My friend Paul (not his real name) remembers being taunted as a kid in Chicago. He was an all-American kid whose grandparents were from India. His family was Sikh and his grandfather wore a turban and beard in keeping with traditional Sikh practices. Kids at school called Paul a range of derogatory names, including one in particular that still causes him to grit his teeth.
While there are 23 million Sikhs worldwide and more than 250,000 in the U.S., Sikhism is misunderstood by many Americans, especially in the years following 9/11. Sikhism one of the world's major religions, emphasizing beliefs such as as non-violence, social responsibility and equality.
Many Sikhs I've met in recent months are concerned by how their neighbors perceive them. A man who works for a Sikh nonprofit organization in the U.S. was scheduled to travel in the weeks after 9/11. His son, who told this story at a recent documentary screening, made a sign for his father to carry at the airport. It said, "I am a Sikh. I am from India." He knew all too well that his father would be greeted with scorn and suspicion, as many Americans confused a man with turban and beard with the Muslim terrorists they were seeing on the news.
The documentary "A Dream in Doubt" airs tonight at 10 p.m. on "Independent Lens." It follows a Sikh man in Mesa, Arizona, whose brother Balbir was murdered in a hate crime in the days following September 11. The man who killed Balbir had been watching news coverage of the attacks on America. In a rage, he left his house and murdered Balbir in the parking lot of his gas station. Then he went to the home of an Afghan family and a Lebanese family and shot holes in the door. In Mesa, hate crimes including assault and harassment of Sikh residents continued for months.
The family profiled in the film realized the American dream after immigrating from India years before. They worked hard, earned a good living and loved life in their new country. When Balbir was killed, the family was shocked that something like this could happen in America.
"A Dream in Doubt" brings up a question: "What does a 'real American' look like?" On the "Independent Lens" website, you can see a
slideshow of photos that attempt to answer the question. Check them out and submit your own. Explore the site's other features, such as immigration stories and an information page on Sikhism. And be sure to tune in to the program tonight at 10 (see tune in details at the left, under the photo).
In closing, I must confess that I knew nothing about Sikhs before I saw this documentary and made some new friends. Before I saw the film and had only seen the poster, I thought it was about Arab Americans after 9/11. No, no, Paul said, Sikhs aren't Arabs. I was embarrassed, but at least I'm learning.
When we screened "A Dream in Doubt" at Starz FilmCenter last month, some of the Sikhs on our panel said they're happy to talk with anyone who has a question about their beard or turban. That actually surprised me – my gut feeling is that it would be rude or awkward to ask someone about their garments or hair. But as I think about it, I know that being straightforward is better than the alternative: making assumptions.
I've heard that Sikhs all over the country are tuning in to PBS tonight to watch this program. They say they're grateful that the story is being told, and that PBS stations like ours are creating public forums for discussion and understanding.
Do you have experience with harassment based on your ethnicity or dress? In a nation of immigrants, how can we define what a "real American" looks like?
-Allison, Rocky Mountain PBS
