A Critical Analysis of Post 9/11 Sikh American Activism: Addressing White and Christian Supremacy
Guest Blogged by Jaideep Singh As the Sikh American community embarks yet another mobilization against hate attacks— since this latest episode of violence has really hit home with many Sikhs in a way rarely seen since Balbir Singh Sodhi— we would do well to first answer the difficult,...
Sikhs Occupying Wall Street
In October I wrote a piece about Sikhs and the Occupy Wall Street movement, stating,  “I haven’t seen one other person who was easily identifiable as a Sikh.   I’m sure other Sikhs have come through at different times, but to be sure, this is no significant Sikh presence.”  I am glad...
Sikhi for Profit?
Guest blogged by Navdeep Singh Dhillon For my first post as a guest blogger, I wanted to address an issue that has been irritating me since September, when I first read about it. [An anonymous] Mehmaan wrote a post titled “Valarie Kaur, the peddler of self-promotion.” Mehmaan’s claim is essentially...
No one is illegal
I just came across this great campaign to urge the American public to stop calling immigrants “illegals.”  Brought to us by the racial justice media organization Colorlines, the “Drop the I-Word” Campaign website states, “The I-Word creates an environment of hate by exploiting...
A Little Outrage…
I was really moved by this audio essay from Cecilia Muñoz titled “A Little Outrage Can Take You a Long Way” on NPR’s This I Believe segment. In her reflection on activism, I connected with the statement about defeats outweighing victories, and how it motivates her to continue her work. ...
Seva & I
I was nervous. It was my first day on the job as a crisis hotline volunteer. Although I had just completed weeks of rigorous training on how to handle all types of calls – from anxiety, to depression, domestic abuse, and the dreaded suicide – I was still a little uneasy. I met my mentor for...
Half The Sky
The issue of forced marriages and domestic violence clearly struck a chord with many of the TLH readers.  But somewhere deep in the comments over titles, or whether these are Sikh or Punjabi issues, or whether or not we should air our “dirty laundry” in the first place – I feel some of...
Moving The Movement…Lahir 2009
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” (Margaret Mead) Last Summer, a small group of thoughtful, committed Sikh youth from the DC Metropolitan area came together to form “Lahir” (movement)...
My Gurdwara’s Human Rights Committee?
Play along with me here…imagine this Sunday you walk in to your local Gurdwara – remove your shoes, wash your hands, and as you make your way to the main darbar hall, you read the notices on the wall – “Education Committee holding Kirtan Classes Wednesday Night @ 6pm.” ...
When Lions Roar: The Kids Are Going To Be Alright
It is often said that a revolution begins not with the sword but with the pen. However, last Friday night in a packed banquet hall in the Toronto suburb of Malton, I witnessed a revolution begin with the microphone. At an event entitled “When Lions Roar”, fantastically organized by the Sikh...
Sukhdeep Kaur Receives Zeff Fellowship
Rice University senior, Sukhdeep Kaur, has received the Roy and Hazel Zeff Memorial Fellowship – a $25,000 grant, which will allow her to study issues of human rights and access to justice in areas around the world.  The news release states: A political science and policy studies major with a...
“Slumdog Millionaire”: What To Do Once the Glitz And Glamour Is Gone?
Amidst all the “Slumdog Millionaire” Oscar hysteria, some have been asking how are we ACTUALLY going to combat the issues of poverty in Indian slums?  I heard on “Entertainment Tonight”, or some show like that,  the movie’s directors/producers have set up a trust-fund for the child-stars...
UPS: What If Your Name Really Was Terro R Ist?
Two steps forward and one step back. Just when you think we’ve made some progress in terms of creating awareness about who we are as Sikhs, you hear of incidents like this. Here’s the story on NBC’s KGET.