Members of the Sikh American community showed their backing for Ohio’s multicultural education house bill (HB171) during a hearing at the State Capitol in Columbus. HB171, led by Ohio Progressive Asian Women’s Leadership (OPAWL), aims to incorporate information about the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in social sciences curricula, addressing the lack of representation for minority communities, including Sikhs. State Representative Mary Lightbody, the primary sponsor, expressed optimism about integrating diverse Asian community details, including Sikhism, into school curricula.
Before the hearing, speakers from organizations like the Sikh Coalition, Ohio Education Association, Ohio Federation of Teachers, Council on Islamic American Relations, and State Rep. Mary Lightbody expressed their support for the bill. Sameep Singh Gumtala, representative of the Sikh community and the Sikh Coalition, thanked Rep. Mary Lightbody for her sponsorship and stressed the need for inclusion, highlighting the knowledge gap and perpetuation of stereotypes leading to instances of hate violence and discrimination against Sikhs. A Sikh Coalition report revealed that 67 percent of Sikh students adhering to their articles of faith face bullying, double the national average.
Before the initial June hearing, Sikhs from various Ohio cities gathered at the Ohio State House, urging officials to vote for HB171. State-wide gurdwaras also initiated a signature campaign supporting the bill, emphasizing the importance of updating Ohio’s curriculum to include a diverse range of communities’ migration journeys, experiences, and contributions. The campaign by OPAWL seeks age-appropriate instruction on various communities’ societal roles, including African Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, Arabs, African and North African immigrants, refugees, asylees, Jews, Latin, and Native Americans.
