A school in Surrey put up safe space stickers in Punjabi for LGBTQIA2S+ students. I'm legit crying rn. (Repost from Jasmin Kaur's instastory- her handle is in the upper left corner.)
I can relate to this so much.
“'Haneri' is a short film that explores mental health within a Punjabi-Canadian family. As we know, there is still a great deal of stigma associated with mental health and speaking about it out loud is never easy. In this story, Ruby’s family attempts to navigate and make sense of their daughter's struggle with depression, despite their limited understanding of this illness.”
Dear Mom, Dad, Uncle, Auntie: Black Lives Matter to Us, Too:
posted by JAKARA MOVEMENT | 407pc
July 15, 2016
We wanted to write a letter — not a think piece or an explainer or a history lesson — because changing hearts and minds in our community requires time and trust, and is best shaped with dialogue. We know that this letter is far from perfect: it’s a bit homogenized, not comprehensive, and even excludes perspectives. Most of the important work of the letter is not being done in the English version, which was meant to be a basic template for translators, but in the translations themselves. Because we view translation as a cultural and not just linguistic process, many of the translations have changed portions of the letter to better address particular experiences, whether it’s the role of imperialism in their immigration or specific incidents in their community. To see translations of other letters in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community click here.
Mom, Dad, Uncle, Auntie, Grandfather, Grandmother:
ਸਾਡੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਵਡੇਰਿਅਾਂ ਨੂੰ:
We need to talk.
ਸਾਨੁੂੰ ਇਹ ਗਲ ਆਪਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਾਂਝੀ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਹੈ।
You may not have grown up around people who are Black, but I have. Black people are a fundamental part of my life. They are my friends, my classmates, are like my own family. Today, I’m scared for them.
ਹੋ ਸਕਦਾ ਕਿ ਜਦੋਂ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਛੋਟੇ ਹੁੰਦੇ ਸੀ, ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੋਈ ਬਲੈਕ ਭਾਈਚਾਰਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਸੀ, ਪਰ ਸਾਡੀ ਜਿੰਦਗੀ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਈਚਾਰੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਹ ਲੋਕ ਖਾਸ ਹਿੱਸਾ ਹਨ। ਉਹ ਸਾਡੇ ਦੋਸਤ ਹਨ, ਸਾਡੇ ਨਾਲ ਪੜਦੇਹਨ, ਅਤੇ ਸਾਡੇ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਵਾਂਗ ਹਨ। ਅੱਜ, ਸਾਨੂੰ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਲਈ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਡਰ ਹੈ।
This year, the American police have already killed more than 500 people. Of those, 25% have been Black, even though Black people make up only 13% of the population. In the previous weeks, two White police officers killed a Black man named Alton Sterling while he sold CDs on the street. The very next day in Minnesota, a police officer shot and killed a Black man named Philando Castile in his car during a routine traffic stop while his girlfriend and her four-year-old daughter looked on. Overwhelmingly, the police do not face any consequences for ending these lives.
