untold civil rights stories: asian americans speak out for justice
By Guest Contributor Angry Asian Man, originally published at Angry Asian Man
If you’re like me, growing up as a student, you heard a lot about civil rights history, but not much about the role of Asian Americans in those struggles. But wait! There’s a new book for you. Untold Civil Rights Stories: Asian Americans Speak Out for Justice is the first educational textbook describing the role of Asian Americans in United States civil rights history.
Recently published by the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, it’s the first book created for students to learn and discuss the social struggles Asian Americans have faced for over a century in this country.
The book tells the stories of Amric Singh Rathour, Beulah Ong Kwoh, Fred Korematsu, Joseph Ileto, K.W. Lee, Lily Chin, Peping Baclig, Philip Vera Cruz, and the enslaved Thai garment workers — real stories that are often forgotten in history texts. The goal is to fill an educational void and correct the “invisibility” of Asian Americans in United States history.
Untold Civil Rights Stories is edited by APALC’s President & Executive Director, Stewart Kwoh, and UCLA Asian American Studies adjunct professor, Russell C. Leong. Contributors include May Lee Heye, Bill Ong Hing, Dale Minami, Karen Narasaki, Angela Oh, Mary Ellen Kwoh Shu, Julie Su, Casimiro Urbano Tolentino, Kent Wong, Eric Yamamoto, Helen Zia, Esther Taira, and Irene Lee.
The book includes timelines, student commentary and lesson plans geared especially for k-12th grade students learning about United States history, economics, and government. For more information go to the UCLA Asian American Studies Center website here, or download the press packet here.
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Photo of Amric Singh Rathour credit: The Sikh Coalition
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
sandeep wrote:
the turban issues is interesting as its something a friend of mine is currently facing up. he’s one of two sikhs battling the united states military for his right to wear a turban and fulfill his duty in the military. the interesting twist is he used the military program which pays for med school in return for a pledge of X years of service. those recruiters that picked him up assured him the hair would be allowed to be left long, that the turban would be allowed to be left on his head. thinking the circumstances fair knowing that his religion was going to be respected, he goes and signs up. now, years later, after he’s done with his degree, they’re renegging. and he’s fighting it in court.
this isn’t the first time i’ve heard this either. another friend of mine, goes down to take a law school entrance exam, and is refused the test unless he removes his turban.
with sikhs, it goes down to scripture, those that’re orthodox enough to follow what are known has the pang kakkar, 5 symbolic items of uniform instituted by the 10th leader of the religion some 300 years ago will likely find themselves with a turban. not only that, the turban is one of the pang kakkar that tends to be followed even if amrit hasn’t been taken. amrit is the baptism that essentially is a symbolic declaration of adherence to those tenants outlined in the book (named guru granth sahib) and taught by the 10 successive guru’s of the religion.
france currently has laws that require sikhs to remove their turban for driver’s liscense photos. generally the world seems to frown upon the turban, seemingly quietly linking it up with the burka, which has its own negative press.
the truth is, sikhs love their turbans. no sikh (unless perhaps you consider some of the children) wears a turban against their will. its a sign of pride & faith, more like a cross, than a restrictive burka. furthermore, folks often mistake turbans for signs of islamism. now i have nothing against the muslim faith, but turbans are very rarely used by muslims, whereas they are almost uniformly employed by sikhs. if you do your homework, you find sikhs have very little in common with muslims. the first guru of the religion lived in a muslim and hindu dominated world, checked both religions out, and rejected them, then put together what more or less made most sense to him, and lived & preached it. that lead to followers, which lead to a successor, and in time, a religion. this was 600 years ago.
but the bottom line is, sikhs are sworn to defend the weak, to stamp out injustice, these were some of the motivating factors behind the transfiguration of the khalsa formation 300 years ago, when the pang kakkar were put into place by the 10th (and last) sikh guru. and for sikhs to find themselves now being attacked for such things as the turban, which is part protest against the ancient tradition of only royalty being allowed long hair, and part uniform to encourage people to keep themselves presentable, and most importantly so, a very optional part of sikhism, one which many choose not to follow today, is disgusting.
after 9-11, many sikhs rallied and formed various organizations stateside and worldwide. this was to stem the very visible backlash against all things “islamic” be they truely linked or mistaken. many sikhs realized our disposition in the world wasnt quite the way we’d've liked it. we wanted the world to know us on our terms, not simply as some “other” guy. there’s still work to be done evidently, elected officials worldwide continue to sponsor anti-turban legislature and policy, but there are seemingly just as many pro-respect folks out there who’d wish nothing less than complete protection of a sikh’s right to wear a turban.
anyway, figured i’d toss that out there.
