Sikhs in America: A History of Hate

As monotheistic followers of a 15th century religion from South Asia, Sikh men refrain from shaving and wear turbans. In America, they are often victims of violence or abuse by those who confuse them for Muslims. Although there are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs currently living in the United States, they have long been the victims of xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment. According to “Sikhs in America: A History of Hate,” the Sikh community is facing an increase in unprovoked attacks against its members. Through a series of profiles, the author tries to reveal the scope and brutality of these attacks. He also relates the story of Wade Page, an American Nazi who attacked a Wisconsin Sikh temple in 2012, resulting in the deaths of seven people. There are few reliable statistics on the number of hate crimes committed against Sikhs each year because police often do not categorize attacks against the Sikh community as hate crimes. However, a majority of attacks have occurred in the years following the September 11th terror attacks. The article stresses that steps must be taken to improve police reporting of hate crimes against Sikhs and that a national database should be developed to document these attacks. (Jonathan Eizyk for The Immigrant Learning Center’s Public Education Institute)

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