Profiles | | Page 4

Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple in Jackson, Mississippi. (source: Google)

Celebrating Vaisakhi in Jackson, Mississippi

April 19, 2013 by American Turban Guest Contributor

Alex DiBlasi and Alexa Altman are a pair of writers who left their lives in NYC to go on a cross-country adventure to “see what it’s all about.” A friend and colleague, Alex is also a committed civil rights advocate with the Sikh Coalition. During their travels, Alex and Alexa recently visited the Gurdwara in Jackson, Mississippi, to join the local Sikh community in their commemoration of Vaisakhi (one of the most significant celebrations on the Sikh calendar). Below, Alex […]

Categories: Events, Profiles, Reflections • Tags: Alex DiBlasi, Alexa Altman, Baisakhi, Jackson, Mississippi, Sikh Coalition, Vaisakhi

"Kirty Singh, Gurwinder Singh, Namit Satara plan an upcoming trip to Washington D.C. for members of the Sikh Junior Coalition." (credit: Jo Piazza | The Wall Street Journal)

Sikh Coalition program empowers Sikh youth to tackle challenges

April 10, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

An article in The Wall Street Journal describes the Junior Sikh Coalition, a Sikh youth group in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut area organized by the Sikh Coalition to develop leadership skills among young Sikhs and to take on issues such as school bullying: “When we were alone it was really hard,” said Rajan Kaur, a 17-year-old from Morristown, N.J. “But, when we are together we feel like we can accomplish anything.” When I was a young student, I was often […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Profiles • Tags: bullying, Connecticut, Gurwinder Singh, Junior Sikh Coalition, Kirty Singh, Namit Satara, New Jersey, New York, Rajan Kaur, Sikh Coalition, Wall Street Journal

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The Surat Fauj Running Club in New York. (source: The Huffington Post)

Running with a purpose

April 10, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Bandana Kaur and Simran Jeet Singh write on The Huffington Post about the Surat Fauj Running Club, a Sikh American group that has taken its inspiration from the famous 102-year-old (and recently retired) marathoner Fauja Singh: “Running has become such an important part of the American cultural landscape, and participating in events like these will help us combat stereotypes that lead people to see us as different. We want everyone around us to see for who we are, and we […]

Categories: Profiles • Tags: Bandana Kaur, Fauja Singh, Huffington Post, Simran Jeet Singh, Surat Fauj Running Club, Surat Initiative

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"Dr. Harminder Kaur and her daughter, Hana Mangat, 13, of Potomac, talk with children at the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation Sikh temple about a movie they made to educate people about Sikhism. The first viewing of the film was held Sunday in Rockville." (credit: Bill Ryan/Maryland Gazette)

From “kid to kid” in Rockville, MD

April 5, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Hana Kaur Mangat, a thirteen-year-old from Potomac, Maryland, discusses a movie she and others made to educate about Sikhism called “Sikh Kid to Kid”: “It’s all kids, because it’s directed toward kids,” Hana said. “I think kids would be more intrigued by other kids rather than by having adults explain (Sikhism) to them.” Read more at the Maryland Gazette.

Categories: Profiles, Sikhism • Tags: Hana Kaur Mangat, Maryland, Rockville, Sikh Kid to Kid, Sikhism

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Bandana Kaur, North American head of EcoSikh." (source: MongaBay.com)

An interview with Bandana Kaur of EcoSikh

April 1, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In an interview with MongaBay.com, Bandana Kaur, a Sikh ecologist and North American Program Director of EcoSikh, talks about her background and the faith-based approach that EcoSikh uses to address environmental issues: The approach that faith gives to environmental issues — the approach that EcoSikh has worked with — is this idea of celebrating our own resources and our own traditions that connect to the environment. Working through this sense of renewal, the power of lots of people putting effort […]

Categories: Events, Profiles, Sikhism • Tags: Bandana Kaur, EcoSikh, Guru Har Rai, Sikh Environment Day

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Savraj Singh (from "Turbans Do Not Equal Terrorism")

Raising awareness about Sikhs in the northeast

March 28, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

A short documentary by Colleen McKown provides a profile of Savraj Singh, who provides presentations around his community to increase awareness about Sikh Americans (via @sikhswim): Savraj Singh gives awareness presentations about Sikhism throughout New York and New Jersey to help combat the estimated 700 hate crimes that have been committed against Sikhs since 9/11. Because of their turbans and beards and because many Americans are unfamiliar with the faith, Sikhs are sometimes incorrectly associated with terrorism. You can view […]

Categories: Profiles, TV/Movies • Tags: Colleen McKown, New Jersey, New York, Savraj Singh

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Preeti Kaur, a poet/writer from California. (Photo credit: Jonathan B. Tucker. Source: The Aerogram)

The Aerogram’s interview with Preeti Kaur, Part II

March 7, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The Aerogram has followed up last week’s interview with writer Preeti Kaur (a talented writer from California) with a second installment in which she talks about the back-story of her poems “Letters Home” and “You Bring Out the Punjabi in Me,” the Oak Creek tragedy, and struggles of Sikh Americans: It’s very fashionable amongst Sikh men these days to celebrate their turbans and flaunt their turbans as an accessory representing a resilient attitude (more power to them), to reverse the […]

Categories: Art, Literature, Profiles • Tags: Preeti Kaur, The Aerogram

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"As co-founder and chief strategy officer of Appirio, Narinder plays a key role in keeping Appirio at the forefront of cloud computing. Heâs chairman of the board of the Sikh Coalition and executive sponsor of Appirioâs philanthropy program. " (source: San Francisco Business Times)

SF Business Times names three Sikh entrepreneurs among Top 40

March 5, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Local business journal The San Francisco Business Times has released its 2013 edition of Top 40 under 40 young professionals in California’s Bay Area. Among the entrepreneurs named in the list are three Sikh Americans including Narinder Singh (co-founder of Appirio and Board Chair of the Sikh Coalition), Gurbaksh Chahal (CEO of RadiumOne and founder of the BeProud Foundation) and Manav Singh Grover (of accounting firm SOAProjects). Read more at The San Francisco Business Times.

Categories: Profiles • Tags: Appirio, BeProud Foundation, California, Gurbaksh Chahal, Manav Singh Grover, Narinder Singh, RadiumOne, San Francisco, San Francisco Business Times, Sikh Coalition, SOAProjects

Harleen Kaur shares about volunteering for nonprofit newspaper

February 28, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Harleen Kaur, a university student and activist, describes the challenges and learnings about volunteering in the office of the nonprofit newspaper Groundcover News: I have realized what a great effort and passion it takes to maintain such dedication. Even when the work is this difficult, I have never seen a hint of despair or a sense of wanting to give up. According to their website, Groundcover News, located in Michigan, is one of many publications that “exist in cities all […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Profiles, Reflections • Tags: Ann Arbor, Groundcover News, Harleen Kaur, Michigan, Street newspaper

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Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Category Archives: Profiles

Celebrating Vaisakhi in Jackson, Mississippi

Sikh Coalition program empowers Sikh youth to tackle challenges

Running with a purpose

From “kid to kid” in Rockville, MD

An interview with Bandana Kaur of EcoSikh

Raising awareness about Sikhs in the northeast

The Aerogram’s interview with Preeti Kaur, Part II

SF Business Times names three Sikh entrepreneurs among Top 40

Harleen Kaur shares about volunteering for nonprofit newspaper