Reports/Studies |

A survey by WIN-Gallup International shows that countries with higher per capita income tend to have lower levels of religiosity. (Source: WIN-Gallup International)

Chart of the Day

July 23, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In a study entitled “Global Index of Religion and Atheism” — a survey of over 50,000 respondents in 57 countries conducted in 2012 — WIN-Gallup International researchers showed a negative correlation between “religiosity” and per capita income based on responses to the question: “Irrespective of whether you attend a place of worship or not, would you say you are a religious person, not a religious persons or a convinced atheist?” Comparing the responses across nations, it appears that countries with […]

Categories: Reports/Studies • Tags: Atheism, Global Index of Religion and Atheism, per capita income, Religion and Spirituality, Religiosity, WIN-Gallup International

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Telling the stories of children of immigrants in New York & Berlin who challenge boundaries & reimagine belonging. (Source: with WINGS and ROOTS Kickstarter page)

What is behind the hyphenated American identity?

July 10, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

An article in the Boston Review by sociologist Claude Fischer (via The Dish) considers the creation of the hyphenated identities among the more recent immigrant populations in the United States, citing Mexican Americans as a case study: For example, a recent study [1] compared the answers of Hispanics who took a survey in English to those who took it in Spanish. The English speakers expressed more “Hispanic Consciousness” than did the Spanish-speakers. They were more likely to say that it […]

Categories: Art, Reflections, Reports/Studies • Tags: assimilation, Boston Review, Claude Fischer, hyphenated identity, Immigration, Mexican American, with WINGS and ROOTS

A Sikh woman with a rabab, a traditional Sikh instrument. (Photo credit: Karaminder Ghuman)

The experiences of Sikh women who wear turbans

June 14, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The blog A Kaur’s Thoughts presents results of a survey about women who wear turbans (dastar). While it is not as common for Sikh women to wear this article of faith as it is for men, it appears that its adoption among Sikh women is growing. One chart was particularly noteworthy. On the question about whether other women in their families wear a dastar, one type of response was the most common: Interestingly, over half of the respondents (there were […]

Categories: Reports/Studies • Tags: A Kaur's Thoughts, Sikh women, turbans, Women in Sikhism

ANNOUNCEMENT: Study on Religious Discrimination and Race-Related Stress among North American Sikhs

June 13, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

University of Massachusetts – Boston Department of Counseling and School Psychology 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125-3393 University of Massachusetts Boston Researcher: Dr. Kiran S. K. Arora Study: Religious Discrimination and Race-Related Stress among North American Sikhs. We are interested in conducting research with Sikhs living in North America. The purpose of the study is to examine how experiences of religious discrimination and race-related stress may impact the relationships, mental health, and overall well-being of Sikhs. To gather this information, […]

Categories: Education, Reports/Studies • Tags: Boston, Dr. Kiran S. K. Arora, Massachusetts, Research, University of Massachusetts

"Bias Motivation Information" section of the FBI's Hate Crime Incident Report 1-699. (source: FBI)

Tracking anti-Sikh hate crimes is a needed first step

June 12, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Last week, to much jubilation among civil rights groups, an advisory committee to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recommended that the FBI begin specifically recording hate crimes against Sikhs, Hindus, and Arabs (starting in 2015, as I understand), as it does for other targeted groups. It was for good reason that this announcement would be so celebrated considering the significant and lengthy effort to bring this incremental change. However, it is important to place this addition to the FBI’s […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes, Reports/Studies, Resources • Tags: Department of Justice, FBI, FBI Hate Crime Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Form 1-699, hate crime, National Victimation Survey, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Sikh Coalition, United States Bureau of Justice Statistics

"Widening the Lens on Boys and Men of Color." (Source: Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy)

The experiences of Asian American males in California

June 11, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The website Colorlines summarizes seven findings of a study entitled “Widening the Lens on Boys and Men of Color” by the organization Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP). The seven findings presented by Colorlines about boys and men in the Californian Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian (what the study abbreviates as “AMEMSA”) communities debunk the “model minority” myth that is often used to describe Asian Americans. One such conclusion discusses the experiences of […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Reports/Studies • Tags: AAPI, AAPIP, AMEMSA, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, Bhujangi Youth Academy, bullying, California, Colorlines, Jakara Movement, model minority, Widening the Lens on Boys and Men of Color

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A fascinating map of the world’s most and least racially tolerant countries

The bigotry over there

May 31, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

A YouTube video posted by a Japanese high school teacher (nod to Karaminder for the link) describes the revelation that his students did not recognize racist attitudes within their own country or society, thinking of it as an “American” problem: I was surprised to find out that almost all of my high school students (about 1000 students) were not aware of the racism and discrimination that goes on in Japan. Racism and discrimination in Japan does exist, however, it is […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Reflections, Reports/Studies • Tags: caste system, Japan, Martin Luther King, Racism, United States

"Among the world’s 25 most populous countries, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, Burma (Myanmar), Iran, Vietnam, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nigeria stand out as having the most restrictions on religion as of mid-2010 when government restrictions and social hostilities both are taken into account. Brazil, Japan, Italy, the United States and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have the least restrictions and hostilities." (source: Pew Forum)

Ranking religious freedom around the world

May 2, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In a recent TEDx event in Rome, Italy, Brian J. Grim (of the social research organization Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life) discusses his research into government restrictions and social hostilities related to religion among countries around the world. Providing an overview of the research behind the Pew Forum’s recent report Rising Tide of Restrictions on Religion, Brian Grim shares two conclusions about the relationships between certain types of government restrictions and social hostilities in countries that rank high […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes, Reports/Studies • Tags: Brian J. Grim, Italy, Pew Forum, Pew Research Center, Rising Tide of Restrictions on Religion, Rome, TED, TEDx

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Still from "To This Day", a spoken word poem by Shane Koyczan.

Safe Schools Improvement Act reintroduced in US Congress

April 18, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

A recent post on the Hyphen Magazine blog shares the parallel experience of two Sikh American men who were bullied in their school years: For both Gurwinder and I, physical confrontation became a matter of daily course at school. Gurwinder recalled, “A kid in class came up from behind and started hitting me. There were six other kids with him; they had me on the floor, stomping on my arms and back.” It is a story not uncommon for many […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Reports/Studies • Tags: bullying, Safe Schools Improvement Act, SALDEF, Shane Koyczan, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, To This Day

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Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Category Archives: Reports/Studies

Chart of the Day

What is behind the hyphenated American identity?

The experiences of Sikh women who wear turbans

ANNOUNCEMENT: Study on Religious Discrimination and Race-Related Stress among North American Sikhs

Tracking anti-Sikh hate crimes is a needed first step

The experiences of Asian American males in California

The bigotry over there

Ranking religious freedom around the world

Safe Schools Improvement Act reintroduced in US Congress