BY DEVIKA C.MEHTA
LOS ANGELES, CA - When Indians migrate to the US, their biggest dream lies in the fact that ‘America is great’ and the country will give them a chance to tap their true potential. America is still great, dreams are getting bigger, but what has gone wrong in the past few months- why the tension and worry? Is it the arrival of a new President...
LOS ANGELES, CA - When Indians migrate to the US, their biggest dream lies in the fact that ‘America is great’ and the country will give them a chance to tap their true potential. America is still great, dreams are getting bigger, but what has gone wrong in the past few months- why the tension and worry? Is it the arrival of a new President...
or the lack of trust following his insensitive statements or is it just the rise of a dormant mass that believes in racism and has been provoked?
Today, the perception stands changed for several Indian-Americans following the recent racially motivated attacks. The shooting of Srinivasan Kuchibhotla in Kansas and the attack on a Sikh man in Washington and many more such incidents have one thing in common- both were told- “Go back to your own country!” Well, whose country is America if not immigrants?
LA Attorney Ahilan Arula-nantham, who has dealt with several hate crime cases against South Asians feels that the minorities have grown in number at high rates in recent years, particularly since the start of President Donald Trump’s campaign. “The country would benefit from far stronger statements by the President and others in the Administration condemning those attacks.”
Well, Trump did condemn the killing of Kuchibhotla, but no action plan or awareness program was announced later. US Congressman Ed Royce and California Senator Tony Mendoza adopted a tough attitude while replying to IJ questions.
Royce mentioned, “I was shocked by these attacks, and my thoughts are with the victims and their families. The perpetrators of these hateful crimes should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Racist attacks against any group is abhorrent.”
Mendoza added, “As the Senator for Artesia, home for many Indian- Americans, it saddens me to see and hear about these tragedies. These crimes are horrifying and unacceptable. Intolerance, bigotry and racism are un-American and do not reflect who we are as a nation. The shooting of Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani is a painful reminder that America still has a long road to ensuring this kind of hate crime never happens again.”
Artesia Mayor Ali Sajjad Taj said, “I stand with humanity and any atrocity on any community is an attack on humanity, attack on America. We all need to be more informed and educated. It is disturbing, but things are changing. Schools are getting engaged in interfaith awareness programs. We don’t know if these are cases of mistaken identity or not. It is just not proven. But that doesn’t mean the perpetrators of crime will not be brought to justice. They will be tried as per the law of the land and hopefully things will get better then.” On the recent attacks, he signified, “We are who we are, we need not hide ourselves, we should not stop speaking in our native language or stay away from crowded areas, mixing helps develop the cultural bond. America is a free country, let us all remember that.” Calling the attacks disturbing, Nirinjan Kaur Khalsa, Professor at Loyola Marymount University said that she is deeply saddened by the escalating violence against Hindu and Sikh Americans. “The fact that those with brown skin and turbans have been the targets of hate crimes by white men who yell ‘go back to your country’ questions whether America is defined as the land of the free and home of the brave, or land of the fearful and home of rage. As a Sikh American I was always taught ‘if you can’t see God in All, you can’t see God at all’ and pray that Americans can be brave enough to see beyond race, ethnic, national, religious, and class lines to recognize our shared humanity and common goal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Adding to the sentiment, Gurcharan Bains, President of North Hollywood Gurudwara stated, “It is time the Govt takes up an action plan.We Sikhs have been doing regular awareness programs in our religious institutions, but what if something happens outside. Why should we wait for any crime to happen before implementing proper steps?”
Dharma Civilization Foundation Chairman Ushakant Thakkar pointed out two major reasons behind the racist attacks- first, ‘people have limited understanding of communities, some relate Indians with radicals because of different culture and color’; second, many believe that ‘Indians are snatching their jobs’.To the doctor’s quote, Jay Shah of Jain Center in Buena Park fervently added that Indians are treated unfairly, “It is so unfortunate for Indians as we have been contributing so much to the economy.”
Bhiku Patel associated with Sanatan Dharma Temple gave a completely different angle to the problem. He shared, “We Indians need to be rational, and try to adapt and become a part of the American culture. Some Indians do not mix with the mainstream and invite trouble.”But, are these part of regular attacks or are they target based? Answering to the question, Inder Singh from Global Organization of People of Indian Origin said, “These are mistaken identity attacks. Yes, Sikhs have been singled out and that is an issue. But I don’t feel Trump is responsible. Instead it is the demonstrations against him that have excited the dormant mass which believes in racism. Hence, Indians as foreigners should be careful.” Vikas Bhargava, Immediate Past President, of South Asian Bar Association turns a savior by contemplating the situation. “We’ve seen an uptick in violence against South Asians across the country since last year’s election and many in our community have concerns over recent executive orders and proposed policies. People are not aware of resources that are available to them, from both nonprofits and government entities.” All said and done, what the county needs now is a show of solidarity for all - Indians, Muslims, and other victims of racial discrimination.
