Racialization of Sikhs In The United States

[jasmine[lbc]]

Hi All!

A paper I started while in law school was published last year in the UCLA Asian Pacific American Law Journal and I wanted to share it with those interested on this forum. It took me forever to create a log-in, etc (bad excuse), which is why I didn't share here sooner.

The paper is called "Everything I'm Not Made Me Everything I am": The Racialization of Sikhs In the United States. I started it while taking classes in the Critical Race Studies program at UCLA Law. In the paper I investigate the ways racial categories are constructed in the US and explain how Sikhs have been filtered into these various categories at different moments in history. Specifically, I evaluate the sentiments informing the racial hierarchy and how these sentiments have informed Sikhs' responses to their categorization.

If you are interested in reading the paper, please let me know!

 

[Jabar Jung]

Yes please

 

[COMTONDAJATT]

I would love to read it. Sounds interesting.

Have you guys been getting that chain e-mail telling Sikhs to put other in the race category on the census and put Sikh instead?

 

[ban3rg]

Yes!!!

 

[Saleem]

Definitely, upload/link it!

 

[HarmanSingh]

Yes.

 

[ENVY BANG-RUH]

YESSSSSSSSSSSS

 

[Sher]

post it or email it to me please

 

[blanca_c]

I'm definitely interested in reading it! And congrats on being published!

 

[Sher]

I would love to read it. Sounds interesting.

Have you guys been getting that chain e-mail telling Sikhs to put other in the race category on the census and put Sikh instead?

I actually talked to one of the guys with United Sikhs leading the 'campaign' to recognize Sikhs as a separate race because I didn't really see the thinking behind it (the census form lists races as Asian Indian, White, African American etc, not Hindu, Christian, Muslim etc.). He basically said Sikhs follow the guidelines needed to be its own race/ethnic group and explained how beneficial it would be for the Sikh community to be recognized as a separate race. He told me the government gives out funds to the different racial groups and if Sikhs are listed as a separate race all funds from this category would be to Sikh community projects. He also said the Census Bureau said they would list Sikh as a race on the next Census if 200,000 people put down Sikh this year.

I'm not saying I think this guy was right, I simply stated his opinion on it.

 

[Meistro]

I actually talked to one of the guys with United Sikhs leading the 'campaign' to recognize Sikhs as a separate race because I didn't really see the thinking behind it (the census form lists races as Asian Indian, White, African American etc, not Hindu, Christian, Muslim etc.). He basically said Sikhs follow the guidelines needed to be its own race/ethnic group and explained how beneficial it would be for the Sikh community to be recognized as a separate race. He told me the government gives out funds to the different racial groups and if Sikhs are listed as a separate race all funds from this category would be to Sikh community projects. He also said the Census Bureau said they would list Sikh as a race on the next Census if 200,000 people put down Sikh this year.

I'm not saying I think this guy was right, I simply stated his opinion on it.

the "sikh community" is not a race. it is a religion. Huge difference. If we did this for sikhs, many other special interest groups would do the exact same. Bad idea.

 

[Sher]

I actually talked to one of the guys with United Sikhs leading the 'campaign' to recognize Sikhs as a separate race because I didn't really see the thinking behind it (the census form lists races as Asian Indian, White, African American etc, not Hindu, Christian, Muslim etc.). He basically said Sikhs follow the guidelines needed to be its own race/ethnic group and explained how beneficial it would be for the Sikh community to be recognized as a separate race. He told me the government gives out funds to the different racial groups and if Sikhs are listed as a separate race all funds from this category would be to Sikh community projects. He also said the Census Bureau said they would list Sikh as a race on the next Census if 200,000 people put down Sikh this year.

I'm not saying I think this guy was right, I simply stated his opinion on it.

the "sikh community" is not a race. it is a religion. Huge difference. If we did this for sikhs, many other special interest groups would do the exact same. Bad idea.

I agree...thats why I said that other stuff wasn't my opinion haha. I just wanted to give the thought process behind listing it as a race.

