My Trip to the Sikh Community in Oak Creek, Wisconsin
In the last week, I witnessed the pain and terrible grief of these children and their families who lost their mothers and fathers, uncles and aunts in the massacre. But I also witnessed a multifaith movement for justice help the Sikh community find the courage to rise and rebuild in a time of unprecedented national attention. Groundswell supporters, thank you. When I presented the six volumes of letters on Sunday morning, your words were concrete proof to the Sikh community in Wisconsin that they were not alone. They represented the
Two Sikh Americans: Let’s Retire ‘Mistaken Identity’
Published on The Washington Post. By Valarie Kaur and Simran Jeet Singh In the wake of the massacre at the Sikh gurdwara [house of worship] in Milwaukee, Americans are learning about Sikhs, many for the first time. As two Sikh Americans who have studied and advocated on behalf of our community for the last decade, we were at first encouraged by the national media attention – but now we’re a bit worried. We hear reporters and officials describe the attack as a case of “mistaken identity,” that Sikh Americans are
The Changing Face of the NAACP
Last week, NPR reported a growing trend among local NAACP chapters. They're electing a new generation of leaders, many of whom are not African-American. In Waterbury, Connecticut, the chapter elected Victor Diaz, a 32-year-old Hispanic who is one of about a dozen new local leaders broadening the NAACP mission. They are changing the face of the NAACP as an organization not just for African-Americans but also for immigrants and LGBT people. This news was music to my ears. For too long, civil rights organizations have fought campaigns as
“Covering”
After speaking with DEAN KOH at Yale Law School, we had a long and rich conversation with KENJI YOSHINO (pictured), Deputy Dean of Intellectual Life and Professor of Law. I first met him on Yale Law’s admit day, when we had a small group discussion about law and discrimination. We picked up the discussion today and delved deeply into assimilation, discrimination, and covering. Since revolutionary times, Professor Yoshino began, the magic of assimilation has been part of the American dream: that if you assimilate, you will be able