MORE FROM HUFFPOST
MORE FROM HUFFPOST
sikh turbans
I hope that with awareness and education efforts, less children will be targeted for being "different" and more people will recognize the amazingness of marginalized communities.
No American should have to compromise his or her religious beliefs in order to participate in public activities or make a livelihood, unless the compromise is truly necessary. Shamefully, Sikhs and many other Americans whose religious beliefs are not fully understood or respected, are forced to consider that compromise solely for failing to fit a particular image and look a certain way.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
WHAT'S HAPPENING
I follow the Sikh faith, which requires that I keep my hair long and wear a turban and beard. The ROTC recruiters said I would not be able to enlist unless I complied with all Army grooming and uniform rules.
A humor site with 797,000 Twitter followers posted a picture of me in my Trinity basketball jersey and maroon dastaar (it was a home game) with a caption that read: "I'm not guarding him. He's too explosive."
We can all be heroes flying in stealth mode, capturing the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans, leaving no room for Osama's ghost and the racism and xenophobia that continues to haunt us.
As the first turbaned Sikh American to play basketball for an NCAA program, I knew I needed to voice my opinion when I learned Sikh players on India's team were told by FIBA they must remove their dastars before playing at the Japan-India game.
