An American Sikh advocacy group is hoping to change perceptions of the group with a $1.3 million commercial campaign.
On April 14, the National Sikh Campaign launched commercials to run on Fox News and CNN for about one month to help educate Americans about the Sikh faith and challenge misconceptions about their turbans. They have also aired commercials in Fresno, California, a city that holds one of the largest Sikh populations in the United States, and a frequent target for hate crimes since 9/11.
"We teach our kids the American values go hand in hand with the Sikh values."Source: We Are Sikh/YouTube
"We launched our ads on April 14, on Vaisakhi, which is a special day for Sikhs," Rajwant Singh, co-founder and senior adviser to the National Sikh Campaign, said in a phone interview. "[Vaisakhi] is a day when the turban and beard became our symbols — a mandatory part of our identity in 1699. Now, we are celebrating our identity to let the rest of America know who we are."
The campaign organizers said they hope the "We Are Sikh" commercials clear up misconceptions about their image and faith, and prove to the public that Sikh values are in line with American values. One ad, titled "Proud," features a family talking about signing up their son for Boy Scouts and describing their pride in being Sikh and American. Another ad, titled "Neighbors," features a diverse group of Sikh Americans discussing their love of Game of Thrones, Star Wars and Spongebob Squarepants.
"I've seen every episode of Spongebob, because that's what my daughters like to watch."Source: We Are SIkh/YouTube
with thanks : mic.com : LINK : for detailed news report by :
@amyharvard_
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