Photo: by Philip A. Dwyer
People
Greece’s Loss, America’s Gain:
Sukhdip Singh
WILSON CRISCIONE
Bellingham, Washington State, USA
On Sukhdip Singh’s first day at Whatcom Community College, a student walked by him on campus, smiled and said “Hey.”
It was a simple gesture that meant a lot for the 20-year-old Sikh from Greece.
“In Greece I would not have experienced that, because of my race,” Sukhdip said.
Since that day, Sukhdip has flourished in his two years at Whatcom Community College as he works toward his goal of becoming a doctor. Along the way, he also hopes to alter misconceptions about Sikhs who, like him, wear a turban as part of their religion.
Sukhdip Singh was born in Greece. He lived in Australia, then Punjab before moving back to Athens at age 12 with his mom, dad and sister. His family follows Sikhism, a monotheistic religion founded in Punjab in the 15th century in which men wear turbans. Sukhdip’s grandparents live in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, which led him to Whatcom Community College. [The State of Washington falls immediately south of the border from British Columbia.]
In 2008, Sukhdip said Greece’s financial crisis caused many Greeks to become anti-immigrant and often racist toward people who had a darker skin. One day when he was walking home, a group of men approached him and demanded to know where he was from, ready to attack him if he gave the wrong answer. The men let him go when he explained he was a Sikh.
They were apparently looking for people from Pakistan. But Sukhdip said other Sikhs weren’t so lucky.
He described his life at home as a “typical Sikh family living in a country where people are mostly ‘white’ and Greek.” His dad is a taxi driver, and his mom is unable to work due to a medical disability.
Wherever he went in Greece, he said he felt harassed by people who stared and made racist comments in his direction.
When he lived in India briefly, Sukhdip said he noticed people who needed medical assistance were treated “sometimes worse than animals.”
“People are not treated as they should be. There isn’t equal access to medicine (in India),” Sukhdip said. “I want to get into that system and be influential.”
Since he’s been at Whatcom Community College, he has earned a 4.0 grade point average and has become active in student government. He was one of five students to receive the 2015 Transforming Lives Award from the Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges, which recognizes students across the state who have overcome barriers to achieve their college goals.
He said some people still believe anyone wearing a turban is a potential terrorist. He is currently organizing a Turban Awareness Day at the college that will occur in March to educate others about Sikhs who wear a turban for religious purposes.
In the classroom, teachers and students say Sukhdip is thoughtful and supportive of others. One of his Philosophy teachers at the college, Cathy Hagman, said he always goes beyond the class requirements.
“I admire him a lot,” Hagman said. “He’s just a very nice person, very intelligent, and I think we’re really lucky at Whatcom (Community College) to have him here as a student.”
Sukhdip said his ambition comes from his desire to change his family’s situation. He wants to be a doctor because he has always wanted to help people who are struggling. He said his past experiences, along with the welcoming atmosphere at Whatcom Community College, have put him in a position to succeed.
“I used to complain many times about why I’m going through all these hardships, and then I realized that those experiences actually shaped me into the being I am today,” Sukhdip said. “Those experiences make me who I am.”
[Courtesy: Bellingham Herald. Edited for sikhchic.com]
February 12, 2015
Conversation about this article
1: Sunny Grewal (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada), February 12, 2015, 11:07 AM.
Good job, Sukhdip, keep those grades up and apply for American and then Canadian citizenship the first chance you get. Shame on the Greeks for their boorishness towards visible minorities. Maybe if the country as a whole actually paid their taxes, they wouldn't have to take their anger out on people who contribute more to the economy than they do.
2: Kaala Singh (Punjab), February 12, 2015, 9:08 PM.
Not only Greece but Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and many other European countries are in a bad shape economically and visible minorities everywhere are "soft" targets to vent their frustration. On a separate note, now do we understand why these countries are crazy for commercial deals with countries like India, forgetting their own self-proclaimed lofty ideals of human rights and tolerance?