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

Hate-motivated attack on Piara Singh emphasizes need for tracking

May 10, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

After yet another hate crime against a Sikh American — this time on an 82-year-old man in Fresno, California — Simran Kaur of the Sikh Coalition raises the issue of the absence of tracking by the FBI of hate crimes against Sikhs: You read that right. Although Sikhs continue to experience hate crimes because of their distinct religious identity, the FBI has no distinct category to track such crimes. While hate crimes against other racial and religious groups are tracked, […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, Resources • Tags: California, FBI, FBI Hate Crime Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Form 1-699, Fresno, hate crimes, Piara Singh, Sikh Coalition, Simran Kaur

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The turban as a beacon of love

May 8, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

After learning of the attack on 82-year-old Piara Singh in Fresno, California, blogger Anita Singha shares her thoughts about the elder Sikhs in her life: Maybe their children have warned them to stay home. I hope not, I need to see their Sikh spirit, their courageous bravery rise to the occasion. Their morning constitutional in a busy city park, sitting on public transportation a silent protest against hatred and ignorance. Read more on Anita Singha’s blog Listening Hard.

Categories: Hate Crimes, Reflections • Tags: Anita Singha, California, Fresno, hate crime, Listening Hard, Piara Singh

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Fresno PD Chief Jerry Dyer. (source: ABC30)

Fresno Police: Piara Singh was targeted for who he was

May 8, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

“Mr. Singh was targeted because of who he was, what he was wearing, his ethnicity, his religion.” — Fresno Police Department Chief Jerry Dyer speaks at last night’s community meeting in Fresno, California, addressing the vicious assault of 82-year-old Piara Singh on Sunday. Sikh24 reports that Piara Singh is likely to be discharged from hospital tonight. According to the Associated Press, Gilbert Garcia, the only suspect, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and elder abuse charges, and that hate […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes • Tags: California, Fresno, Fresno Police Department, Gilbert Garcia, Jerry Dyer, Piara Singh

Elderly Sikh man brutally assaulted in alleged hate attack – UPDATED

May 7, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Last night, news broke that an elderly Sikh man in Fresno, California, was attacked and beaten severely on Sunday in an alleged hate-motivated assault. Piara Singh, 82 years old, was brutally beaten after leaving the Gurdwara Nanaksar in Fresno on Sunday morning: Piara Singh was beaten with a steel rod. He is currently admitted in the hospital undergoing treatment for severe head injuries, and his condition is said to be critical. His rib was also fractured and a lung collapsed during the […]

Categories: Hate Crimes • Tags: Anup Singh, California, Florida, Fresno, Gurmej Atwal, hate crimes, Kanwaljit Singh, Oak Creek, Paramjit Kaur, Piara Singh, Port Orange, Prakash Singh and Suveg Singh Khattra, Punjab Singh, Ranjit Singh, Satwant Singh Kaleka, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Sita Singh, Surinder Singh, Wisconsin

Fresno, CA, Sikhs at Poverello House (source: Fresno Bee)

Picture of the Day: Fresno, CA, Sikhs feed the hungry

November 19, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

This past weekend, Sikhs in Fresno, California, continued their support of a local food bank and shelter called Poverello House: The Sikh community helped prepare food for the homeless Saturday afternoon at the Poverello House in Fresno. The meal also was served by Sikh community members. This is the fourth year in a row that the Sikh community has given money and food to help the homeless in Fresno. Two years ago, the Sikh community provided Poverello House a $20,000 […]

Categories: Picture of the Day • Tags: Baljinder Grewal, California, Fresno, Jasvinder Sandhu, Poverello House

Fresno Sikh Institute Phase I (source: Fresno Bee)

First phase of Sikh Institute in Fresno, CA, nears completion

November 9, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The Sikh community in Fresno, California are reportedly nearing completion of the first phase of the Sikh Institute of Fresno, a Gurdwara and Sikh community facility that will replace a smaller Gurdwara in that city: The nearly $10 million Sikh Institute of Fresno, a 48,000-square-foot building on 11 acres on North Parkway Drive, is scheduled to open in January. …The new building features six classrooms, an indoor community eating area, a main hall for about 800 worshippers on the second […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: California, Fresno, Gurdwara, Sikh Institute of Fresno

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More crimes against Sikhs Americans, but not considered hate

September 4, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Since the murder of Dalbir Singh outside of his convenience store in Oak Creek, Wisconsin (in what is being called a robbery attempt) more attacks on and murders of Sikhs in the United States are coming to light. Prior to the shootings in Oak Creek, a 72-year-0ld Sikh man in New Jersey was severely beaten – and then arrested by police – in an altercation with a neighbor: On July 26th, Avtar Singh Ji went to Edward Koscovski’s shop to […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: Avtar Singh, California, Fresno, hate crimes, Kashmir Singh, New Jersey, Paterson

Let’s call it what it is: “Sikhophobia”

July 11, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

A number of different American communities have been impacted by Islamophobia, and practitioners of the Sikh religion make up one of the most adversely affected minority groups. The distinctive physical appearance of typical Sikh males in particular — brown skin, turban, beard — correlates with the stereotypical images of terrorists projected in western media. Scholars have recently described this perceived relationship as a racialization of religious identity. This process has led to a conflation of Sikhs and Muslims, and therefore, […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes • Tags: Brampton, California, Canada, Elk Grove, FBI Hate Crime Statistics, Fresno, hate crimes, Huffington Post, Islamophobia, Michigan, Ontario, Sikhophobia, Simran Jeet Singh, Sterling, Sterling Heights, Virginia

Picture of the Day: New Punjabi American museum exhibit opens in Yuba City, California

April 2, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Showcasing the story of the Punjabi American and South Asian migration to the United States is a valuable and needed resource for current and future generations. I congratulate all the individuals and families along with the Punjabi American Heritage Society of Yuba City for their dedication and hard work for the successful completion of this project. — California Governor Jerry Brown (as quoted in the Punjabi American Heritage Society press release) on the opening of the Becoming American exhibit at […]

Categories: Art, Picture of the Day • Tags: Becoming American, California, Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County, Fresno, Jerry Brown, Maharaja, Punjabi American Heritage Society, San Francisco, Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab, Yuba City

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Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Tag: Fresno

Hate-motivated attack on Piara Singh emphasizes need for tracking

The turban as a beacon of love

Fresno Police: Piara Singh was targeted for who he was

Elderly Sikh man brutally assaulted in alleged hate attack – UPDATED

Picture of the Day: Fresno, CA, Sikhs feed the hungry

First phase of Sikh Institute in Fresno, CA, nears completion

More crimes against Sikhs Americans, but not considered hate

Let’s call it what it is: “Sikhophobia”

Picture of the Day: New Punjabi American museum exhibit opens in Yuba City, California