initiative and meet a Sikh today. Introduce yourself. Ask questions. Educate yourself. Learn about the Sikh culture. As Michael Morris says, “Many people are just curious and really mean no harm.” Perhaps if we can satisfy people’s innate curiosity and dispel some of the ignorance about Sikhs, then Sikhs will be able to once again live in peace and harmony with their fellow Americans.

REFERENCES

Bhatt, K. (2006). Yuba City, Prune Capital of California, is also veritable ‘chhotta Punjab’. Available on-line at: www.nriinternet.com

CNN (2001). Man Questioned in Shooting Death of Sikh. Available on-line at: http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/16/gen.mesa.shooting/

Creamer, A. (2006). To be Sikh in Sacramento. Sacramento Bee. April 7, 2006. pages J5-J6.

DNSI (2006). Elderly Sikh Man Victimized in Yuba City. Available on-line at: http://korematsu.blogspot.com.

Gesine, A. (2002). Mistaken Identity: Sikhs in America. DVD. WLWD: New York, New York.

Gokhale, K. (2006). Grandfather Mistaken for Taliban, Stabbed in Hate Crime. Aug. 11, 2006. Available on-line at: http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/

Harris, Ryan. (2006). YC Sikh Parade Rolling In. November 3, 2006. Appeal-Democrat.

Ians (2003) Sikh sues NYPD for Religious Discrimination. Available on-line at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Jayadev, R. (2003). Rash of Shootings have Sikh Cabbies Living on the Edge. Pacific News Service. November 28, 2003. Available on-line at: http://news.asianweek.com/news.

Jewitt, C. (2004) Army Rules Deter Sikhs from Joining. Sacramento Bee. February 27, 2004.

N.Y. Times (2003). Hateful Words can Escalate. New York Times, May 23, 2003, Page E1.

Punjabi American Heritage Society (2005). 11th Annual Punjabi American Festival. DVD. Punjabi American Heritage Society.

Sify (2003). Sikh Files Discrimination Lawsuit. September 17, 2003. Available on-line at: http//sify.com/news

The Sikh Coalition (2005). Coalitions Efforts in New York City. November 17, 2005. Available on-line at: http://www.sikecoalition.org.

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (2003) Civil Rights Concerns In the Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Area in the Aftermath of the September 11, 2001, Tragedies. District of Columbia, Maryland.


Copyright ©2006 Denise Leifker. About The Author