#sikh american

[modernmarcy]

“Breathe and Push”: Sikh-American civil rights activist Valarie Kaur’s awe-inspiring plea to her country during the "reawakening” of White Nationalism under Donald Trump. 

“I close my eyes and I see the darkness of my grandfather's cell, and I can feel the spirit of ever-rising optimism - in the Sikh tradition, Chardi Kala (ascending energy) - within him. And so the mother in me asks, what if? What if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb, but the darkness of the womb? What if our America is not dead, but a country that is waiting to be born? What if the story of America is one of long labor? 

... What does our midwife tell us to do? Breathe and push. Because if we don’t push we will die. If we don’t push our nation will die. Tonight we will breathe. Tomorrow we will labor. Labor in love, through love, and your revolutionary love is the magic that we will show our children. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.”

I know this isn’t Adventure Time related, but this woman is inspirational and her message cannot be lost if we want to move forward to a better America. Please watch and reblog to pass the message on. 

[micdotcom]

Sikh man falsely accused of terror attack  ... again

A Sikh man, Veerender Jubbal, was wrongly accused of being a terrorist at the Bastille Day attacks in Nice, France — making it the second time he was falsely accused of terrorism. The above doctored image of Jubbal previously went viral just 9 months ago after another major attack.

[micdotcom]

Sikh teen who wrote anti-bullying book faces discrimination at the airport

Karanveer Singh Pannu is a Sikh-American high-school student who wrote a book about Sikh youth who get bullied in school. Pannu recently travelled from New Jersey to the annual Sikh Youth Symposium in Bakersfield, California, to discuss his work with the community there. At the airport though, he once again came face to face with profiling: “They threatened me that I could not fly.”

[gluedeyez-blog]

Sikh-American Army officer can now serve in the US military with turban, long hair and beard The United States Army on Thursday decided to provide a long-term religious accommodation to Captain Simratpal Singh who is a decorated Sikh-American officer and is also a combat veteran.

[micdotcom]

Sikh-American Captain Simratpal Singh is suing the Army for the right to wear his beard and turban

It was a historic moment when U.S. Army Captain Simratpal Singh was originally given temporary accommodations for the beard and turban he wears as part of his Sikh religion. But now, the first Sikh in years to be accommodated by the U.S. military is suing them for discrimination on the basis of religion. As the end date of his accommodation draws closer, officials told Singh he must undergo a series of tests.

[micdotcom]

The TSA made this Sikh comedian remove his turban for “safety”

Comedian Jasmeet Singh was traveling after a performance at UC Berkeley when Transportation Security Administration agents stopped him at a security checkpoint in a San Francisco. He documented the whole thing in tweets (above). Singh later explained to his followers why TSA asking a Sikh to remove his turban is not the same as asking a flier to remove his shoes.

[asianamsmakingmusic]

Sikhs in Northern California celebrate special events with Giddha and Bhangra, songs and dances from their native land, Punjab, India. The film shows women in their workplaces in America and in a harvest festival performance. The Punjabi narrator describes the meaning of several songs. Rehearsals and performances by children and teenagers show how the dances are evolving to reflect the influence of contemporary cinema. Wedding rituals, a Sunday religious service, and women relating their feelings about living in America give a glimpse of hearts shared between India and California.

Film by Joyce Middlebrook Produced by Joyce Middlebrook Cinematographer:  Steve Field, Marc Page, Joyce Middlebrook Sound: Editing: Duane Tyler, Joyce Middlebrook Copyright: 1992, Joyce Middlebrook 26 minutes, Color Original format: 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic, 1992

[micdotcom]

Sikh American man becomes Fresno’s first homicide victim of 2016

On New Year's Day, a 68-year-old liquor store employee named Gurcharan Singh Gill was found stabbed to death at an auto repair shop in central Fresno, California. It was the city's first homicide of 2016, according to reports. This is the second violent crime committed against a Sikh person in Fresno in the last two weeks.