SIKH: America ‘strong and unified’

helps raise awareness of the similarities between the Eastern Indian religion and American values.

“The idea is to make our America a strong and unified country and people to understand their neighbors better,” said Jasbir Kang, a doctor with Rideout Regional Medical Center and an active member of the Punjabi American Heritage Society. “We should not fear our neighbors just because someone dresses differently or looks different.”

“We Are Sikhs” is an initiative that just launched the awareness campaign, which includes TV and online ads that feature the stories of Sikh-Americans. It is a part of the National Sikh Campaign, which held a fundraiser in Yuba City in October that raised $135,000 to help pay for the ads.

According to The Associated Press, there have been more than 300 hate crimes reported by Sikhs in the U.S. since the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Yuba City Vice Mayor Preet Didbal said even though she and her family are Sikh, she grew up going to a Christian Sunday school because her parents felt it was important to learn about another religion.

“It’s important for all (of us) to collaborate and learn more about each other,” Didbal said. “It’s so important for all of us, no matter our religion or culture, to make sure we hold onto our history and our heritage.”

Former Yuba City Councilman Kash Gill said that across the nation there’s always some mistaken identity for who Sikhs are as people.

“The timing (of the campaign) is perfect because there’s a lot of tension right now through the U.S., a lot of fear,” Gill said. “For our area, we’re very fortunate that we’ve got such a diverse community and have not had any major issues ... We’re bankers, we’re attorneys, teachers, farmers.”

Hardeep Kaur, president of the local American Heritage Society, said her experience as a Sikh has been a little different in Oroville, where she lives. She said her children were the only Sikhs in the schools, so she worked to educate teachers and other students about the religion.

“Even though we look different, our value system is the American value system,” Kaur said. “Our big thing is to serve others, serve mankind. We don’t want to create barriers, we want to be all-inclusive.”

Inclusivity is one of the values outlined on the website wearesikhs.org. The website states that Sikhs value gender equality, racial diversity, freedom of religion, service to country, equal opportunity, and community service.

Hardeep Dhadli, a local pharmacist, businessman and farmer, said he believes the campaign will be more educational in other parts of the country, as Yuba-Sutter seems to be welcoming of Sikhs.

“Most of the people who live in this area know who Sikhs are because we’ve been here since the early 1920s,” Dhadli said, “and they’re respectful of that.”

Gill said the campaign is simply an educational tool for those who may not know much about the religion.

“That’s what this campaign is all about – its about education,” Gill said. “It’s not about to covert anybody, just to let people know who Sikhs are and what Sikh values are.”

Karm Bains, local agronomist, said for him, being Sikh is only one part of his identity.

“I belong to the Sikh faith, but this is my community,” Bains said. “We’re your brothers and sisters, and we are one community.”

Darin Gale, public affairs official for Yuba City, said the city is work- ing with Bains, the Gurdwara Sikh Temple, and other agencies to host an educational Yuba City United event, which, like the We Are Sikhs campaign, will educate people about the Sikh faith.

“This opportunity is to support our fellow IndianAmericans who have recently seen an increase in hate crimes and attacks across the nation,” Gale said. “These Sikh community members -- they’re our neighbors, they’re our friends. I think it’s great to build upon this national Sikh campaign.”

Gale said the event is tentatively scheduled for sometime in May.