ਇਸ ਸਾਲ, ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਦੀ ਪੁਲੀਸ ਨੇ ੫੦੦ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ। ਉਹਨਾਂ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ, ੨੫% ਬਲੈਕ ਲੋਕ ਸਨ, ਜਦੋਂ ਕਿ ਬਲੈਕ ਲੋਕ ਸਾਰੇ ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਦੀ ਆਬਾਦੀ ਦਾ ਸਿਰਫ ੧੩% ਹਨ। ਪਿਛਲੇ ਹਫਤੇ ਦੋ ਗੋਰੇ ਪੁਲੀਸ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਬਲੈਕ ਬੰਦੇ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ। ਉਸ ਦਾ ਨਾਂ ਐਲਟਨ ਸਟਰਲਿੰਗ ਸੀ ਅਤੇ ਉਹ ਆਦਮੀ ਆਪਣੀ ਰੋਟੀ ਕਮਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਸੜਕ ਤੇ ਸੀ.ਡੀ. ਵੇਚਦਾ ਸੀ। ਇੱਕ ਦਿਨ ਬਾਅਦ, ਮਿਨੇਸੋਟਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਪੁਲੀਸ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀ ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਹੋਰ ਬਲੈਕ ਬੰਦੇ ਨੂ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ। ਫਿਲੈੰਡੋ ਕੈਸਟੀਲ ਅਾਪਣੀ ਸਹੇਲੀ ਅਤੇ ਉਹਦੀ ਚਾਰ ਸਾਲ ਦੀ ਬੱਚੀ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਗੱਡੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਸੀ, ਜਦੋਂ ਪੁਲੀਸ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀ ਨੇ ਉਹਨੂੰ ਰੋਕ ਕੇ ਅਾਪਣੀ ਗੱਡੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਬੈਠੇ ਨੂੰ ਹੀ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ। ਹੈਰਾਨੀ ਦੀ ਗੱਲ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਪੁਲੀਸ ਨੂੰ ਕੋਈ ਵੀ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਨਹੀ ਮਿਲੀ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਬੇਕਸੂਰ ਆਦਮੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਜਾਨ ਲੈਣ ਵਾਸਤੇ।
This is a terrifying reality that some of my closest friends live with every day.
ਇਹ ਸਾਡੇ ਦੋਸਤਾਂ ਦੀ ਜਿੰਦਗੀ ਦਾ ਕੌੜਾ-ਸੱਚ ਹੈ।
Even as we hear about the dangers Black Americans face, our instinct is sometimes to point at all the ways we are different from them. Sometimes it is easier to look the other way, but this is the time for empathize. When a policeman shoots a Black person, you might think it’s the victim’s fault because you see so many images of them in the media as thugs and criminals. You might say, we managed to come to America with nothing and build good lives for ourselves despite discrimination, so why can’t they?
ਜਦੋਂ ਵੀ ਅਸੀਂ ਬਲੈਕ ਅਮਰੀਕਨ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੀ ਕਠਨਾਈ ਅਤੇ ਖਤਰੇ ਦੇ ਬਾਰੇ ਸੁਣਦੇ ਹਾਂ, ਸਾਡੀ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਸੋਚ ਏਹ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸਾਡੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਤੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਬਹੁਤ ਫਰਕ ਹੈ। ਕਈ ਵਾਰੀ ਮੂੰਹ ਮੋੜਨਾ ਸੌਖਾ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਪਰ ੳੁਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਾਡੀ ਹਮਦਰਦੀ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਹੈ। ਜਦੋਂ ਪੁਲੀਸ ਵਾਲੇ ਇੱਕ ਬਲੈਕ ਇਨਸਾਨ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਹੋ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਬਲੈਕ ਇਨਸਾਨ ਕਸੂਰਵਾਰ ਲਗਦਾ ਹੋਵੇ ਕਿੳੁਂਕਿ ਖਬਰਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਖਾਉਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਕਿ ਬਲੈਕ ਲੋਕ ਅਪਰਾਧੀ ਹਨ, ਬੁਰੇ ਹਨ, ਅਤੇ ਮੁਜ਼ਰਮ ਹਨ। ਹੋ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਤੁਸੀਂ ੲੇਹ ਵੀ ਸੋਚਦੇ ਹੋ ਕਿ ਜੇਕਰ ਅਸੀਂ ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਅਾ ਕੇ ਸਾਡੇ ਵਿਰੁੱਧ ਭੇਦ ਭਾਵ ਦੇ ਬਾਵਜੂਦ ਚੰਗਾ ਗੁਜਾਰਾ ਕਰ ਸਕਦੇ ਹਾਂ, ਫੇਰ ਬਲੈਕ ਲੋਕ ਕਿੳੁਂ ਨਹੀ ਕਰ ਸਕਦੇ।
I want to share with you how I see things.
ਅਸੀਂ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਨਾਲ ਅਾਪਣੇ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਸਾਂਝੇ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਾਂ।
It’s true that we face discrimination for being Sikhs in this country. Sometimes people are rude to us about our accents, or do not hire us because we look different. Some of us are told we’re terrorists. But for the most part, it has not been the case that the police gun us down for simply existing.