 

[ameetkhabra]

I would love to read this paper !

& i agree with Meistro, Sikhism is a religion being East Indian is a race

 

[terabaap]

Interesting to bring up the topic of what Race truly is. I think the supreme court ruled(in a case involving a Sikh, though no 100% sure) that "South-East Asians" actually fall into the Caucasian category. Albeit this is too simple of a classification when it comes to something such as the census.

 

[COMTONDAJATT]

Interesting to bring up the topic of what Race truly is. I think the supreme court ruled(in a case involving a Sikh, though no 100% sure) that "South-East Asians" actually fall into the Caucasian category. Albeit this is too simple of a classification when it comes to something such as the census.

Back in the day Bhagat Singh Thind argued he should be able to be able to become a naturalized citizen because Indians = Aryans = White. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Bhagat_Singh_Thind . He lost. Apparently they mixed too much with the dirty dark Dravids

I actually talked to one of the guys with United Sikhs leading the 'campaign' to recognize Sikhs as a separate race because I didn't really see the thinking behind it (the census form lists races as Asian Indian, White, African American etc, not Hindu, Christian, Muslim etc.). He basically said Sikhs follow the guidelines needed to be its own race/ethnic group and explained how beneficial it would be for the Sikh community to be recognized as a separate race. He told me the government gives out funds to the different racial groups and if Sikhs are listed as a separate race all funds from this category would be to Sikh community projects. He also said the Census Bureau said they would list Sikh as a race on the next Census if 200,000 people put down Sikh this year.

I'm not saying I think this guy was right, I simply stated his opinion on it.

It just seems wrong. What will the Caucasian Sikhs put? I dunno, I just feel if something like this happens next thing we will hear is that people will say 'omg look we are separate martial race who is superior'. Who gets the funds that the government gives out anyway? If it is some organization like SALDEF then that is cool but if random gurudwaras are getting it then I don't trust their judgment with the money.

 

[HarmanSingh]

Sikhi is about unity of humankind (not just MANkind) across racial, ethnic, social, economic, gender, caste lines. This is a sign of separation and distance from unity.

It is not fair or appropriate to ask a Punjabi to deny his Indian culture/heritage, nor is it fair or appropriate to ask a white Sikh or black Sikh to deny their racial makeup and lineage. Sikhism isn't a race, it is not something you are born into, nor does it depend on your parents/family. It is a philosophy on life you can choose to follow, whatever race you are doesn't matter.

I am not a fan of this initiative. It just doesn't make any sense for me to say my race is Sikh by the definition(s) of race or by what Sikhi is about.

 

[H.S.]

Sikhi is about unity of humankind (not just MANkind) across racial, ethnic, social, economic, gender, caste lines. This is a sign of separation and distance from unity.

It is not fair or appropriate to ask a Punjabi to deny his Indian culture/heritage, nor is it fair or appropriate to ask a white Sikh or black Sikh to deny their racial makeup and lineage. Sikhism isn't a race, it is not something you are born into, nor does it depend on your parents/family. It is a philosophy on life you can choose to follow, whatever race you are doesn't matter.

good point.

and yes, jasmine..pls link me!

 

[Piarpreet Kaur]

i am not sure sikh could be a race. But id like to see your arguements (read)

We are thousands of white sikhs all throughout Latin America and Europe...also New Mexico.
We are still caucasian or Hispanic DNA is not Dharma...

 

[jasmine[lbc]]

My paper actually directly addresses some of the issues that come up in this thread. Excited to have you all read it!

I can't post it here but can email to those that are interested. Please send me your email address and I will send you a PDF of the article.

Without getting too much into the details of the issue, my contention is that Sikhs should not create a separate category for themselves on the Census. The Census is used partially to account for various racial and ethnic groups and distribute resources to them accordingly. If we separate ourselves out from the Asian Indian category, we run the risk of defeating coalition-building efforts and undermining funding for our causes.

Hope everyone has filled out their Census form!

 

[AnnayPaul]

haahaa