Inayat Kaur
May 22, 2008 (Due: May 22, 2008)
ANT 1001 TV24A/ Gaunt
2nd Year (Finance & Investments)
Being Sikh in America
There is no exact information pertaining to the arrival of the first Sikhs in America. But it is believed to be in the late nineteenth century. With Colonialism and the creation of transportation systems, people began travelling. The Panama Canal was built in 1904 and much of the workers were immigrants including Sikhs. The Sikh place of worship is called Gurudwara. The first Gurudwara in the United States was built in 1906 in California. Now, Gurudwaras can be seen in almost all states. New York itself is home to 13 of them. As a race, the Sikh population in America and within New York has been rising constantly. To give you an insight into the lives of Sikhs in America, I did my mini ethnography on Sikhs in New York. I interviewed Dr. Inder Jeet Singh, a professor at NYU and author of many books on Sikhism. My unit of observation was the Gurudwara. My key cultural consultants were Dr. Singh and the Gurudwara authorities. Being Sikh myself, I took part in the events by participant observation.
As a world religion, Sikhism is the ninth largest with approximately 23 million followers (Kottak, 192).It emerged during the 15th century in south-east Asia. Its origins can be traced to the Bhakti movement within Hinduism and the Sufi movement within Islam.
The founder, Guru Nanak, a Hindu himself had no intentions of creating a religion. He was merely contesting against the evils in society. The countries in south-east Asia, namely India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have been under the caste system for centuries. The Caste System has a hierarchy of statutes in society. The four major castes are the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Shudras( including the Untouchables and Dalits).Also, women, have suffered throughout history to find a status equal to that of men. Guru Nanak preached the message of equality among the sexes, the creation of a class-less society and non-idol worship. He attracted a lot of followers and was followed by nine successors. The Tenth Guru, Gobind Singh initiated the followers of the Sikh faith into a religion called Sikhism. And for identification reasons, he imposed the five K’s- Kesa (long hair, which is never cut, for women. It refers to the turban that is used to cover the hair, for men.), Kangah (comb), Kacha (short pants), Kara (metal bracelet) and Kirpan (a ceremonial dagger). This relates to the Anthropological concept of Culture being symbolic. Leslie White defined culture as being dependent upon symbolling. Culture consists of tools, implements, utensils, clothing, ornaments, customs, institutions, beliefs, rituals, games, works of art, language etc. Had it not been for the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Sikhs and Hindus would have looked the same.
In addition, Sikh men would use the surname ‘Singh,’ which literally means lion and signifies the bravery trait among lions and Sikh women use ‘Kaur,’ which means Princess. This is to keep the casteism at bay. However, in the United States, you have the same last name for a family. So more and more Sikhs are giving up the use of ‘Singh’ and ‘Kaur’ to use their family name. The Five K’s and the unique surnames are examples of cultural particularities, unique to the Sikh tradition. The surnames given to us signify the founder’s belief in equality. That we are all one, so why not have the same caste? The Caste System is the worst social evil predominant in the Indian society.