ਇਹ ਸੱਚ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸਿਕ ਹੋਣ ਦੇ ਕਾਰਨ ਇਸ ਦੇਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਤਕਲੀਫ ਮਿਲਦੀ ਹੈ। ਕਈ ਵਾਰੀ ਲੋਕ ਸਾਡੇ ਬੋਲਣ ਦੇ ਤਰੀਕੇ ਤੇ ਹੱਸਦੇ ਹਨ, ਜਾਂ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਕੰਮ ਨਹੀਂ ਮਿਲਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਅਸੀਂ ਅਲੱਗ ਲਗਦੇ ਹਾਂ। ਕਈ ਵਾਰੀ ਲੋਕ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਅਾਤੰਕਵਾਧੀ ਅਤੇ ਅਪਰਾਧੀ ਸਮਝਦੇ ਹਨ, ਪਰ ਕਦੇ ਵੀ ਇਹ ਨਹੀ ਹੋਇਆ ਕਿ ਪੁਲੀਸ ਨੇ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਬਿਨਾ ਪੁੱਛੇ ਮਾਿਰਆ ਹੋਵੇ ਸਿਰਫ ਸਾਡੀ ਹੋਂਦ ਕਰਕੇ।
This is not the case for our Black friends. Many Black people were brought to America as slaves against their will. For centuries, their communities, families, and bodies were ripped apart for profit. Even after slavery, they had to build back their lives by themselves, with no institutional support—not allowed to vote or own homes, and constantly under threat of violence that continues to this day.
ਇਹ ਸਾਡੇ ਬਲੈਕ ਦੋਸਤਾਂ ਲਈ ਸੱਚ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ। ਗੋਰਿਆਂ ਨੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਰੇ ਬਲੈਕ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਲਾਮ ਬਣਾਹ ਕੇ ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਲਿਆਂਦਾ ਸੀ। ਸਦੀਆਂ ਲਈ, ਗੋਰੇ ਪੈਸਿਅਾਂ ਦੇ ਲਾਲਚ ਵਿੱਚ ਬਲੈਕ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੇ ਸਰੀਰ, ਪਰਿਵਾਰ, ਅਤੇ ਫਿਰਿਕਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਲੀਰੋ ਲੀਰ ਕਰਦੇ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ। ਗੁਲਾਮੀ ਦੇ ਅੰਤ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਅਾਪਣੇ ਘਰ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਵਸਾੳੁਣ ਲੲੀ ਕੋਈ ਸਹਾਰਾ ਨਹੀ ਮਿਲਿਅਾ। ਨਾਂ ਉਹ ਵੋਟ ਪਾ ਸਕਦੇ ਸੀ, ਨਾਂ ਉਹ ਅਾਪਣਾ ਘਰ ਰੱਖ ਸਕਦੇ ਸੀ, ਅਤੇ ਹਰ ਦਮ ਹਿੰਸਾ ਦੇ ਡਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਸੀ, ੳੁਹੋ ਡਰ ਜੋ ਕਿ ਅੱਜ ਤੱਕ ਵੀ ਹੈ।
In fighting for their own rights, Black activists have led the movement for opportunities not just for themselves, but for us as well. Many of our friends and relatives are only able to be in this country because Black activists fought to open up immigration for Asians in the 1960s. Black people have been beaten, jailed, even killed fighting for many of the rights that Asian Americans enjoy today. We owe them so much in return. We are all fighting against the same unfair system that prefers we compete against each other.
ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਆਪਣੇ ਹੱਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਲੜਾਈ ਲਈ ਬਲੈਕ ਇਨਕਲਾਬੀਅਾਂ ਨੇ ਲਹਿਰ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਕਿ ਸਾਰਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਹੱਕ ਦੀ ਵੀ ਲੜਾਈ ਸੀ। ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਰੇ ਸਾਡੇ ਦੋਸਤ ਅਤੇ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਇੱਥੇ ਰਹਿ ਸਕਦੇ ਹਨ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਬਲੈਕ ਇਨਕਲਾਬੀਅਾਂ ਨੇ ੧੯੬੦ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਾਰਿਆਂ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਇਮੀਗਰੇਸ਼ਨ ਖੋਲਣ ਲਈ ਲੜਾਈ ਕੀਤੀ ਸੀ। ਜਿਹੜੇ ਹੱਕ ਆਪਣੇ ਕੋਲ ਅੱਜ ਹਨ, ਬਲੈਕ ਲੋਕੳੁਹਨਾ ਲੲੀ ਜੇਲ੍ਹ ਗਏ ਸੀ, ਕੁੱਟੇ ਗਏ ਸੀ, ਅਤੇ ਮਾਰੇ ਵੀ ਗਏ ਸੀ। ਸਾਡੀ ਕੌਮ ਨੂੰ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਨੂੰ ਯਾਦ ਰਖਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ। ਅਸੀਂ ਸਾਰੇ ਉਹੀ ਬੇ ਨਿਅਾਈ ਹਕੂਮਤ ਦੇ ਅੱਗੇ ਲੜਾਈ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਾਂ, ਜੋ ਕਿ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਆਪਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੜਾਉਂਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ।
When someone is walking home and gets shot by a sworn protector of the peace, that is an assault on all of us, and on all of our hopes for equality and fairness under the law.
ਜਦੋਂ ਕਿਸੇ ਘਰ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਨੂੰ ਪੁਲੀਸ, ਜੋ ਕਿ ਸਾਡੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਾ ਲੲੀ ਹੈ, ਗੋਲੀ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੰਦੀ ਹੈ, ੳੁਹ ਸਾਡੇ ਸਾਰੀ ਇਨਸਾਨੀਅਤ ੳੁੱਤੇ ਵਾਰ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਗੋਲੀ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਸਾਡੀ ਸਾਰਿਅਾਂ ਦੀ ਏਕਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਬਰਾਬਰੀ ਦੀ ਅਾਸ ੳੁੱਤੇ ਵਾਰ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ।
For all of these reasons, I support the Black Lives Matter movement. Part of that support means speaking up when I see people in my community—or even my own family—say or do things that diminish the humanity of Black Americans in this country. I am telling you this out of love, because I don’t want this issue to divide us. I’m asking that you try to empathize with the anger and grief of the fathers, mothers, and children who have lost their loved ones to police violence. To empathize with my anger and grief, and support me if I choose to be vocal, to protest. To share this letter with your friends, and encourage them to be empathetic, too.
ਇਹ ਸਾਰੇ ਕਾਰਨਾ ਲਈ, ਅਸੀਂ “ਬਲੈਕ ਲਾੲੀਵਸ ਮੈਟਰ” (“ਬਲੈਕ ਜਿੰਦਗੀਆਂ ਦਾ ਵੀ ਮਹੱਤਵ ਹੈ”) ਲਹਿਰ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਰਥਨ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਾਂ। ਇਸ ਸਹਯੋਗ ਅਤੇ ਸਮਰਥਨ ਦਾ ਮਤਲਬ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਜਦੋਂ ਸਾਡੀ ਸੰਗਤ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਜਾਂ ਸਾਡੇ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਕੋੲੀ ਬਲੈਕ ਅਮਰੀਕਨ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਇਨਸਾਨੀਯਤ ਨਹੀ ਦੇਖ ਸਕਦਾ, ਮੈਨੂੰ ਕੁਝ ਕਹਿਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ। ਅਸੀਂ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਪਿਆਰ ਨਾਲ ਦਸ ਰਹੇ ਹਾਂ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਅਸੀਂ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਾਂ ਅਸੀਂ ਇਸ ਲਹਿਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕਠੇ ਖੜੀੲੇੇ। ਸਾਡੀ ਅਾਸ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਤੁਸੀਂ ੳੁਹਨਾ ਮਾਪਿਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਬੱਚਿਅਾਂ ਦੇ ਹਮਦਰਦ ਬਣ ਸਕੋਂ ਜਿਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਅਾਪਣੇ ਪੁਲੀਸ ਦੇ ਹੱਥੋਂ ਮਾਰੇ ਗੲੇ। ਅਸੀਂ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਾਂ ਕਿ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਸਾਡੇ ਗੁੱਸੇ ਅਤੇ ਦਰਦ ਦੇ ਹਮਦਰਦ ਬਣੋਂ ਅਤੇ ਸਾਡਾ ਇਸ ਲਹਿਰ ਦੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਹਿੱਸਾ ਲੈਣ ਦੇ ਫੈਸਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਾਥ ਦੇਵੋਂ। ਅਸੀਂ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਾਂ ਕਿ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਇਸ ਚਿੱਠੀ ਨੂੰ ਅਾਪਣੇ ਦੋਸਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਭੇਜੋਂ ਅਤੇ ੳਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਹੌਸਲਾ-ਅਫ਼ਜ਼ਾਈ ਦੇਵੋ ਕਿ ੳੁਹ ਵੀ ਇਸ ਲਹਿਰ ਨਾਲ ਹਮਦਰਦੀ ਕਰਨ।
As your child, I am proud and eternally grateful that you made the long, hard journey to this country, that you've lived decades in a place that has not always been kind to you. You've never wished your struggles upon me. Instead, you’ve suffered through a prejudiced America, to bring me closer to the American Dream.
ਅਸੀਂ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਬੱਚੇ ਹਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਅਸੀਂ ਦਿਲੋਂ ਬਹੁਤ ਸ਼ੁਕਰਗੁਜ਼ਾਰ ਹਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਮਾਣ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਇਹਨੀ ਲੰਮੀ ਅਤੇ ਅਉਖੀ ਯਾਤਰਾ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਅਾੲੇ ਅਤੇ ਕੲੀ ਸਾਲ ਮੁਸ਼ਕਲਾਂ ਦਾ ਸਾਹਮਣਾ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਅੈਥੇ ਰਹੇ। ਤੁਹਾਡੀ ਇੱਛਾ ਸੀ ਕਿ ੳੁਹਨਾਂ ਮੁਸ਼ਕਲਾਂ ਦਾ ਸਾਹਮਣਾ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਨਾ ਕਰਨਾ ਪਵੇ ਅਤੇ ਅਸੀਂ ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਦੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਫਲਤਾ ਦਾ ਸੁਪਨਾ (ਅਮਰੀਕਨ ਸੁਪਨਾ) ਹਾਸਲ ਕਰ ਸਕੀੲੇ।
But I hope you can consider this: the American Dream cannot exist for only your children. We are all in this together, and we cannot feel safe until ALL our friends, loved ones, and neighbors are safe. The American Dream that we seek is a place where all Americans can live without fear of police violence. This is the future that I want—and one that I hope you want, too.
ਪਰ ਸਾਡੀ ਆਸ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਇਹ ਗੱਲ ਨੂੰ ਧਿਅਾਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਰੱਖ ਸਕੋਂ: ਅਮਰੀਕਨ ਸੁਪਨਾ ਸਿਰਫ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਬੱਚੇਅਾਂ ਲੲੀ ਨਹੀ ਹੈ। ਅਸੀਂ ਸਾਰੇ ਇਕੱਠੇ ਇੱਥੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਮਹਿਫੂਜ਼ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋ ਸਕਦੇ ਜਦ ਤੱਕ ਸਾਡੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਦੋਸਤ, ਪਿਆਰ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ, ਅਤੇ ਗੁਆਂਢੀ ਮਹਿਫੂਜ਼ ਨਹੀ ਹਨ। ਜਦੋਂ ਤੱਕ ਸਾਰੇ ਪੁਲੀਸ ਦੀ ਗੋਲ਼ੀ ਦੇ ਡਰ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਹਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੁੰਦੇ, ਉਸ ਵੇਲੇ ਤੱਕ ਸਾਡਾ ਅਸਲੀ ਅਮਰੀਕਨ ਸੁਪਨਾ ਪੂਰਾ ਨਹੀ ਹੋ ਸਕਦਾ। ਇਹੋ ਜਿਹਾ ਭਵਿੱਖ ਅਸੀਂ ਦੇਖਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਾਂ, ਅਤੇ ਸਾਡੀ ਅਾਸ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਵੀ ਇਹੋ ਜਿਹਾ ਭਵਿਖ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹੋ।
With love and hope, Your younger ones.
