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| “Turban Myths,” Sept. 9, 2013: POST-9/11 “TURBAN MYTHS” IN AMERICA Research shows most Americans misidentify turban-wearers in U.S. STANFORD, CA AND WASHINGTON, DC –- In a groundbreaking study titled “Turban Myths,” researchers at SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund) and Stanford University found that 70% of Americans misidentify turban-wearers as Muslim (48%), Hindu, Buddhist or Shinto. In fact, almost all men in the U.S. who wear turbans are Sikh Americans, whose faith originated in India. |
Sep 17, 2013: United States -- About 70% of Americans misidentify turban-wearers as people of the Muslim (48%), Hindu, Buddhist or Shinto faiths and 49% of Americans believe Sikhism is a sect of Islam, according to new research conducted by the Stanford Peace Innovation Lab and commissioned by the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
The study, “Turban Myths in America,” found that 70% of those surveyed couldn’t identify a Sikh man in a photo as a Sikh and 79% were unable to identify India as the geographic source of Sikhism.
“This research is critical to our community and confirms our real, lived experiences,” SALDEF executive director Jasjit Singh said in a statement.
“We also know that we most effectively bridge these perception gaps when fellow Americans come to know us as the teachers, doctors, coaches, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors and community servants we are.”
“This study provides a roadmap for creating the mutual understanding and recognition of shared values that can help us build an American community larger than ourselves, and one that includes Sikh Americans as full participants,” Singh said.
The Google Consumer Survey questionnaire in the study yielded about 1,500 responses to each question. The “Topix” surveys, conducted in two separate polls, drew nearly 700 and 250 responses, respectively.
About 20 leaders in the Sikh American community and other faith-based and ethnic communities, as well as leaders in conflict engagement and resolution, were interviewed.
According to a second SALDEF survey project, even those with a “greater knowledge of Sikhs” expressed some bias against Sikhs.
About 20% of these respondents said that if they encounter a stranger wearing a turban, they are likely to become angry or apprehensive. The vast majority of turban-wearers in the U.S. are Sikh Americans.
Respondents also said they associate turban-wearers with Osama bin Laden more than with “named Muslim and Sikh alternatives” or no one in particular.
“The bottom line is that these misperceptions are caught, not taught,” said report overseer Margarita Quihuis, co-director of the Peace Innovation Lab.
“Good people make associations based on imagery and messages all around them — from the grocery store to television to the digital world. In this case the Sikh American community has an opportunity to fill those perception gaps with the truth, in a constructive way to foster peace.”
SocialxDesign, a social-technology consulting firm with offices in Washington, D.C. and Silicon Valley, Sept. 9 at Stanford announced that it will launch a new initiative, “Peace by Design,” to engage leaders around the world on creating strategies to reduce conflict across different geographic and political boundaries.
“The art and science of conflict engagement is rapidly evolving, and the time has come to more fully involve the public in the work of peace building," said Giovanni Rodriguez, co-founder of SocialxDesign.
Added Toby Chaudhuri, co-founder SocialxDesign, “Increasingly, leaders in the field of conflict engagement are beginning to realize that all change needs to begin at the local level, regardless of the boundary of conflict.”
“By leveraging technology that enables leaders to scale engagement from the bottom up, we can reduce the time to impact significantly,” the Indian American said.