March 3, 2020 (Olympia, WA) – On Friday, February 28th, the Washington State Senate honored Washington’s Sikh community with a resolution sponsored by Senator Mona Das and co-sponsored by Senator Manka Dhingra.
Joined by Governor Jay Inslee and Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib, more than 50 Sikh community members were present at the State Capitol for an official reading of the resolution and community reception.
“As Sikh Americans, it’s important for us to build relationships with our elected officials so that we can increase Sikh awareness and community power,” said Kent City Councilmember Satwinder Kaur.
“To be formally recognized by our state’s legislature is meaningful to Sikhs who have made Washington our home.”
Efforts to build understanding about Sikhs and their history in Washington have increased in recent years, after violence targeting Sikhs have made local and national headlines.
In 2017 in Kent, a gunman shot and injured a Sikh man in his own driveway while telling him, “go back to your own country.” Just last December, a Sikh Uber driver was viciously attacked in Bellingham and law enforcement is continuing to investigate the case as a hate crime.
“The Sikh American community is part of the great diversity that helps Washington thrive,” said Senator Das.
“We are strongest when we stand together, and this resolution recognizes the vital contributions and deep community roots of Sikh Americans. Their commitment to community service and unity has woven neighbors and families together throughout history.”
In addition to raising Sikh awareness through local government, Sikhs in Washington are equipping educators to teach about Sikhism accurately in the classroom through the C3 framework.
After the hate crime in Kent, Washington’s Sikh community leaders also organized a hate crime forum focused on hate crime prevention alongside public officials, law enforcement, and interfaith leaders.