Veni ) 0 Chauhan 2 7 14 1[g6Dwalking down the register aisle at Costco in Merced with a friend when we started eke : A poe ae getting disturbing looks from our surrounding individuals. 1 Up noticed that we(Werdthe only syd us Ce wr tan be Owl ved colored people around. Sikhs have been living in the United States for the past 100 years. We wear turbans on ir. We hail our heads, an iron bracelet called a Kara around our wrists and keep long, unshorn hai from India which falls in Asia, not the Middle East. We believe in One God and stand firmly in accordance with equality. We{@ig no diferent than an African American, a Muslim, Christian oF even other brown people. After September 11, 2001, Sikhs have been hated, killed for no reason, and judged differently. WhyQiit that Sikhs have to undergo torment and injustice when they have never done anything to harm anyone? The Sikh Coalition §@\x grup of individuals who defend Sikh civil rights in the United States. After We tertérist atficks 99/11, hate crimes against the Sikhs sigiftcantly rose. ‘According to the Sikh Coalition “In the first month after the 9/11 attacks, the Sikh Coalition os documented over 300 cases of violence and discrimination against Sikh Americans throughout the United States.” Tg evidence shows how Sikhs got mistaken for resembling other faiths that runt y the media portrays as being cldily related to terrorism. What did-we-derto-deservethis? “A 2010 Sikh Coalition community survey revealed that ten percent of Sikhs in the San Francisco Bay ‘Area have experienced hate crimes because of their religion (Sikh Coalition). Ys yYu cH sy, mistaken identity not a matter to be taken van on we (Geidjumystly accused of acts of terrorism #hat42ere bommitted by others, all sitpfaly because we wear turbans that bear the slightest resemblance to those that aeyfally conducted those horrendous crimes, The level of ignorance in our society{i9so high that people don’t even think twice before wrigely labeling an / "a 6h Fels innocent eltrly Sikh man as being a relative of Osama Bin Laden oh. co ME rw Ate aa (4, cs %y re % a, oe é a Ke ‘0Kae we s Chauhan 3 GrowdAag uplwwhile representing the Sikh faith comes with its own share of difficulties. It Gextiausting to have to walk down the same hallways every day and hear people shouting Feist jokes at you and telling you to go back to your own country, even though You Fewdborn in the same one as them. Nog it any easier to hear of Sikhs in your community; ones that you interact 7 ‘ @ wit, having their turbans ripped off, and being beaten up and lft to die inthe streets ofthe Bay. ‘According to the studies done by the Sikh Coalition “69% of turban-wearing Sikh students in the Bay Area of San Francisco have suffered bullying and harassment beeause of the religion and ym that 30% of them had been hit or involuntarily touched because oftheir turbans These attacks wv a associated with terrorism x and 9/11.” The evidence explains how our identit{ is}being mistreated for because of our * vw We our eB religion. Py — Ae Growing up it{Gageasier to just take everything in and suck it up but I thought that once x SS RY yd yymore, Sfd R SHY, but thcoiKing WUC vest re? te Vey 1d for their decision, but that) 3" y ‘occur because the Sikh articles of faith ~ in particular, the turban high school {f@over, | wouldn't have to deal with it an Merced, this hasn't changed much. You would think that people who\@@jsmart enough 10 i in a higher level education would be more accepting and know that everyond{j allowed the freedom of choosing their own religion and should not be mistreate Ce not true, at least not in terms of what [ have seen. Lredyptly{Wagjin downtown Merced with vy i Beye couple of other Sikh friends and we realized as we(€erehwalking everyone looked at us. My eyes x0 a0 ot" went from person to person and all these eyeS{wWarelooking at me. As | walk the streets of downtown Merced, get negative vibes left and right. The impact of this being my reality hars ‘even more because I thought this would change once I started college. Z Yai beu ation of Independence states all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Cr “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ator with certain unalienable Righ ‘s eae Shee WAKaravi — a 7 Chauhan 4 yee that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” We rey 5, the United States; 2rG if you are a citizen of this country you should understand that the Declaratiod Spelling you . RX at everyond sequal pee Sikhs, a good majority of whom Ggood citizens of America, nol rened eat yo) stiglild Sikhs have to fear abo wut getting attacked both 0 Se & o verbally and physically on a daily basis? Ifhere}f4 Yetween me and the person > 7 x we wat sitting in front of me in a lecture hall, Why{{3}t that I have to look over my shoulder before No 3s proceeding whereas getting insults hurled at them GQ the least of the other person’s ts a eht ‘worries? Sikhs get name- called, beaten up, unfairly prosecuted, laid off and MUCH more oN ee simply because the faith we've chosen to dedicate the rest of our lives to. | urge to ask yourself: os : ay ‘WholGiethe real terrorists here? \ a eo ¢ a