OCTOBER 30, 2017 - Jersey City, NJ – On Sunday, October 29, members of the Sikh community met with New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy’s policy team to discuss community concerns related to immigration, employment discrimination, and social justice. New Jersey’s election for Governor is on Tuesday, November 7, less than two weeks away.
The meeting was organized Dr. Kamal Singh Kalsi, President of the Sikh American Veterans Alliance (SAVA), Onkar Singh from Nanak Naam Jahaj Gurudwara, and Amit Jani, Murphy’s Asian American & Pacific Islander Outreach director.
Dr. Kalsi, an emergency room doctor and Army lieutenant colonel, told Murphy’s team that “Sikh Americans proudly serve our nation and have been brutalized by bullying, hate crimes and job discrimination since 9/11. We are here today not just to tell you about our problems, but also to help be a part of the solution.”
Community participants shared stories of being bullied in school. Half of Asian-American students report being bullied, and more than two-thirds of Sikh-American students report being bullied. Half of Muslim-American students also report being bullied because of their religion.
One young Sikh student, Jaspreet Singh, spoke about his childhood and the bullying he faced: “When I was in second grade, the other kids in class saw this little ball on my head – my joora, my hair, my religiously mandated identity, and they would repeatedly hit it or try to pull it off.”
Many other community members in attendance related their personal stories of job discrimination that they have suffered since the last Presidential election. Aman Singh spoke about an incident not long ago where a restaurant refused him service because of his turban. “They told me to take it off or I can go home. It made me feel angry, sad and broken. They told me that they refused service to a Muslim with a hijab last week and that they were well within their rights to refuse service to people like me.”
When Jani inquired how things had changed in the current political climate, one community member spoke emotionally about the difficulties Sikhs face when dealing with federal immigration authorities. “We risked our lives to come to a country that we love in order to work hard. ICE agents are targeting members of our community and the Trump administration is allowing a divisive dialogue of hate to inform their dysfunctional policies.”
Jani pledged that if elected, Murphy would work to create a diversity outreach office and an immigration protection office within his administration in order to help safeguard the rights of struggling immigrant families. Elizabeth Coulter, Murphy’s Women’s Outreach Director, underlined the fact that Phil Murphy has advocated for sanctuary cities within New Jersey that would help further protect undocumented workers. Sikh community members in attendance also spoke about the need and urgency to change state policy so Sikhs can serve freely in the State Police.
“When our neighbors and fellow Americans see a Sikh police officer, they understand that we’re part of the American fabric,” said Dr. Kalsi, who is also a soldier in the United States Army.
Dr. Kalsi also suggested designating Vaisakhi as a state recognized holiday in April to create a focal point for education and awareness of Sikh values and Sikh contributions to American society.
Phil Murphy’s team was very moved by the personal stories and expressed a commitment to working with the community to make sure Sikhs are protected and supported. Phil Murphy has consistently pushed back against the Trump administration’s hateful rhetoric. Dennis Zeveloff, a Senior Policy advisor for the Murphy campaign, stated that Phil Murphy is committed to uplifting minority communities and that we will see real change once Phil Murphy is elected to serve our state.
During his first term, President Obama’s administration had started the AAPI Commission in an effort to address many of these concerns on a national scale. Dr. Kalsi suggested starting an AAPI task force for New Jersey that could tackle these issues and meet with the Sikh community on a regular basis.
Murphy himself has stated that “immigrants represent our best hopes and aspirations. They are a vital part of our state and our future. I will protect them and ensure their dreams do in fact come true right here, in their home state.”
Kamal S. Kalsi, D.O.
[email protected]