When:                  Friday,  October 5th, 4pm - 6 pm

Where:                 School of Social Work, Room 1636

Since 9/11, visible and vulnerable minorities in the US, especially Sikhs, have been a target of discrimination. Several Sikhs were killed right after 9/11. The tragic shootings at the Milwaukee Gurdwara (Oak Creek) are a testament to this continuing disturbing trend of targeted violence against Sikhs and ethnic minorities in general. The Southern Poverty Center has noted an increase in the number of White Supremacy groups and their impact on young people, especially when unemployment is at a record high. Several ethnic minority communities and immigrant groups have experienced communal violence fueled by hate and fear- mongering that has resulted in the loss of lives and property. Japanese internment camps are a historic example of the systemic nature of discrimination against ethnic minorities.

With the support of the Center For South Asian Studies, faculty at U-M propose a Teach-In Event to educate the university community by providing the larger historical, political and social context of violence against ethnic minorities. The aim is to raise awareness about the everyday discriminatory experiences of Sikhs, and to stimulate an informed discussion about the Milwaukee killings. The Teach-In will be a cross-campus event drawing upon the expertise of faculty members from various departments at U-M, and linking via Skype to faculty based across North America.

Speakers:

Scott Kurasighe (American Culture),  Leela Fernandes (Women’s Studies),  Mrinalini Sinha (History), Farina Mir (History), Arvind Mandair (Asian Languages and Cultures), Ram Mahalingam (Psychology)

Punnu Jaitla, Anneeth Hundle (UofM Graduate Students)
Also joining via Skype from Canada:  Anne Murphy (University of British Columbia), Michael Nijhawan (York University)

For Further Information Contact Event Organizers:

Arvind Mandair (amandair@umich.edu)
Ram Mahalingam (ramawasi@umich.edu)