ਪਿਆਰ ਅਤੇ ਆਸਾਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ, ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਨਾਲੋਂ ਛੋਟੇ
“Make Some Friends that aren’t Brown” and other Microaggressions
There needs to be some serious discourse on this whole shaming of people only being friends “with their own kind” and views on “cultural enclaves.”
The first thing we need to address is how these “problems” are always associated with communities of colour. I have never heard this discourse happen about all-white friend circles.
Secondly, it is not that these communities are drifting away, rather they are have been pushed away. Now I know how weird that may seem, since Canada has multiculturalism and pluralism basically entrenched in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the constitution, but the reality is that we have not understood the real meaning of multiculturalism or pluralism. We treat multiculturalism as learning about the different holidays people celebrate, the different foods people eat, the different faiths people practice, and the different languages people speak and that’s about it. We do not go deeper than that.
Let’s talk about the issue of friend circles, and let’s call it what it is: a microaggression. A friend of my sister’s once told me that a faculty member of the high school she goes to told her that she should “make friends that aren’t brown,” because she hangs out with a group made predominately of South Asians. Why does this bother people so much? Why does a faculty member think it is okay to comment about an all-brown friend group? Would they do so with an all-white friend circle? Probably not, but I’ll address this later on.
We make friends with people who we relate to the most, with whom we share something in common with, or with people who understand us. Now the question of all-white groups is a different one because we lie in a country where that is the hegemony. However, make to my drifting away/being pushed away rhetoric, all-PoC friend circles emerge as a result of disenfranchisement from “mainstream” (aka North American WASP- White Anglo Saxon Protestant) society.
It’s not that my sister’s friend purposely created a “browns only” exclusive club, rather it happened as a natural process of being pushed away for being different. When I said we do not go deep enough into the concept of plurality and multiculturalism, one of the main causes is mainstream society’s failure to understand that cultures are different and the dynamics within these communities is going to differ from one to the other. Therefore, when I am hanging out with a group made up of predominately white people and talk about having to go home early because my mother needs help at home and I get mocked for being a “Momma’s boy” and I am deemed immature because people see me as a loser living out of my mother’s pocket, I am slowly going to begin to disassociate with them because they do not understand me or my cultural values. They may know my people hold one of the biggest gatherings of Sikhs outside of our motherland every April in Surrey for Vaisakhi, they may know that we wear colourful clothing and eat foods rich with spices, but do not understand that the dynamics of a Punjabi household are not those of the mainstream white middle class nuclear families. We do not move out at a certain age, and that our household dynamic is focused around a multi-generational network, not one couple and their adolescent children. However, when I am surrounded by other South Asians and I have to leave early, they understand why as they share a common cultural dynamic. Naturally I’m going to feel more comfortable with that latter group because I do not feel attacked, and I can be myself rather than trying to explain myself.
Such is the case with “cultural enclaves.” Many people get frustrated when they see Punjabi signs in South Van or Surrey, or Chinese signs in Richmond. However, what they don’t realize, because of the privilege they have of speaking the official language of the country they live in, is that as you get older your capacity and ability to learn a new language and be able to be fluent in it decreases exponentially. When you take an immigrant who has spoken a completely different language their entire life, and catapult them into a system where they are expected to speak an entirely different tongue, what you get is a giant culture shock. They will NOT be able to speak as fluently and clearly as a native English speaker, and rather than being understood in a society that is supposed to embody multiculturalism- and understand that languages outside of English exist- they are faced with xenophobia and impatience. I have seen way too many clerks and service workers get exasperated and belittle non-English speakers, and this may be a shocker to some folks, but constantly facing such treatment takes a toll on you. Hence, pushed away from society, people create a community within a community so that they may be able to function efficiently and with dignity. They can go buy bread, make a payment at the bank, or go to the doctor and be able to communicate everything efficiently in their mother tongue and not have to face ridicule.
