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NRI SIKHs Who Wear Turbans Are Being Bullied
In Schools, 65% of Sikh children wearing a turban are bullied, often called ‘bin Laden’
ASC organize Sikh exhibit at the American School Counselors Association (ASCA) Convention in LA, July 14 – 16, 2018.

Inderpreet Kaur talking to an attendee and Jinderpal Singh and Sarbjit Singh tying turbans

Over thirty seven hundred (3,700) school counselors, graduate students, specialists, experts, educators, professors attended this conference. There were nearly a 200 exhibitors and hundreds of educational sessions covering, bullying, racism, bias, and much more.

Los Angeles, July 20, 2018
NRIpress.club/Surinder Sambhi/A.Gary Singh Grewal

Bullying Sikhs in North America is a serious problem and may develop feelings of sadness, loneliness, and isolation and a risk factor for suicide. 

Sikh parents suffer discrimination at work, at airport security and Sikh children had been punched, kicked and had their turbans ripped off by fellow students. Slurs such as “terrorists,” “go back to your country” and “bin Laden” were yelled during the assaults.

We can say that since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, there has been a marked rise in hate crimes against Sikhs. Sikhs get confused with Muslims.

The constant stress of physical assaults, threats, coercion and intimidation can take a heavy toll on a child’s psyche over time. The abuse may end at some point but the psychological, developmental, social and emotional damage can linger for years, if not a lifetime.

Surinderjit Singh Sambhi, Jinderpal Singh, attendees, Sarbjit Singh, Kavneet Singh and Joginder Singh

For NRI Sikh children, wearing a turban can be seen by other children as a significant difference from how they appear and often becomes the focus of bullying. Some Sikh children are excluded from sport activities.

American Sikh Council (ASC) volunteers in collaboration with representatives from the Khalsa Care Foundation Gurdwara, Pacoima, CA; namely Sarbjit Singh, Jinderpal Singh, Inderpreet Kaur, Dr. Jasbir Singh, Joginder Singh, Surinderjit Singh and Kavneet Singh organized and set up a Sikh exhibit at the American School Counselors Association (ASCA) Convention [National School Counselors Conference] which was held for three days, July 14 – 16, 2018.

Over thirty seven hundred (3,700) school counselors, graduate students, specialists, experts, educators, professors attended this conference. There were nearly a 200 exhibitors and hundreds of educational sessions covering, bullying, racism, bias, and much more.

The Sikh volunteers did a tremendous job of interacting with the delegates at the American School Counselors Convention. Over 2,500 brochures were disseminated, and more than 200 turbans were tied.

Various community leaders of the Sikh community of the greater Los Angeles area took the time to help organize and lead the Sikh exhibit. All the Sikh volunteers from the Los Angeles area must be congratulated for doing an excellent job of presenting the Sikh heritage and all the issues of bullying to the delegates, visitors and attendees at the convention.

Dr. Jasbir Singh, Sarbjit Singh, Jinderpal Singh and Kavneet Singh with attendees

ASC representatives interacted with the convention attendees by having conversations and answering many interesting questions posed by the counselors and educators. Brochures covering the Sikh Faith, Sikhs and Scouts, History of Sikh Americans, Bullying of Sikh American Children were displayed and distributed. The recently published book supported by the American Sikh Council ‘Bullying of Sikh American Children – Through the Eyes of a Sikh American High School Student’, www.bullyingasikhamericanchildren.org was displayed. This book was even attested by President Barack Obama on April 29, 2016.   

Other books such as the Sikh Ghadar 1907-1918, Another Aspect of the Gadar Movement and Murder of Pluralism were some of the other books displayed as resources tools which can be used by professional school counselors to help the rampant bullying and victimization of many minorities groups like the Sikh American children.

The American Sikh Council (ASC) works to promote Sikh interests at the national and international level focusing on issues of advocacy, education, and well-being of humankind and this include  teachings of Sri Guru Grant Sahib, upbringing of Sikh children and youth and imparting to them sound knowledge of, and inspiring in them real pride in the Sikh identity, religion, culture, tradition and history

 

 

Kavneet Singh