Racial profiling |

“Sikhs are the Michael Jordan of getting searched at the airport”

September 20, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

On the television show Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell (airing on the FXX network), Hari Kondabolu discusses the TSA’s Pre-Check program, which — for an $85 dollar fee — allows pre-screened enrollees to receive an expedited inspection process at selected airports across the country. Kondabolu suggests that this program does not go far enough in addressing the racial profiling experienced by many Sikh and South Asian travelers (and anecdotal evidence from several Sikhs recently suggests that racial profiling has […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Humor • Tags: Hari Kondabolu, Pre-check, Racial profiling, Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, Transportation Security Administration, TSA, W. Kamau Bell

Slide from a security training test used by the US Defense Department and other agencies showing the hypothetical Indian American woman named "Hema." (Source: The Huffington Post)

Free “Hema”

August 15, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The Huffington Post’s Matt Sledge reports about a security training test created by an agency of the US Defense Department called the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), which gives a profile of a hypothetical Indian American woman (named “Hema”) and, based on rather typical characteristics, instructs trainees to consider her a high security threat: A security training test created by a Defense Department agency warns federal workers that they should consider the hypothetical Indian-American woman a “high threat” because she […]

Categories: Civil Rights • Tags: Defense Information Systems Agency, Hema, Indian American, Matt Sledge, National Security Agency, Racial profiling, The Aerogram, The Huffington Post, United States Department of Defense

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Split image of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman. (Source: Keene Trial Consulting)

Of racism, the victim and the perpetrator within

July 17, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Sikh Americans continue to reflect about racial inequity after Saturday’s not-guilty verdict in the George Zimmerman trial in the murder of Trayvon Martin. Simran Jeet Singh discusses means of racial oppression and the dichotomous way such oppression operates within each of us — as both victim and perpetrator: The reality is that the global society is complicit in structural discrimination, and we have all become actors in that process. Sure in some way we are all Trayvon Martin. Each of […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes, Reflections • Tags: George Zimmerman, Racial profiling, Racism, Simran Jeet Singh, Trayvon Martin

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A mock advertisement was recently placed on a retail website that was actually a satirical statement about the TSA's security procedures. (source: Amazon)

Still the TSA after all these years

February 19, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

What does one do when an officer of a government agency does not follow their own policy and in the process violates your rights? If we are speaking about the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), we often don’t know. On the Huffington Post, Simran Jeet Singh shares a recent episode when a TSA officer forcefully patted down Singh’s turban — a religious article of faith for Sikhs: I’ve made this cross-country journey hundreds of times in my life and have […]

Categories: Civil Rights • Tags: Racial profiling, Simran Jeet Singh, Transportation Security Administration, TSA

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Sikh Coalition hits a home run with FlyRights app

May 1, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

By now, you have likely heard of the smartphone app (available for iPhone and Android devices) released by the Sikh Coalition called FlyRights, which was released yesterday (April 30), and is free of cost. The news of this app’s release has spread virally among news outlets and has been applauded by other civil rights organizations and the general public. FlyRights allows travelers (Sikh or otherwise) to now report complaints to the TSA and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) if they […]

Categories: Civil Rights • Tags: Android, FlyRights, iconify, iPhone, Racial profiling, Sikh Coalition, smartphone app, Transportation Security Administration, TSA

US Congresswoman testifies about racial profiling

April 19, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

“Congresswoman Chu testifying at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights entitled “Ending Racial Profiling in America.”” US House Representative Judy Chu testified yesterday on the racial profiling of Muslims, Sikhs, and South Asians in support of the End Racial Profiling Act (mentioned previously on this blog). Her full remarks are available on her website, in which she states: “I am here today to speak up against racial profiling wherever and […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Politics • Tags: End Racial Profiling Act, Judy Chu, Racial profiling, Sikh Coalition, United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution Civil Rights and Human Rights

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The Sikh Coalition frisks the TSA

February 3, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The Sikh Coalition, a national Sikh American advocacy organization, has obtained and released an internal TSA memo that suggests that the TSA has the ability to monitor the extent of racial profiling occurring in their screening procedures at airports. As the Sikh Coalition describes, ethnic profiling is of particular concern among Sikhs in this country: Since 2007, Sikh travelers have reported that they are routinely selected for secondary screening at some American airports, even after clearing advanced imaging technology machines without […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Reports/Studies • Tags: Airport, Airport security, Racial profiling, Sikh Coalition, Transportation Security Administration, TSA

Rick Santorum endorses profiling and workplace religious freedom

November 23, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Rick Santorum is one of the candidates trying to secure the Republican nomination for the 2012 Presidential election. His performance in last night’s debate on national security was largely unremarkable (if you go by post-debate media coverage), except for two statements he made. One of those statements was to support racial profiling of Muslims: “Obviously Muslims would be someone you’d look at, absolutely,” Santorum said. “Those are the folks who … the radical Muslims are the people that are committing […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Politics • Tags: Herman Cain, Muslim, Racial profiling, Republican, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul

SALDEF campaigns for support of End Racial Profiling Act

October 20, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Many people would have received a notice from SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund) asking to support the passing of Senate bill 1670 – End Racial Profiling Act of 2011. Stand up against Racial Profiling! Tell your Senators to vote for the End Racial Profiling Act NOW! http://t.co/wuULZJrk — SALDEF (@SALDEF) October 20, 2011 SALDEF provides information about the bill and provides an easy way to contact your relevant senators to ask them to support the bill. The bill has been introducted […]

Categories: Civil Rights, News Bits, Politics • Tags: Ben Cardin, Dick Durbin, End Racial Profiling Act, John Kerry, Racial profiling, SALDEF, Senate, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Workplace Religious Freedom Act, WRFA

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Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Tag: Racial profiling

“Sikhs are the Michael Jordan of getting searched at the airport”

Free “Hema”

Of racism, the victim and the perpetrator within

Still the TSA after all these years

Sikh Coalition hits a home run with FlyRights app

US Congresswoman testifies about racial profiling

The Sikh Coalition frisks the TSA

Rick Santorum endorses profiling and workplace religious freedom

SALDEF campaigns for support of End Racial Profiling Act