Here in the Punjabi neighbourhoods of Surrey, my mom can walk around wearing a full salwar kameez and that’s the norm. When I go to Guildford Mall, I see uncles and guys my age rocking kurte pajame. If I were to cross the river wearing anything remotely “ethnic” though, I would face stares and looks. Forget a kurta pajama, as a practicing Sikh I always have a turban on my head, and even if I am wearing head-to-toe “western” clothing, the six meters of cotton around my head often make me a target for microaggressions, and sometimes even full-out aggressions, and the feeling of that almost constant vigilance takes a toll on you. Some days, as soon as I drive into my neighbourhood I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I do not stick out here, that I am a part of a community here, and I do not need to worry about such constant vigilance. It’s at those moments that I realize that is cultural enclave I live in is not a result of my people being exclusive and not wanting to include Anglophone Canadians, rather this enclave is a result of a society that views itself as post-racial, when in reality it is still riddled with racist and ethnocentric ideologies and viewpoints. We saw this in the past too, 100 years ago when the Punjabi community first arrived on the shores of Vancouver, many Sikh men would only eat at Chinese restaurants because they did not face the racism from white-owned restaurants. The manner of the racism has become more discrete now, but the problem and the lack of dignity people feel is still there.
Every first of July, or whenever the concept of Canadian pride comes up, people bring up the pluralistic analogy Pierre Trudeau used when bringing in the Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms- Canada is a mosaic of people. However, one must understand that a true mosaic is made up of tiles that are each unique in shape and colour, and when you expect the tiles to all be the same, or when you cover up certain tiles and hide them with the grout that is meant to hold them up, what you have left is no longer a mosaic.
We need to let go of this idea that Canada is a perfect utopian multicultural society. Yes we have it legislated, but we must embody it too. We need to stop silencing people who attempt to bring such things into light, otherwise you are simply contributing to the problem. Analyze yourself and the microaggressions you hold.
Stop blaming communities of colour for being in enclaves, and work to fix the society that has pushed them into such situations instead.
kattipatang reblogged
this is a social experiment, reblog in the tags where you live, your first language and what you call this
To all my Sikh brothers and sisters who feel shamed and misunderstood due to depression, anxiety, etc., you are not alone.
There are many of us we have your back. :) If anyone tells you that you being depressed is contrary to Sikhi’s ideal of chardi kala (perpetual optimism), they could not be wronger. Speaking from personal experience, the fact that we have the strength to strive and work through what we are going through is a testament of chardi kala that NO ONE can match.
There needs to be greater education on mental health than there is right now in the Sikh community.
Always remember that you are not alone. If you need to talk, please don’t hesitate to message me. :)
Yesterday marked the 101st anniversary of the arrival of the Komagata Maru on the shore of Vancouver. The racist government at the time kept the ship in the Burrard Inlet for 4 months in I humans conditions and afterwards it was sent back. Many passengers on board either died during the voyage of by the attacks by the Britosh upon arrival in Canada. This event may have taken place 101 years ago, but as Punjabis living in Canada, we face the brunt of the racist rhetoric surrounding this tragedy on a daily basis. Komagata Maru is not just a ship, but a symbol of the Punjabi and South Asian struggle in Canada, and how despite racial discrimination- that was up front in the past and hidden under micro-aggressions today- the Punjabi community has thrived in Canada, and we are able to stand tall and proud on the coast of the Burrard Inlet on these Unceded Coast Salish Territories and rejoice in the fact that our ancestors did not give up and allowed us to live, laugh, and play in the very land whose government at one point did not want us there. We must never forget the legacy of Komagata Maru.
