Politics | | Page 8

CA Sikh delegate at Democratic National Convention speaks

September 6, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Harpreet Sandhu, from northern California, is one of more than two dozen Sikh delegates from the state at the Democratic National Convention. He has been shown often by cameras during media coverage of the convention, and in this PBS Newshour video Harpreet Sandhu speaks about issues that are important to him and his family. (Thanks to Karaminder Ghuman for the tip.)

Categories: Politics • Tags: Democratic National Convention, Harpreet Sandhu, Harpreet Singh Sandhu, Sikh delegates

Mayor of Garrett, IN, “opposes discrimination” after throwing Sikh pamphlets in the trash

September 5, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Tonya Hoeffel, the Mayor of Garrett, a small town in Indiana, apologized on Monday for tossing into the trash pamphlets about the Sikh religion that were placed in a convenience store owned by Kulwinder Nagra: The manager and part-owner of Quickway in Garrett, Kulwinder Nagra, 38, said he put pamphlets about his Sikh religion on the counter of the store after the shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin . “I just wanted to let people know who I am,” […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Politics • Tags: Garrett, Indiana, Kulwinder Nagra, Tonya Hoeffel

Picture of the Day: Sikh delegates at the DNC

September 5, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Sikhs have a significant presence at this week’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. It has been reported that 26 of California’s 700 convention delegates are Sikhs, including a set of twins from Stockton, California (home of the oldest Gurdwara in the United States). After Ishwar Singh’s historic invocation at the Republican National Convention last week, Sikh Americans are certainly seeing a growing presence in this year’s election cycle. The growing presence and participation of Sikhs in the political […]

Categories: Picture of the Day, Politics • Tags: Bellingham riots, California, Charlotte, Democratic National Convention, North Carolina, Sikh delegates

Leave a comment

Ask CA Governor Jerry Brown to sign laws that impact Sikhs

August 30, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

On blog The Langar Hall, Sundari describes two important bills currently on the desk of California Governor Jerry Brown. These proposals are of direct importance to California’s Sikh community. Public support is needed to convince him enact the bills into law by the end of September: AB1964 – Workplace Religious Freedom Act: SIGN THE PETITION If this bill moves forward and becomes law, it will sharply reduce job discrimination against Sikhs and other religious minorities and guarantee equal employment opportunity […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Politics • Tags: AB1964, California, Jerry Brown, SB1540, Sikh Coalition, Social science, The Langar Hall, Workplace Religious Freedom Act

Leave a comment

Why Indian Americans flock to the Democratic Party

August 30, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

A piece in First Post discusses why Indian Americans have been more supportive of President Obama and the Democratic Party rather than the Republican Party. Of particular note, the behavior of several prominent Republican Indian Americans within the Party itself is partly to blame: But Indian Americans take note of how Nikki Haley runs as far away as she can from her identity, brushing it aside with one obligatory “I am the proud daughter of Indian immigrants” line at the […]

Categories: Politics • Tags: Bobby Jindal, Democratic Party, First Post, Indian American, Nikki Haley, Republican Party, Ricky Gill

Ishwar Singh discusses his prayer for the Republican National Convention

August 29, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In advance of his historic Invocation of the Republican National Convention tonight, Ishwar Singh, talks about his motivation: I hope that my presence Wednesday on the national stage will play a small part in helping Sikhs – and people of all races, faiths and orientations – be seen as part of the great American family. We Sikhs draw strength from the nonpartisan support we have received in response to the terrible tragedy in Oak Creek. …After Wednesday, I hope that […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Events, Politics • Tags: Ishwar Singh, Republican National Convention

Ricky Gill at a fundraiser in Southern California, August 2012

GOP Candidate Ricky Gill passes on representing Sikhs again

August 28, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In his address to the Republican National Convention today, Ricky Gill, who we can only presume is a Sikh American running for Congress in California’s 9th Congressional District, passed on the unique opportunity to acknowledge our visible minority — whose recent turmoil in Oak Creek, Wisconsin occurred not a month ago — on the national stage. Certainly, Gill’s primary concern should be to represent his district. No one can fault him for focusing on the issues of his geographical constituency. […]

Categories: Politics • Tags: California, California 9th Congressional District, Ishwar Singh, Republican National Convention, Ricky Gill

Local Sikh to give Invocation during Republican National Convention on Wednesday

August 26, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

What if the Republicans or Democrats had a Sikh from WI offer their convention's invocation? What an amazing gesture to the world! #fantasy — American Turban (@americanturban) August 10, 2012 According to CNN, Ishwar Singh, President of the Sikh Society of Central Florida, is to offer the Invocation on Wednesday night during the Republican National Convention. Given the recent discussion about perceptions of Republican voters towards Sikhs, and my own sense (expressed on Twitter above) that having a Sikh provide the Invocation at […]

Categories: Events, News Bits, Politics • Tags: Ishwar Singh, Republican National Convention, Republican Party, Sikh Society of Central Florida

Leave a comment

How America’s political parties and Sikhs see each other

August 24, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

From the Sepia Mutiny Twitter feed, we are introduced to a study by the Arab American Institute entitled “The American Divide: How We View Arabs and Muslims” that compares the perceptions of Republicans and Democrats towards various ethnic and religious groups, including Arabs, Muslims, and Sikhs: The study highlights the disparity with which voters identifying with each political party view Sikhs, Muslims and Arabs: Of the 13 religious or ethnic groups included in the survey, only Sikhs had anywhere close […]

Categories: Politics, Reports/Studies • Tags: Arab American Institute, Democrat, Pew Forum, Republican, The American Divide, The Rise of Asian Americans

Leave a comment

Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Category Archives: Politics

CA Sikh delegate at Democratic National Convention speaks

Mayor of Garrett, IN, “opposes discrimination” after throwing Sikh pamphlets in the trash

Picture of the Day: Sikh delegates at the DNC

Why Indian Americans flock to the Democratic Party

Ishwar Singh discusses his prayer for the Republican National Convention

GOP Candidate Ricky Gill passes on representing Sikhs again

Local Sikh to give Invocation during Republican National Convention on Wednesday

How America’s political parties and Sikhs see each other