Country has been enriched by Sikhs, says President.

By Deepak Chitnis

WASHINGTON, DC: President Barack Obama admitted that the south Asian population of the US has been at the receiving end of an inordinate number of hate crimes throughout the country.

Obama made the remark as part of a larger speech celebrating the heritage of US immigrants from Asia and the Pacific Island nations, according to the Press Trust of India. This month celebrates the 145th anniversary of the completion of the trans-continental railroad, which was built largely by workers of Chinese descent, but also many who were from India.

However, Obama lamented the fact that south Asian immigrants – particularly those of the Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh religious persuasions – continue to be targeted by bigots and racists in the US simply because of the color of their skin.

“Even today, South Asian Americans, especially those who are Muslim, Hindu and Sikh, are targets of suspicion and violence,” the President said.

While not explicitly saying so, it’s no surprise that the reason for violence against south Asians is largely because of 9/11, which was orchestrated by Middle Eastern terrorist group al Qaeda and then-leader Osama bin Laden. In the aftermath of that devastating Tuesday morning, south Asian immigrants around the country were the targets of severe violence.

Sikh Americans, in particular, saw several causalities as a result of people thinking their turbans and beards made them Muslim extremists.

As a result, the FBI last year created a centralized database to track hate crimes against the south Asian minority groups, keeping track of everything from graffiti to murder. But problems for south Asian Americans still linger – just last fall, a Sikh professor at Columbia University was viciously mugged in New York City, and in 2012, six people were shot dead by a white supremacist outside a gurudwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

“As we mourn this loss which took place at a house of worship, we are reminded how much our country has been enriched by Sikhs, who are a part of our broader American family,” Obama said at the time. “

Throughout his administration, Obama has proven to be a friend of the south Asian American community. In addition to nominating a slew of desis to key administrative posts in all three branches of government – in the process, setting a new record for the number of Indian Americans nominated and confirmed for these positions – Obama has helped bring Hindu festivals into the national limelight, and even celebrated his birthday last year at an Indian restaurant.

“Nearly five years ago, I re-established the White House Initiative on AAPIs [Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders],” Obama said in his speech. “The Initiative addresses disparities in health care, education, and economic opportunity by ensuring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders receive equal access to government programs and services.”

Obama has just returned from an extensive diplomatic visit to Asia, in which he sought to forge important political and economic ties with some of the fastest growing nations in the Far East.