WASHINGTON: A new study as revealed brazen instances of ace discrimination against Sikh Students in high schools in the USA, causing serious concern among Indian immigrants.  

Without exception, every Punjabi student interviewed recounted examples of hostility, verbal jibes, Such as “you stink”, you god damn Hindus” and “get out of our country” were common, as were mild forms of physical abuse such as food throwing and crowding into queues ahead of Punjabis.

Much of the trouble occurred at lunch time or on school buses, reveals the two-year study entitled “accommodation without assimilation” about Sikh immigrants in an American high school in a rural California town, which the author Prefers to call “valley side” in the Sacramento valley, about 160 km from San Francisco.

Margaret A. Gibson, who conducted the study with funding from the National Institute of Education and with the support and cooperation of district officials and Sikhs leaders, also records “more serious but less frequent occurrences” in which valleysider students. Spit at the Punjabis, stick them with pins and throw lighted cigarettes in their direction.

The study quotes a Punjabi father as saying “they hate our children. They keep on calling them “Hindu, Hindu”. They should be told that we are not Hindus, that we are Sikhs. Secondly, pulling off someone’s turban, or spitting, is really bad.”

Interviewer: Does your son wear a turban?

Father: He did before. Just after he started at the high school a group of white boys got together and took off my son’s turban. We were very upset about this.

Interviewer: Did it happen again?

Father: Two boys took his turban off when he was walking home from school. Then last summer he had his hair cut.

Interviews: What do you think about this now?

Son: Everyone has his off, most of the boys have had their hair cut.

Interviewer: Is it mainly the ‘ones with turbans that have the problems?

Father: No matter whether they are clean shaven, they hate us all. Someone with a turban on will get more harassment. They call the turban a diaper. They say you have g diaper on. The boy gets really upset

 Two Punjab seniors reported falling prey to more serious acts of racial hostility, otherwise a criminal offense. In one case a girl’s long hair was deliberately set on fire

The undercurrent of prejudice was never far from the surface, the observes, adding it was easy uncover.

Dealing with Punjabi response patterns, the study says most boys, in keeping with their parent’s advice, tried simply to ignore the hostilities. If they get into fights, their parents always assumed our children were at fault, one of them said.

It, however, says Punjabi youth, particularly those born and raised here in America showed a willingness to defend themselves by force: if necessary and to bear the consequences. They kept hockey sticks in their lockers and were not afraid to use them if provoked to fight.

The study reveals that no one was comfortable with the racial tensions.

Some teachers reported that they tried to “shield” Punjabis from rude remarks and called offending students aside to tell them that their behavior was unacceptable.

Some talked to students about cultural differences. Some said they “simply insisted on respect”. Others said they “ignored the cracks, unless they got really out of hand. Regardless of their approach, most believed that the problems were beyond their ability to solve.

The study says administrators recognized the explosive nature of the situation-their concerns, in fact, were impetus for initiating the current research-and they tried to deal swiftly with the most serious offenses.

They were less effective, however, in addressing the underlying causes of the problems or in bringing a halt to the constant petty acts of annoyance which plagued Punjab students.

Administrators, like teachers, appeared resigned to the situation and felt powerless to change it, it adds.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 26, 1990