Torlakson Encourages Schools to Teach About Sikhs

Valley school districts will be encouraging teachers to present materials on Sikhs as part of their studies of other cultures.

The Legislature designated November as Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month. State Superintendent of Public Education Tom Torlakson notified districts about the opportunity to assemble materials that would assist in teaching about Sikh culture.

Torlakson’s letter was dated Aug. 3, two days before a gunman killed six people and wounded three at a Sikh temple in a Milwaukee suburb.

Pleasanton school superintendent Parvin Ahmadi said, “It was ironic that we received the letter on Friday. Then this (Milwaukee attack) happened on Sunday.”

Although the timing of Tolakson’s letter and the Legislature’s declaration designating Sikh Awareness Month show they were not responses to the Milwaukee attack, concern about rude treatment of Sikhs were the motivators for Torlakson and the Legislature.

Torlakson’s letter said that members of Sikh communities in the Central Valley have testified to the state board of education, “Sikhs have been targets of hate crimes. Young Sikhs have been subjected to bullying, because of the different styles of clothing that they wear.”

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