The Guru Granth Sahib (also known as the Adi Granth) is the holy book of the Sikhs. It is considered the Supreme Spiritual Authority and Head of the Sikh religion, rather than any living person. It is also the only scripture of it's kind which not only contains the works of it's own religious founders but also writings of people from other faiths. The living Guru of the Sikhs, the book is held in great reverence by Sikhs and treated with the utmost respect. Sikhism rejects idol worship, so the Guru Granth Sahib is not worshipped as an idol, but rather emphasis is placed on respect of the book for the writings which appear within. Guru Granth Sahib is a collection of devotional hymns and poetry which proclaims God, lays stress on moral and ethical rules for development of the soul, spiritual salvation and unity with God. (Sri Guru Granth Sahib)
It wasn’t until the 36th President; Lyndon Johnson changed the Citizenship Quota that more and more immigrants including Sikhs came to the United States. Before that, there were a handful of them and even those were scattered around the country. Bhagat Singh Thind, was one of the first Sikhs from India who came to America in 1913. He served in the Army during World War I and was honorably discharged in 1918. He applied for Citizenship in 120 and was approved by the district court. However a naturalization examiner appealed this court's decision and the rest is history. What is less well-known is that Bhagat Singh Thind remained in the U.S., completed his Ph.D., and delivered lectures in metaphysics all across the nation. Basing his lessons on Sikh philosophy, he enriched his teaching with references to the scriptures of several religions and the work of Emerson, Whitman, and Thoreau. He said, "You must never be limited by external authority, whether it is vested in a church, man, or book. It is your right to question, challenge, and investigate." Ironically, Dr. Thind applied for and received U.S. citizenship through the state of New York within a few years of being turned down by the U.S. Supreme Court. (Thind)
After the 1970’s, there was a sporadic rise in the Sikh population in the U.S. My key cultural consultant, Dr. Inder Jeet Singh landed here in 1960. He was granted a fellowship by the University of Oregon. And later went to graduate school at Columbia. He’s now a professor of Anatomical Studies at New York University. During his time, he has developed an interest in his religion and he calls himself a voyager on the path of Sikhism. According to him, “The journey is the destination.”
When Dr. Singh landed in New York, there were hardly any Sikhs in America. And a lot of people would question him about his turban asking why he must wear it. He didn’t have the answers back then, but these frequent questions made him research his own culture. He grew to explore the philosophic depth and the beauty of the Sikh faith. He says, “I was born a Sikh but I regard myself as a convert to Sikhism. But this journey is far from complete and I remain a pilgrim on an endless path.” He’s the author of six books on this subject and a columnist in many Sikh newspapers.
His experiences as a Sikh man living in America are worth a mention. Right from the time, when he filled ‘Caucasian’ as his race on forms (Back then, the Asian option didn’t exist), only to be told that he wasn’t Caucasian, but he proved that he was. He was denied entry in White Hotels, only to be granted a room later. On many occasions, he has come across people who asked questions like, ““When your people came here why didn’t they leave their religion back home?” He simply asks in return, when you came here, you didn’t leave your religion behind. As a society, Americans are not discriminatory. They just don’t know much about Sikhs or Sikhism.
After 9/11, many people thought Sikh men wearing turbans were related to Osama Bin Laden. Many hate crimes were committed, innocent victims died. But these acts are a mere reflection of the ignorance of people. Being a Sikh, I don’t get the same attention that men wearing turbans do. Recently in Jackson Heights, Jasmir Singh was attacked by three men who taunted him for his traditional beard and long hair. Singh's father, Jiwan Singh, said his family had been repeatedly attacked because of the way they look. The subway track worker was stabbed by a drunken straphanger in 2004 and attacked with his wife a year earlier, he said. He also claims he was taunted in December by seven kids who shouted "Osama" at him while he was on the subway in Brooklyn. (Kerry, Gendar and Sederstrom)
The turban has always been as issue. Although it has an intrinsic value that most of us living in the twenty first century have long forgotten. The turban is our Guru's gift to us. It is how we crown ourselves as the Singhs and Kaurs who sit on the throne of commitment to our own higher consciousness. For men and women alike, this projective identity conveys royalty, grace, and uniqueness. It is a signal to others that we live in the image of Infinity and are dedicated to serving all. The turban doesn't represent anything except complete commitment. When you choose to stand out by tying your turban, you stand fearlessly as one single person standing out from six billion people. It is a most outstanding act. (Sikhnet)
Racial Attacks have a pattern, observed Dr. Singh. Whenever the economy is bad, racist attacks are common. When the economy is in boom, there’s a considerable decline in crime, especially of racial nature.
As a community, we’ve come far. As a nation, America has tried it’s best to support Sikhs. Every time, there are Sikh festivities at the Gurudwara, the Police provide ample security until the wee hours of the morning, when the festivities end. Even in the Army and Naval forces, they’re incorporating Sikh men who wear turbans. The media is also recognizing our community. Kenneth Cole recently signed a Sikh model to showcase his collection. Many student organizations such as the United Sikh Association have been formed for students.
