Sikh Coalition Unveils Policy Priorities Brief for Civil Rights Issues in Advance of 2020 Election
July 16, 2020 (New York NY) — Today, the Sikh Coalition has unveiled its 2020 policy document, entitled Combating Bias, Bigotry, and Backlash: Sikh American Civil Rights Policy Priorities. This important new publication presents a specific series of Sikh civil rights policy prescriptions in several areas of the Sikh Coalition’s programmatic work, including hate crimes, employment discrimination, creating safer schools, protecting religious rights, and reforming immigration and detention policies.
“This policy document is a testament to the Sikh American community’s continually growing civic power. It will ensure that the president and members of Congress address civil rights issues that are critically important to the community,” said Sim J. Singh, Sikh Coalition Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager. “In accordance with the Sikh Coalition’s status as a non-profit, non-partisan organization, it has been shared with both the Biden and Trump presidential campaigns; we hope to see both candidates incorporate Sikh-specific causes and solutions into their policy platforms.”
In addition to sharing bipartisan policy guidance with both presidential campaigns, Sikh American Civil Rights Policy Priorities will also be used for ongoing engagement with other candidates and lawmakers of all parties who are interested in learning about the civil rights issues of importance to the community that the Sikh Coalition serves.
“The Sikh American community is broad and diverse, and we are all affected by a wide range of issues–from the economy and healthcare to foreign policy and social justice,” said Satjeet Kaur, Sikh Coalition Executive Director. “The Sikh Coalition has produced this policy document specifically focused on the issues that our legal and policy teams work on every day. In doing so, we hope to give Sikh Americans’ concerns about civil rights and religious freedom an unprecedented voice in political campaigns throughout this election season.”
The publication of this document, and the subsequent outreach to campaigns, is just the latest example of the Sikh Coalition’s focus on increasing Sikh civic engagement in 2020. We began the year with our work on the 2020 Census, providing a robust community FAQ as well as detailed videos, in English and Punjabi, on how to fill out the census. And earlier this month, we launched our Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts, including the announcement of National Sikh Voter Registration Day on September 20, 2020; our free online tool that anyone can use to check their voter registration; and our plan to train GOTV volunteers nationwide. The Sikh Coalition continues to believe that voting is the best way to convert the strong numbers of the Sikh American population–and the growing Asian American/Pacific Islander population, of which many Sikh Americans are a part–into meaningful and sustained civic impact.
Source: Sikh Coalition Unveils Policy Priorities Brief for 2020 Election – Sikh Coalition