Posted 06 Jul 2009 at 10:00 am ¶
Restructure! wrote:
In Canada, there was a famous case of a Sikh man named Baltej Singh Dhillon who won the right to wear his turban as a RCMP officer (Mountie).
Links:
Sikh Mounties permitted to wear turbans
Limits of Acceptance
However, I’m sure that Baltej Singh Dhillon’s case will be remembered in Canadian history as Canada being tolerant and accommodating towards an unassimilable (South) Asian, instead of Dhillon fighting for equality in Canada.
Posted 06 Jul 2009 at 10:48 am ¶
Sobia wrote:
@ sandeep:
“furthermore, folks often mistake turbans for signs of islamism. now i have nothing against the muslim faith, but turbans are very rarely used by muslims, whereas they are almost uniformly employed by sikhs. if you do your homework, you find sikhs have very little in common with muslims.”
I understand what you’re saying over all but just this section confused me a little. What does it matter whether or not Sikhs have anything in common with Muslims or not? Sikhism borrowed from both Hinduism and Islam as well as rejected certain parts of the religions. Turbans, though not the kind Sikhs wear, are used by Muslims in certain parts of the world.
Posted 06 Jul 2009 at 12:03 pm ¶
KadiBaby wrote:
I personally think Sikh dudes are sexy and the turban should stay unmolested. Some people are ignorant AND paranoid. Anyone who understands Sikhism knows that it is not even related to Islam, for all the Islamophobes, SMH. If you are going to be scared of something, at least know what you are afraid of.
Posted 06 Jul 2009 at 12:10 pm ¶
Ejunco wrote:
Finally something about Philip Vera Cruz, I had to take a Chicano History Class to learn about Philip Vera Cruz a Filipino Union Organizer and farm laborer. It was funny though learning someone’s history to learn your own.
Posted 06 Jul 2009 at 12:34 pm ¶
Marcy Webb wrote:
This is a significant accomplishment in anti-racist education.
Posted 06 Jul 2009 at 3:13 pm ¶
jeff wrote:
I really cant see how anybody can object to a turban, even for a drivers licence photo. All it covers is the hair which could be cut or altered at any time. Same goes for a hijab really although they can cover ears and necks which could be a bit of a problem for a photo id. Niquabs and burkas are far more problematic, but they are not the issue here
In the Uk sikhs can be police officers or ride motorcycles with their tubans on. It seems a perfectly sensible state of affairs and has been so for many years. I dont know if there is a reinforced version or not. I can see how it might be an issue in the army though. What if the sikh soldier suffered a head wound as a result of insufficent protection, the platoon strength was reduced and further casualties were suffered as a result.
I personally believe that organised religions are so much tosh but i dont see why anybody should be prevented from doing what they feel they need to do to keep in their almightys good books. If that means wearing a turban all the time i cant see how it is of any concern to anybody else as it cannot concievably effect anyone else.
Posted 06 Jul 2009 at 5:04 pm ¶
Medusa wrote:
Good Lord, it’s about time. America’s educational system has like, some set facts that they want people to know about, and it often leaves out many groups of people that were instrumental in making America (and the world at large) what it is today. My high school was pretty good, but for a lot of the people I met after high school, their impression of the world was that it solely consisted of Europe and America, and America was solely made up of whites and blacks. I even remember asking a teacher about how I never heard about the roles of Asians or Latin@s or anyone else in the Civil Rights movement of the 60’s, and he couldn’t give me an answer. And he had a MASTER’S in history.
Posted 06 Jul 2009 at 6:37 pm ¶
jay wrote:
I can’t believe they fired that NYPD officer for wearing the turban! He looks fine with it on, and Sikhs wear that in the British Police and Military with no problem.
Posted 07 Jul 2009 at 8:54 pm ¶
Mixxie wrote:
@jeff:
If the military were paying for his med school, he would have been an officer, stationed at a military hospital someplace where they wouldn’t need to wear helmets. there is quite a bit of other mandatory headwear, though, that likely wouldn’t fit around the turban.
Posted 07 Jul 2009 at 9:16 pm ¶
funguy wrote:
Many military doctors are also required to serve in combat zones during a time of war. Besides, a uniform means just that – UNIFORM. That means that everyone wears something very similar. Jews in the military or NYPD are not allowed to wear the yarmulke and I haven’t heard any complaints from them. The only way to equality is to treat everyone the same. If your cultural or religious pride is stronger than your desire to join the military or police department, then choose another career. Am Amish man who want to join the NYPD should have to remove his black hat and wear the NYPD cap.
Posted 11 Jul 2009 at 4:43 pm ¶