New York, NY - New York City's Sikhs celebrated Vaisakhi today by rallying at New York City Hall to release a New York City Sikh civil rights agenda and an accompanying report on Sikh civil right concerns in New York. The agenda and report were the result of more than a year surveys by the Sikh Coalition of over 1,000 Sikhs in New York City.
State Assemblyman Jose Rivera and City Council Members John Liu, David Weprin, Robert Jackson, and Leroy Comerie joined the Sikh Coalition at the rally.
The groundreaking report, "Making Our Voices Heard: A Civil Rights Agenda for New York City Sikhs," presents data from over 1,000 surveys conducted by the Sikh Coalition on Sikhs' experiences living in New York City. The report makes a clear case that there is a large gap between the promise of the law and the experience of the Sikh community in New York.
Some of the report's key findings are:
- 41% of New York City's Sikhs have been called by derogatory names or slurs.
- Half of the City's Sikh students have experienced some form of harassment in school based on their religion or national origin.
- One in ten Sikhs believe that they have been refused employment or a job promotion because of their Sikh identity.
- Nearly half of the Sikh immigrants in New York City do not have any form of health insurance for either themselves or their families.
Harpreet Singh rallies on Vaisakhi day for civil rights so his son will not have to one day
In response to the report's findings, Council Member John Liu said "The Civil Rights Agenda not only helps to identify and document the bias, discrimination and harassment experienced by Sikhs in New York City, but this report takes the critical step of putting forth a bold prescription on ways government may best address these issues. I thank the members of the Sikh Coalition for their education and advocacy efforts in creating this community-based comprehensive report."
The report's findings are a sobering reminder that Sikhs in the United States suffer from significant issues of bias and discrimination in all walks of life. It is the Coalition's intention to continue to address these issues both through research and advocacy.
On this Vaisakhi Day, we call on all Sikhs to stand up for their civil rights and fearlessly maintain their articles of faith.
If you believe that you have been discriminated against or subject to bias, and would like to request assistance from the Sikh Coalition, please click here.
