2001-09-11: A Sikh-American Speaks

However, this terrible crime is being used by a bigoted and racist minority as a justification for insulting, threatening and physically attacking legitimate US citizens who love this country as much as the next person. Let me describe an incident that I just experienced this afternoon.

I am a US citizen, originally from Northern India, and am a member of the Sikh faith. I have been in the US since 1980. I was buying lunch in Torrance, CA today when an elderly Japanese gentleman asked me if I had been harassed by the police or people in general after the attacks on NYC, specifically due to my ethnic background and appearance (light brown skin and dark hair). I told him that I had not suffered from any such incidents and that the Americans were a righteous, large-hearted and fair people and I didn't expect any such problems. He then proceeded to tell me how he had been interned in a camp during the second-world war based on his Japanese ancestry.

Later in the day I was driving my father (who is visiting from India) to a local Barnes and Noble and was stopped at a traffic light, when a white, male driver in the car next to mine started giving us hostile looks. I rolled my window down to speak with him. As soon as I did this he started spewing epithets like "you f.ing people - go home and much worse.....". He then proceeded to lob insults and threats while we were stopped at the light, even after I told him that I was a US citizen and that we were from India. His response was that he didn't care and the tirade continued. Although the Sikh culture never backs away from confrontation I gave him the benefit of the doubt (due to the terrible tragedy in NYC), called the Torrance police who were exceptionally helpful and who took care of the situation.

This was quite an eye opening experience for me personally and made me realize for the first time that racism and hatred are just buried beneath the surface. The WTC attack has provided these racists and bigots the perception that its open season on anyone who wears a turban and sports a beard (only Sikhs in the US dress like this). Over the past few days Sikh men, women, children and business establishments have been physically and verbally assaulted, a Sikh in Arizona has been murdered, businesses have been attacked etc, etc, etc.. A catalog of these incidents is available at www.sikhnet.org under the RESOURCES hyper link - the one with the American flag. A total of 150 incidents to date (a number of them are still awaiting verification).

In the past 10 years I have had the opportunity to live the American dream, create 2 companies, employ hundreds of Americans (while, black, Asian, Hispanic etc.) and really consider this my home and my country. The day I became a US Citizen in 1993 was the proudest moment of my life to date. Sadly, that great feeling is dramatically diminished.

This incident was an ugly reminder me that there are quite a few people out there who regard people with brown skin downright hatred and only consider white Americans as true Americans. My father was so upset by the incident that he is cutting his visit short and returning to India next week. By the way, the US is going to need Indian assistance (and probably use bases in my home state of Punjab) in the coming conflict with the Afghans, and historically, the Sikhs are the only people who have ever defeated and ruled the Afghans in the past 500 years.

I am requesting your assistance for a message to your friends, the public re-emphasizing that all of us are Americans, including Sikh Americans. The attack on the people of NYC and Washington DC was an attack on all us, and the maxim "United we Stand - Divided we Fall" holds true in this hour of tragedy (and hope) more so than ever before.

Any assistance you could provide in communicating to the public at large that Sikhs are not the perpetrators of this monstrous attack in NY and are loyal US citizens who would be willing to sacrifice themselves for this nation in the coming conflict would be greatly appreciated by the Sikh community and by me personally.

Thank you for your consideration and God Bless the United States of America.

Best regards

Jas Dhillon   <j.dhillon@verizon.net>