Sharing “Where Are You Really From?”

May 13, 2024 (Nationwide) — Since the launch of “Where Are You Really From?” A National Sikh School Climate Report last month, the Sikh Coalition has been hard at work to share the findings of our landmark bullying study with sangats and others across the country.

Over the past several weekends, the Sikh Coalition has tabled at gurdwaras in Fremont, San Jose, and West Sacramento, California; Denver, Colorado; Indianapolis, Indiana; Palatine, Illinois; Silver Spring, Maryland; Rochester Hills, Michigan; Durham, North Carolina; Lawrenceville, New Jersey; Richmond Hill, New York; Richfield, Ohio; Austin and Houston, Texas; and Kent, Washington. At these engagements, we have enjoyed the opportunity to share Where Are You Really From? (WAYRF) with parents and children, as well as explain our policy recommendations, speak about our broader education work, and field questions about bullying.

If you are interested in inviting a Sikh Coalition staffer to your gurdwara to speak about our bullying research, advocacy, and legal work—or if you yourself would like to table and hand out resources—please email community@sikhcoalition.org for more information. In the weeks ahead, we also look forward to sharing more about how parents and sangat members can get involved in sharing WAYRF and its conclusions with educators and policymakers. From talking to your child’s teacher to speaking before your local school board, sign up here to learn how you can engage in these important efforts!

In addition to our efforts to connect with sangat, we continue to use WAYRF as an opportunity to meaningfully engage policymakers and allies. The Sikh Coalition’s advocacy team has already shared the report’s recommendations with more than 60 U.S. congressional offices. Our education team has also ensured that the findings are available to a wide variety of audiences across the nation, from being included on New York City’s “Respect for All’ anti-bullying resource website to a presentation by Senior Education Manager Upneet Kaur to the Honesty for Ohio Education Coalition, which includes Buckeye state organizations, state board members, and educators.  

Finally, last week, Sikh Coalition Legal Director Giselle Klapper, Senior Staff Attorney Sahel Kaur, and Federal Policy Manager Mannirmal Kaur traveled to Washington, DC, to brief attorneys and other civil servants from the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division on WAYRF’s policy recommendations and our experiences from more than 20 years of taking severe bullying cases. We look forward to continued engagement with federal agencies about how they can do more to prevent and address bias-based bullying.

As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.