Sikh Americans and Public Space

After reading Black Men and Public Space, I felt an instant personal connection. I am a Sikh -part of the 5th largest religion in the world. Sikhism teaches truthful and peaceful living through service to humanity and meditation of God. Sikhs don't cut their as they consider it to be a natural part of being a human in the form we were created. Sikh men usually wear turbans and keep their beards. It is a part of our identity and a symbol of our faith. Although I do not wear a turban, much of my male family, relatives and friends do. I hear of their encounters, stories and the discrimination they face. This is all due to the lack of knowledge and awareness. Although awareness is being spread and many more people know about Sikhs than they did in the past, there are still countless people that do not know about Sikhism and mistake our identity for something threatening. Even though Sikhs had nothing to do with the events of 9/11, Sikhs have faced a lot of discrimination and our turbans and beards have been equated with terrorism. The first person shot after 9/11 was a Sikh male and there have been several other acts of racism and discrimination including one that occurred recently in 2012 in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
Many Sikh males I know have experienced bullying and harassment due to their distinct appearance.They have been called terrorists, Osama bin Laden, etc. These are all stereotypical judgements similar to those Staples faces in his narrative. "Such episodes are not uncommon. Black men trade tales like this all the time."
It should be everyone's duty to learn about each other to rid of stereotypes and underserving discrimination.
"The main reasons to wear turban is to take care of the hair, promote equality, and preserve the Sikh identity. Sikhs do not cut their hair as a respect towards God"