Harkirat Hansra

Liberty at Stake: Sikhs: the Most Visible, Yet Misunderstood, Minority of America Harkirat Hansra

Many Sikhs had been living happily in America until September 11th, 2001. Everything changed that fateful day. Sikhs, who wear turbans and have long beards due to their religious beliefs, were hit twice. First, our country was attacked and thousands of Sikhs' innocent fellow citizens lost their lives. Second, some of our countrymen started terrorizing Sikhs due to ignorance. Suddenly, it looked like Sikhs were on the other side of the war. People were rightfully angered by the attacks but wrongly assumed that Sikhs might be the enemy. Shocked Americans, bristling with misguided patriotism, imitated the terrorists by terrorizing their innocent neighbors. All of a sudden Sikhs became the scapegoats. When you live in America but are misidentified as America's enemy, your American Dream starts slipping away. You know that your liberty is at stake. Why would somebody in his or her right mind then wear a turban and have a long beard anymore? One could be taunted by passers-by, discriminated on the job, pulled out of the airport security line, and physically assaulted. It doesn't make sense unless you have a good reason to do it, and Sikhs do What is their reasoning, and is it worth it?