PALO ALTO, CALIF. (Sept. 9, 2013) — Sikhs have been targeting for hate crimes in America. Because there are so many Sikhs in Silicon Valley, an advocacy group brought us in to explore whether emerging technologies and best practices in social engagement could make a difference.
That was the focus of a Monday forum that featured new research findings and recommendations that were developed with the Stanford Peace Innovation Lab.
In a groundbreaking new study titled “Turban Myths,” researchers at SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund) and Stanford University found that 70 percent of Americans misidentify turban-wearers as Muslim (48 percent), Hindu, Buddhist or Shinto. In fact, almost all men in the U.S. who wear turbans are Sikh Americans, whose faith originated in India.
Other key findings:
• Americans associate turban-wearers with Osama bin Laden, more than with named Muslim and Sikh alternatives and more than with no one in particular
• 49 percent of Americans believe “Sikh” is a sect of Islam (it is an independent religion)
• 70 percent cannot identify a Sikh man in a picture as a Sikh
• 79 percent cannot identify India as the geographic origin of Sikhism
“This research is critical to our community and confirms our real, lived experiences,” said Jasjit Singh, executive director of SALDEF. “We also know that we most effectively bridge these perception gaps when fellow Americans come to know us as the teachers, doctors, coaches, Moms, Dads, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors and community servants we are. This study provides a roadmap for creating the mutual understanding and recognition of shared values that can help us build an American community larger than ourselves, and one that includes Sikh Americans as full participants.”
Sikh Americans suffered the deadliest act of violence against a religious minority on Aug. 5, 2012 when a white supremacist stormed a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Six Sikh Americans were killed. A Sikh American targeted expressly because of his turban was also the first fatality after 9/11 in a series of backlash crimes.
The study was overseen by Stanford University researcher and Peace Innovation Lab co-director Margarita Quihuis. It involved surveys, social science research and extensive interviews of influencers in the Sikh and civil rights community.
“Coming from the world of peace innovation we see a real path forward as a result of this research,” said Quihuis. “The bottom line is that these misperceptions are caught, not taught. Good people make associations based on imagery and messages all around them — from the grocery store to television to the digital world. In this case the Sikh American community has an opportunity to fill those perception gaps with the truth, in a constructive way to foster peace.”
Launching Monday on the Stanford Campus, SocialxDesign to Host Public Forum Series Aimed at Developing Creative Strategies for Engaging Political, Cultural and Social Conflicts
The social technology consulting firm with offices in Washington, DC and Silicon Valley is launching a new global initiative called “Peace by Design” (PxD). Beginning with an interactive forum on Sept. 9 on behalf of the Sikh American community at Stanford University, the initiative will engage leaders around the world on co-creating strategies for engaging conflict across different geographic and political boundaries.