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” -Marcus Garvey
So today was my cousin's grad banquet (what y'all 'Mericans call "prom") and they do this cute thing where all the grads walk on a red carpet in front of the school with their names announced. It's accompanied by music, DJ'd by the junior students from that high school.
The brown student to other student ratio at our school is about 1:3, so we have a considerable population of apne there. It was actually quite hilarious seeing all the goreh-goriyaan walking the red carpet with dates, while apne boys and girls walked with their squads.
Any who, so there came a time when all the brown guys got ready to come out and make their walk on the red carper. At that moment, the DJ switched the music from top-40-whatever to Punjabi music- because, you know, represent!!! At that moment I saw all the South Asian parents' eyes brighten. Finally something they can connect with too! But soon enough some white parents began to look at one another with a "what is this" look on their face, and the announcer (who was a staffer at the school) rolled his eyes and jokingly said "the DJs are fired."
People laughed, but it was such a "WTF" moment, because who is to say what music is "appropriate" or not? The truth of the matter is that there are brown students who have made a huge achievement in their life, and whose parents have made so many sacrifices to get them to where they are, and the DJs tried to give these families a small 3 minute segment of relatable music to make the moment more unique, and people took issue to that? Microaggression at its finest.
Many of our parents feel isolated here as it is, and today they were being given three. freaking. minutes of something that would perk them up, and you managed to ruin even that.
Good job.
The Five Rivers of Punjab.
Bhangra is not Bollywood.
Bhangra is not Bollywood.
Let's make it a bit clearer...
Bhangra:
Bollywood:
Bhangra:
Bollywood:
BHANGRA:
Bollywood:
BHANGRA. IS. NOT. BOLLYWOOOOOD.
Virsa
Hypocrisy runs as a strangler fig, Wrapping around their Ta Prohm of words. They lament the waining of our culture. They fervently write poems.
They criticize their daughters for letting the West dilute our traditions, Yet, they turn a blind eye while their sons' tongues are deforested of the trees of our mother tongue. They blame their sisters for "Westernization," Yet they look down on someone for being "too desi." They scold their wives for not keeping Punjabiyat alive, While they change their names from Baljinder to "Bill."
They blame women for not wearing salwar kameez, Yet they themselves sit in their homes wearing dress shirts and slacks. They lament the fact that their daughters do not wear Punjabi livaas, Yet they do not have a single kurta in their wardrobe.
The up-keeping of a culture does not rely on the food cooked by women. The up-keeping of a culture does not rely on the clothes worn by women. Women alone are not responsible for carrying the burden of continuing the Punjabi legacy, Everyone must take an active part.
So, unless, you are willing to put in an equal effort to upkeep our traditions, Your poems of lamenting charkhai and lonely phulkaris are useless. You are not being a part of the solution, You are a very big part of the problem.
The Perpetual Komagata Maru
A solemn memorial on the banks of Vancouver's seawall
Shows a black and white portrait of our ancestors.
Dressed in their suits, crowns freshly tied on their heads,
They await entry into a country many of us call home today.
As you may know, the fate of these men doesn't go very well.
100 years ago this incident occurred,
Yet Komagata Maru is lived every single day.
The ships of hope dock in front of many harbours throughout Canada,
Yet they are still stopped, denied entry, and turned away.
Resumes become the bricks we throw aimlessly
In hopes to catch someone's attention.
Like we were to the Canadian government of 1914,
To many employers we are just another brown face,
Another unwanted turban in the crowd.
Like the monument in downtown Vancouver,
Our hard work and dedication to Canadian society is pissed on,
Our image is marred with the graffitti of hatred and racism.
Like the bullets that fired down in Calcutta,
We are shot with bullets of racial slurs,
Dipper, Fob, Sand N*gger, Camel Jocky, Towelhead.
We may be commemorating the incident of Komagata Maru,
A century later we may look back and say "Never again,"
Yet the harsh fact is,
We are still very much living in a Komagata Maru society
Of priviledge that we just have not afforded in these past 100 years.
A Nigerian-Punjabi Wedding. :) Love has no boundaries.