To brand, or not to brand? — Addressing the MTA’s “turban-branding” policy
Posted on June 30, 2009 by SAALT
Four years ago, Sikh transit workers in New York City decided that enough was enough. In response to a “turban-branding” policy that required workers, both Sikh and Muslim, to brand their turbans with the Metroplitan Transit Authority (MTA) logo, Sikh transit workers called on the MTA to end this policy, deeming it an act of religious discrimination.
Furthermore, in 2005, the Department of Justice found that, over the course of three days, there had been two hundred cases of MTA employees wearing some form of headdress without the logo, including Yankees hats, yaarmulkes, and a number of winter hats in fact issued by the MTA. The Department of Justice consequently filed a discrimination suit against the MTA. Yet for years, this issue has been placed on the back burner by city officials.
On Tuesday of last week, a majority of the New York City Council finally spoke out against the “turban-branding” policy. Council Member Tony Avella said, “It’s time for the City Council to take action on this matter, and it’s long overdue that the MTA end religious discrimination. Enough is enough.”
While this issue is being addressed for a small number of Sikhs in New York, it still speaks to a greater issue that many South Asian and Arab individuals in the US face on a day-to-day basis. Even today, the concept of religious wear is quite foreign to American culture. Many do not realize that a turban, hijab, or any type of religious wear is representative of an individual’s spiritual life, and is therefore a very personal and private entity. Like any article of faith, it is not something that can just be set aside for appearance’s sake, never mind branded with a corporate logo.
The lawsuit against the MTA has yet to be resolved, and we are hoping for an end to this discriminatory policy. In the meantime, it is important to keep this in a wider context and recognize that if this lawsuit goes through, it is a small step in a long journey to addressing discrimination against Sikhs and Muslims in the United States.
Fortunately, when I was in Queens, NY last week, I was lucky enough to participate in workshop presented by Chhaya CDC called “The Road to Homeownership: Your Rights, Risks, and Rewards.” This very empowering and accessible workshop demystified what it means to buy a home and how you go about doing it. Right then and there, my questions were answered and the process was broken down for me. This workshop is a part of a series that covers various related topics such as whether homeownership is right for you, financial and credit basics, analyzing whether you can afford a mortgage, and how to avoid predatory lenders. These workshops are particularly timely, given the recent foreclosure crisis that has affected many Americans and has brought up questions about how exactly the homebuying process works in the U.S. If you’re in the New York City area and interested in attending one of these workshops, visit Chhaya CDC’s website or email them at info@chhayacdc.org.
Chhaya CDC is an organization based in Queens that addresses and advocates for the housing and community development needs of South Asian Americans in New York City. They provide individualized homeownership and financial counseling, work on tenants’ rights issues, and engage in community outreach on housing and community development issues. They also develop “know your rights” brochures for the community, including factsheet on how to avoid foreclosure rescue scams (available in English and Bangla).
Posted on October 17, 2008 by SAALT
Read this post from Parth Savla, Be the Change Volunteer in New York City:
On Oct 4, I had the pleasure of participating in SAALT’s Be The Change event by volunteering with Chhaya CDC, located in Queens, NY on their Voter Registration drive. It was a great a experience street canvassing – going up to South Asians and asking them to register to vote. I was really surprised by how many people were compelled to vote for the first time in their lives. In addition to spreading the word about the importance of voting, we were also educating people on the public advocacy work that Chhaya does – providing everything from legal services to grassroots community development.
Supporting the voter registration, I believe, impacted the community on a variety of levels. It enabled those who want to make a difference but don’t know where to go, by providing them access to do so. Deep down, everyone wants to make a difference and support each other, but are often stifled by a lack of knowledge in how to do so. By being out there, it provided greater accessibility to folks while helping them realize that they have champions standing for them.
Street canvassing, I recall fighting my reservations about going up to one passerby and saying:
“Uncle, have you registered to vote for this year’s election?”
“No, I have never voted. Why would it matter? I’m only one person” he replied in his broken accent.
“Do you have children, uncle? Are they in school or looking for a good paying job or looking to get a loan for a house?”
“Uncle, voting in this year’s election will enable you to vote for the policies that will not only affect their ability to do those things, but also to safeguard your retirement. I can understand that you haven’t voted before, neither had my parents before this year,” I said empathetically.
“Oh, I didn’t know it made that much of a difference,” he said as he filled out the voter registration form. Once he was done, he took a few more forms to take back to his family.
“Thank you young man.”
By seeing you make a difference, they also get inspired to make a difference!
I wanted to participate in “Be the Change” this year because of seeing the difference that SAALT had made in our collaborative efforts during our YJA (Young Jains of America – ) Convention this past July 4th weekend, and being inspired by the public advocacy work they’ve done for the South Asian community. For SAALT’s “Be the Change” efforts this year, they’ve been able to mobilize thousands of volunteers nationwide to support countless projects for the community. That’s a pretty incredible feat!I was particularly inspired about their Voter Registration drive, because this the most important presidential election of our lifetime. There are many things at stake from our economy – being able to get loans for college, to getting a good job when entering into the job market – to education, to retirement benefits for our parents. Being a South Asian American, it was a great opportunity to speak to elders in our community about the importance of voting in this year’s election and enabling their voices to be heard.
I knew that being part this event would not only enable me to make a difference but also meet cool people who shared a similar goal to make a difference. While one person can make a impact, many people who share a collective voice and vision can make an exponential impact!
On Saturday, October 4, 2008- over 2,000 volunteers from around the country participated in SAALT’s annual day of service, Be the Change. As the National Be the Change Coordinator, it was exciting to see many individuals from cities and campuses around the country involved in this great cause- volunteers from over 40 cities and campuses participated nationwide! Atlanta, Boston, Bay Area, Washington D.C., New York, Philadelphia, University of Central Florida, Texas A&M University- College Station and more joined in on this effort!
For the past 5 months, individuals around the country volunteered their time to plan and implement this event in their city or campus. These individuals are a testament to the change occurring in the country and their role in Be the Change truly exemplified Mahatma Gandhi’s principle of ‘be the change you wish to see in the world”. Of course, we can’t forget the wonderful volunteers who came out on a Saturday morning because of their belief in the importance of making a difference and changing their community.
This year, Be the Change volunteers participated in activities such as revitalizing local parks in East Brunswick, New Jersey; packaging books for prisoners in Washington, DC; restoring the bay in San Francisco; and working with mentally and physically disabled children in New York and much more.
I would like to challenge everyone to let Be the Change be the first step. I challenge you to let this not be a day of service but a life of service– whether it be at your campus or university, in your workplace, with your friends or family, by volunteering or by creating your own organization- I challenge all of you to carry on this principle of being the change wherever you go and in whatever you do. I hope to see you ‘being the change’ for many years to come!