The first ever Sikh American PSA is airing on cable TV through July 27 courtesy of $1 million in donated airtime from Comcast. Research conducted by SALDEF, the Sikh American civil rights group behind the ad, and Stanford University showed that roughly 70 percent of sampled Americans misidentified Sikhs, and the research found a bias against the turban itself.
To help reverse bias against Sikhs, the new ad features actor and designer Waris Ahluwalia explaining that Sikhs are part of American culture. The ad includes appearances by other Sikhs too, including American Idol’s Gurpreet Singh Sarin. Here’s what Waris says in this first-of-its-kind PSA:
Hi, my name is Waris. Sometimes people ask me where I’m from. Well, [pullquote align=”right”]For over 125 years, Sikhs have been part of the American culture.[/pullquote]I come from a place where you can dunk a basketball; treat patients; sing on American Idol; be a Boy Scout; fly a plane; raise a family; ride a Harley; and serve the community. For over 125 years, Sikhs have been part of the American culture. My name is Waris, and I’m proud to be an American.
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