This study corroborates, through literature review and data analysis, the existence of a specific cultural bias and its impact on the real, daily lived experiences of the Sikh American community. Key findings of the research include:
– Bias exists against the Sikh American articles of faith, including the turban, beard, and uncut hair.
– 70% of the American public cannot identify a picture of a Sikh man as a Sikh.
– About half of the public associates the turban with Islam and believes that Sikhism is a sect of Islam
– Anti-turban bias exists even among people with a greater knowledge of Sikhs.
– The media contributes to and fuels the bias against the Sikh articles of faith.
– Bias is unconscious, charged by emotion, and reinforced by the environment.
– The Sikh American community and experience remain an understudied population.