Rupinder Mohan Singh |

"A woman on the deck of a boat headed to Ellis Island in New York." (Credit: Lucas Jackson/Reuters. Source: New York Times.)

A South Asian undocumented immigrant

November 6, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

On The New York Times blog India Ink, Piyali Bhattacharya pens an article about an undocumented South Asian immigrant from Nepal named Nirmal, who left his family to find work in New York (via AnjumChoudhry Nayyar): “There is nothing for me back in Nepal,” he said. “There are no job opportunities there. Better to suffer here and let my child live in peace. Maybe because of me, she will have a better life.” These motivations are not so different from […]

Categories: Profiles, Reflections • Tags: Immigration, India Ink, New York Times, Paramjit Singh, Piyali Bhattacharya, undocumented immigrants

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Have you hugged a Sikh today? (Photo: Karaminder Ghuman)

November is California Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month

November 5, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

As it did in 2010 and 2012, the California state legislature has declared November 2013 as “Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month” across the state. The bill (Assembly Concurrent Resolution 25) was introduced by Assemblymember Robert Wieckowski, and it passed through the State Assembly and Senate in September. From the resolution: Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the month of November 2013 to be California’s Sikh American Awareness and […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Education, Events, Resources • Tags: ACR-25, California, California Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month, California State Assembly, California State Senate, Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month, Sikh Awareness Month, Sikh Coalition

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“Break the Silence” from the Kaur Foundation

November 5, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The Kaur Foundation, a non-profit Sikh awareness and educational organization (featured on this blog in June), has released a video featuring a variety of Sikhs in different occupations imploring students to “break the silence” around bullying — an issue that particularly plagues Sikh children in schools. The video is well-done and is particularly compelling. The participants in the video both empathize and demonstrate what is possible for Sikh children who may feel marginalized. See the video above, and visit the […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Resources, TV/Movies • Tags: "Break the Silence", bullying, Kaur Foundation

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"Thousands of people surround the Guru Granth Sahib, or Sikh holy scriptures, on the main float during the 34th annual Nagar Kirtan and Sikh Parade in Yuba City Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013." (Photo: David Bitton/Appeal-Democrat)

80,000 people attend 34th annual Yuba City Sikh Parade

November 4, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Even though I was aware of Yuba City, California, and its agricultural base, I was still struck yesterday by the numerous large and mature orchards that lined the highway on my route to the 34th annual Yuba City Sikh Parade (considered the largest Nagar Kirtan or Sikh religious procession in the United States). Many of these orchards are owned by Sikh Americans who settled in the area since the turn to the twentieth century, and which today still are operated […]

Categories: Events • Tags: California, Guru Granth Sahib, Nagar Kirtan, Yuba City, Yuba City Sikh Parade

Poster of Waris Ahluwalia, via @naunihalpublic.

Your weekend Waris, Part VI

November 1, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Over the last several days, many shoppers around North America were surprised to find Waris Ahluwalia (the “modern-day Marco Polo“) staring them in the face at the mall, in flyers, and in magazine ads this week. The Sikh American actor/designer/model is apparently being featured in clothing retailer Gap‘s current national marketing campaign: It’s a safe assumption that Gap has not entered the retail market for turbans, but it might be interesting to walk into your nearest Gap store, point to […]

Categories: Profiles • Tags: Gap, Waris Ahluwalia

"The cast of ‘Scandal’ poses at the 44th NAACP Image Awards, February 2013 Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images " (Source: Colorlines)

Whom we see — and don’t see — on TV

November 1, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

On Think Progress, Alyssa Rosenberg surveyed the racial and gender compositions of the casts of the scripted prime time shows on American’s largest four cable networks, to see how these shows represent the American population: Half the population would be white men. Five percent of the population would be black men. Just 1.9 percent of the world would be Asian or Latino men. Overall, 57 percent of the population would be men. 34 percent of the world would be white […]

Categories: TV/Movies • Tags: Diversity, prime-time, television

"1984: 29 Years On, Are We Any Better As A Nation?" (Source: India Resists)

Remembering the 1984 Sikh genocide

November 1, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Each year, the end of October is met with heavy hearts for Sikhs around the world, as we commemorate the organized genocide against Sikhs in Delhi and across India in response to the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984. Beant Singh and Satwant Singh shot the Indian Prime Minister dead in retaliation to her ordering of the attack on Sikhism’s central shrine, the Darbar Sahib (aka the Golden Temple) only six months before, which […]

Categories: 1984 • Tags: anti-Sikh progroms, anti-Sikh riots, Beant Singh, Delhi, Harmandir Sahib, India, Indira Gandhi, New Delhi, Satwant Singh, Sikh genocide

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Amardeep Kaleka. (Source: Amardeep Kaleka Facebook page)

Amardeep Kaleka, son of WI Gurdwara shooting victim, explores run for Congress

October 31, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Amardeep Kaleka, son of Sikh Temple of Wisconsin President Satwant Singh Kaleka who was killed by a white supremacist during last year’s mass shooting in Oak Creek, has announced that he is planning a run for US Congress as a Democrat, hoping to challenge his district’s incumbent Representative Paul Ryan (who also was Republican Mitt Romney’s running mate during the Presidential election last year): Kaleka said he wants to bring accountability and transparency back to Washington. He blamed the government […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, Politics • Tags: Amardeep Kaleka, Democratic Party, Milwaukee, Mitt Romney, Oak Creek, Paul Ryan, Rob Zerban, Satwant Singh Kaleka, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, US Congress, Wisconsin

2012 Nagar Kirtan festivities at the Sikh Temple Yuba City (photo credit: Karaminder Ghuman)

This weekend: 34th annual Yuba City Nagar Kirtan

October 30, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The largest of its kind in America, the 34th annual Yuba City Nagar Kirtan (Sikh religious procession) is taking place this weekend, centered at the Sikh Temple Yuba City in Yuba City, California. The festivities begin on Friday, November 1, and culminates in the religious procession on Sunday, November 3: Yuba City Annual Sikh Inauguration Festival Events Schedule: Friday: 8 pm Kirtan Darbar followed by fireworks. Saturday: 9am Raising of Nishan Sahib Sikh flag followed by kirtan. 2 pm Open […]

Categories: Events, Sikhism • Tags: California, Guru Granth Sahib, Nagar Kirtan, Sikh Parade, Yuba City

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Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Author Archives: Rupinder Mohan Singh

A South Asian undocumented immigrant

November is California Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month

“Break the Silence” from the Kaur Foundation

80,000 people attend 34th annual Yuba City Sikh Parade

Your weekend Waris, Part VI

Whom we see — and don’t see — on TV

Remembering the 1984 Sikh genocide

Amardeep Kaleka, son of WI Gurdwara shooting victim, explores run for Congress

This weekend: 34th annual Yuba City Nagar Kirtan