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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

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and the Golden Temple in Amritsar. (source: The Telegraph)

The Top 5 Sikh American Stories of 2012: Honorable mentions

January 24, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

For each of five days, I looked at what I considered as the Top 5 Sikh American Stories of 2012: The Oak Creek Massacre Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana Victories in employment equality The inspiring grace of Balpreet Kaur Sikh Americans celebrate a century All of these stories were significant in relation to Sikh Americans during the year. However, there were several events during 2012 that arguably could be considered among the top five stories (and, while the “top five” list […]

Categories: Reflections • Tags: Barack Obama, Darbar Sahib, Democratic National Convention, Dr. Onkar Bindra, FlyRights, Golden Temple, Harpreet Singh Saini, Ishwar Singh, Jay Leno, Jusleen Kaur, Michelle Obama, Mitt Romney, Republican National Convention, Ricky Gill, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, White House

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AAPI preference of candidate by issue (source: NAAS Survey)

Who do Sikh Americans vote for, and why?

October 5, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The recent higher profile civic engagement of the Sikh American community has been notable in this election cycle. Ishwar Singh, of Orlando, Florida, was invited by the Republican Party to provide an invocation during the Republican National Convention and we also saw a sizable and very visible contingent of Sikhs attending as delegates at the Democratic National Convention. By apparent attendance at the national conventions, it appeared that Sikhs were more supportive of the Democratic Party rather than the Republicans. […]

Categories: Politics • Tags: 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Democratic, Democratic National Convention, Harpreet Sandhu, Ishwar Singh, Jusleen Kaur, Mitt Romney, Republican, Republican National Convention, Sikh American voter preference, SikhVOTE

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US First Lady to visit Oak Creek, Wisconsin victims

August 21, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

This Thursday, First Lady Michelle Obama will be visiting the families of the victims of the shooting at the Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Her visit is scheduled almost three weeks after the murders of six innocent congregants at the hands of a white supremacist: Tejpreet Kaur, a Sikh Coalition community organizer, called the first lady’s visit a “necessary step.” Victims and their families needed to have the events of Aug. 5 and the loss of family members “recognized at […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, Politics • Tags: Barack Obama, Gurdwara, hate crimes, Michelle Obama, Mitt Romney, Oak Creek, Wisconsin

Presidential campaigns speak to Sikh and Asian American issues

July 31, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Ten days ago, representatives of President Barack Obama and Republican candidate for president Mitt Romney participated in a town hall organized by APIAVote to speak to Asian American issues. Rep. Mike Honda, attending on behalf of the President, offered the Sikh greeting to acknowledge the community: Honda, a Democrat from California who is chair emeritus of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, gave a shout-out to the Sikh community before answering questions on behalf of the Obama campaign. “Saat Sri […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Events, Politics • Tags: APIAVote, Asian American, Barack Obama, Mike Honda, Mitt Romney, Presidential Town Hall, SALDEF, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Tim Davis

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Presidential Town Hall discussing API Issues on July 21st

July 13, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

APIAVote (Asian Pacific Islander Vote) is a national organization that aims to increase the civic participation of the Asian American/Pacific Islander community. On July 21, the organization is holding a town hall meeting in which the presidential nominees from both major parties in this election cycle have been invited to discuss issues important to the Asian/Pacific Islander Americans. According to SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund), one of the event’s sponsors: Hear the campaigns of the Presidential candidates, President […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Events, Politics • Tags: APIAVote, Asian Pacific Islander Vote, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Presidential Town Hall, SALDEF, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund

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Lawsuit against Jay Leno over Golden Temple remark to be dismissed

May 24, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

You may recall the news of a Sikh physician in Bakersfield, California who initiated a lawsuit against Jay Leno over the comedian’s use of a picture of Darbar Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple, Sikhism’s central shrine in Amritsar, India) as part of a joke on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The plaintiff has now requested that the lawsuit be dismissed: The joke, which was broadcast on January 9, shows the homes of the GOP candidates including Newt […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: Amritsar, Bakersfield, California, Darbar Sahib, Harmandir Sahib, Jay Leno, Mitt Romney, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

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No record of Jay Leno’s history of insulting Sikhs

February 2, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

I hate to perpetuate this story, but in regard to issue around Jay Leno’s joke depicting Darbar Sahib on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, I think it is important to note that, for the record: A thorough search of Jay Leno’s monologues show that claims by two California Sikhs that the comedian insulted the community with his monologues in 2007, in which he allegedly called Sikhs ‘diaper heads,’ and in 2010, in which he allegedly embellished about the president’s […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: Darbar Sahib, Jay Leno, Mitt Romney, NBC, Tonight Show

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Leno-gate, Sense, and Nonsense

January 26, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

I really wish we could move on from this story, but unfortunately, it is dominating Sikh-related news. The hysteria following Jay Leno’s bit that involved a depiction of Darbar Sahib (aka The Golden Temple) refuses to die. Now that a Sikh physician in California has initiated a lawsuit against Leno, and the SGPC (the authority that manages Darbar Sahib and many other Gurdwaras in India) has demanded action from the US Government, and even politicians in the United Kingdom are […]

Categories: News Bits, TV/Movies • Tags: Darbar Sahib, Golden Temple, Harmandir Sahib, Jay Leno, Mitt Romney, Sikhtoons, Sonny Singh Brooklynwala, T. Sher Singh, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Tag: Mitt Romney

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

The Top 5 Sikh American Stories of 2012: Honorable mentions

Who do Sikh Americans vote for, and why?

US First Lady to visit Oak Creek, Wisconsin victims

Presidential campaigns speak to Sikh and Asian American issues

Presidential Town Hall discussing API Issues on July 21st

Lawsuit against Jay Leno over Golden Temple remark to be dismissed

No record of Jay Leno’s history of insulting Sikhs

Leno-gate, Sense, and Nonsense