Six California Police Departments Open Doors for Sikh American Cops

Washington, DC, July 08, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Today, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)—the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—announced that, over the past several weeks, six California police departments have confirmed their commitment to equal employment opportunities for Sikh Americans.

During the month of June, police chiefs in Yuba City, Sutter County, Richmond, San Pablo, Hercules, and Walnut Creek, California each affirmed that Sikh Americans are welcome to join their respective agencies and work as police officers. SALDEF is optimistic that other police departments will follow suit.

Founded in South Asia over 500 years ago, the Sikh religion draws 25 million followers worldwide and an estimated 500,000 adherents in the United States. Observant Sikhs are distinguished by dastaars (turbans), uncut hair, and other visible articles of faith. For many years—but especially after the 9/11 attacks—Sikh Americans have been subjected to hate crimes, workplace discrimination, denial of public accommodations, and school bullying because of their actual or perceived race, religion, and national origin.

Against this backdrop of violence and bias, and with a view toward breaking stereotypes of the sort that make Sikh Americans vulnerable to discrimination, SALDEF has encouraged observant Sikh Americans to actively pursue high-visibility careers in law enforcement.

“Observant Sikhs have proudly served as police officers and soldiers in the United Kingdom and Canada for many years with their articles of faith intact and are beginning to pursue law enforcement careers in the United States,” said Jasjit Singh, SALDEF’s Associate Executive Director. “We are extremely grateful to our friends in Yuba City, Sutter County, Richmond, San Pablo, Hercules, and Walnut Creek for their proactive leadership in the cause of promoting equal employment opportunities for observant Sikh Americans. Over time, as Sikh Americans engage with their communities as law enforcement officers, we will prove that observant Sikhs are an integral and inseparable part of American society and create an atmosphere in which hate crimes and discrimination against Sikh Americans are a thing of the past.”

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