Today, the perception stands changed for several Indian-Americans following the recent racially motivated attacks. The shooting of Srinivasan Kuchibhotla in Kansas and the attack on a Sikh man in Washington and many more such incidents have one thing in common- both were told- “Go back to your own country!” Well, whose country is America if not immigrants?
LA Attorney Ahilan Arula-nantham, who has dealt with several hate crime cases against South Asians feels that the minorities have grown in number at high rates in recent years, particularly since the start of President Donald Trump’s campaign. “The country would benefit from far stronger statements by the President and others in the Administration condemning those attacks.”
Well, Trump did condemn the killing of Kuchibhotla, but no action plan or awareness program was announced later. US Congressman Ed Royce and California Senator Tony Mendoza adopted a tough attitude while replying to IJ questions.
Royce mentioned, “I was shocked by these attacks, and my thoughts are with the victims and their families. The perpetrators of these hateful crimes should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Racist attacks against any group is abhorrent.”
Mendoza added, “As the Senator for Artesia, home for many Indian- Americans, it saddens me to see and hear about these tragedies. These crimes are horrifying and unacceptable. Intolerance, bigotry and racism are un-American and do not reflect who we are as a nation. The shooting of Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani is a painful reminder that America still has a long road to ensuring this kind of hate crime never happens again.”
Artesia Mayor Ali Sajjad Taj said, “I stand with humanity and any atrocity on any community is an attack on humanity, attack on America. We all need to be more informed and educated. It is disturbing, but things are changing. Schools are getting engaged in interfaith awareness programs. We don’t know if these are cases of mistaken identity or not. It is just not proven. But that doesn’t mean the perpetrators of crime will not be brought to justice. They will be tried as per the law of the land and hopefully things will get better then.” On the recent attacks, he signified, “We are who we are, we need not hide ourselves, we should not stop speaking in our native language or stay away from crowded areas, mixing helps develop the cultural bond. America is a free country, let us all remember that.” Calling the attacks disturbing, Nirinjan Kaur Khalsa, Professor at Loyola Marymount University said that she is deeply saddened by the escalating violence against Hindu and Sikh Americans. “The fact that those with brown skin and turbans have been the targets of hate crimes by white men who yell ‘go back to your country’ questions whether America is defined as the land of the free and home of the brave, or land of the fearful and home of rage. As a Sikh American I was always taught ‘if you can’t see God in All, you can’t see God at all’ and pray that Americans can be brave enough to see beyond race, ethnic, national, religious, and class lines to recognize our shared humanity and common goal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Adding to the sentiment, Gurcharan Bains, President of North Hollywood Gurudwara stated, “It is time the Govt takes up an action plan.We Sikhs have been doing regular awareness programs in our religious institutions, but what if something happens outside. Why should we wait for any crime to happen before implementing proper steps?”
Dharma Civilization Foundation Chairman Ushakant Thakkar pointed out two major reasons behind the racist attacks- first, ‘people have limited understanding of communities, some relate Indians with radicals because of different culture and color’; second, many believe that ‘Indians are snatching their jobs’.To the doctor’s quote, Jay Shah of Jain Center in Buena Park fervently added that Indians are treated unfairly, “It is so unfortunate for Indians as we have been contributing so much to the economy.”
Bhiku Patel associated with Sanatan Dharma Temple gave a completely different angle to the problem. He shared, “We Indians need to be rational, and try to adapt and become a part of the American culture. Some Indians do not mix with the mainstream and invite trouble.”But, are these part of regular attacks or are they target based? Answering to the question, Inder Singh from Global Organization of People of Indian Origin said, “These are mistaken identity attacks. Yes, Sikhs have been singled out and that is an issue. But I don’t feel Trump is responsible. Instead it is the demonstrations against him that have excited the dormant mass which believes in racism. Hence, Indians as foreigners should be careful.” Vikas Bhargava, Immediate Past President, of South Asian Bar Association turns a savior by contemplating the situation. “We’ve seen an uptick in violence against South Asians across the country since last year’s election and many in our community have concerns over recent executive orders and proposed policies. People are not aware of resources that are available to them, from both nonprofits and government entities.” All said and done, what the county needs now is a show of solidarity for all - Indians, Muslims, and other victims of racial discrimination.
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