The Unites States being a core nation, meaning the strongest and the most powerful in the world system attracts a lot of immigrants from periphery (the least privileged countries) and semi-periphery (intermediate between the core and the periphery) nations (Kottak, 203). The first generation Sikhs that came here usually learnt culture by enculturation. Enculturation is the process by which a person learns their culture because he or she is surrounded by it(Kottak, 42). It simply takes place by osmosis. But the second and third generation Sikhs had to make an effort to learn their culture. The Gurudwara plays a very important role in teaching American-Sikhs their culture.
Dr. Singh has seen a trend in the Sikh children born in America. Many of them have given up their turbans in an effort to adapt to the culture here. This practice is maladaptive for the indigenous Sikh culture. After 9/11, many stopped wearing turbans for fear of being arrested. Maladaptive practices are those that estrange the group’s survival(Kottak,48).
On the other hand, the Gurudwara conducts many workshops and classes to sustain and revive the cultural spirit. Sikhs talk in Punjabi, which is quite similar to Hindi. In these workshops, kids are educated about their religion and taught how to read and write in Punjabi. Back in the day, the Gurudwara would provide shelter to many immigrants who literally just had enough money to pay for the air ticket to come to America.
Many events are organized just for Sikhs. The Khalsa Day Parade is one such example. It’s an annual event. Below are a few pictures from that day.
Most of the Sikhs that live in New York are middle class American families. A huge chunk resides in Long Island. Many of them have well established businesses. It’s not rare to spot a man with a turban on the streets in Manhattan. Even then, in High Schools, kids with turbans are bullied. There are two consequences to this kind of bullying. One, that brothers Bunty and Bawa Singh followed, to drop out of high school and start working. Or, keep a low profile at school. Daman Singh, now a successful businessman, was the first Sikh to graduate from his High School in Westbury, New York. He was subject to a great deal of prejudice. Prejudice means devaluing a group because of its assumed behavior, values, capabilities or attributes. But, he chose to stay and fight a silent battle. Today, the same high school hosts a Variety Show, where Bhangra (Sikh folk dance) is a custom.
As Dr. Singh put it in his words, “No matter what you do or look like, some people will accept you and some won’t. Learn to live within your own skin.”
Dialogic Editing
When I made Dr. Singh read my final draft, he just smiled. His life story pretty much captures what it’s like to be Sikh in America. He asked me to add a few more specifications regarding facts about our culture. And I added details describing cultural particularities. I added pictures clicked by Aman Gulati, the only Sikh student at the Miami Ad School.
What I learnt from my Ethnography is my own culture. I was alien to it. Dr. Singh is definitely a great influence. I fostered a good friendship with him. Aman’s photography made me see the whole issue in a different light. He’s brilliant at capturing juxtaposes. I can just say I’m proud to be Sikh. Even though I practice real culture vs. ideal culture(Kottak, 48). Ideal culture consists of what people say they should do and real culture refers to their actual behavior.
Works Cited
Kottak Conrad P. “Culture.” Mirror for Humanity. 6th ed. New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2008. 42
Kottak Conrad P. “Religion.” Mirror for Humanity. 6th ed. New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2008. 192-193
Kottak Conrad P. “Culture.” Mirror for Humanity. 6th ed. New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2008. 44-45
Kottak Conrad P. “Culture.” Mirror for Humanity. 6th ed. New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2008. 46-48
Kottak Conrad P. “Culture.” Mirror for Humanity. 6th ed. New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2008. 48
Kottak Conrad P. “The World System and Colonialism.” Mirror for Humanity. 6th ed. New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2008. 202-203
Http://www.sikhs.org. Sri Guru Granth Sahib. 21 May 2009.
Http://www.pbs.org. Bhagat Singh Thind. 21 May 2009 .
Burke, Kerry, Alison Gendar, and Jotham Sederstrom. "'It was racial,' says attack vic." New York Times [New York] 20 Jan. 2009.
"Dastar." 21 May 2009.
