“In my world history class, I read that Sikhs are terrorists.” said Jaslin Kaur.

NEW YORK, NY, USA—Can you imagine your child coming home to tell you that she learned that her religious community, her family, her sangat, were labeled as terrorists in her textbook?

That’s exactly what happened to Jaslin Kaur, who attends Mt. Pleasant High School in San Jose, CA. As we all know, educators often teach from the textbook without bothering to verify the accuracy of the information they are teaching. They incorrectly assume that if it’s in the textbook, it must be true.

As we all know, educators often teach from the textbook without bothering to verify the accuracy of the information they are teaching. They incorrectly assume that if it’s in the textbook, it must be true.

The Problem: We can only fix a problem when we know what is out there. How many textbooks are our nation’s children reading that have incorrect information about Sikhs?

Our Request: Today, we are asking you to look through your child’s social studies textbook and find any mention of Sikhs or Sikhism. It does not matter if the information is true or false. We want to know EVERY mention of Sikhs in these books. Then, click here and fill out this form. It is very important that you attach scans of each page that has information on Sikhs or Sikhism. Don’t have a scanner? No problem! You can also take pictures of the pages and upload those images as well.

“Sikhism is a branch of Hinduism….”

This inaccurate statement is found in multiple textbooks that students read across the country. Textbooks are an educational tool meant to provide accurate information, but with statements like this one, they often perpetuate misinformation and promote stereotypes.

We need to act quickly. Once schools close for summer vacation, your child will no longer have access to his/her textbooks. It is important that you take this action now.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions. Thank you for your sewa!