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Sikh Americans advocate for Multicultural Education Bill at Ohio Statehouse
Ohio House Bill Aims to Enhance Curriculum Diversity, Including Sikh Contributions
Supporters of HB171 at the Ohio State House / Image – Sameep Singh
Members of the Sikh American community voiced their support for a multicultural education house bill (HB171) during a hearing before the Ohio House Primary and Secondary Education Committee at the State Capitol in Columbus, Ohio.
Spearheaded by the Ohio Progressive Asian Women’s Leadership (OPAWL) organization, HB171 aims to include information about the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in the social sciences curriculum as the current curriculum lacks representation of many minority communities, including Sikhs.
State Representative Mary Lightbody, the primary sponsor of HB171, a Democrat from Westerville, expressed hope that its passage would integrate information about diverse Asian communities including Sikhism, into school curricula.
Before the hearing, speakers representing various organizations, including the Sikh Coalition, Ohio Education Association, Ohio Federation of Teachers, Council on Islamic American Relations, and State Rep. Mary Lightbody, voiced their support for the bill.
Sameep Singh Gumtala, representing the Sikh Coalition and Sikh community, thanked Rep. Mary Lightbody for sponsoring the bill. He emphasized the need for inclusion, pointing out that although Sikhs have been integral to the American fabric for over 125 years, yet public awareness of our faith, community, and contributions remains limited.
Sameep Singh Gumata testifies in support of the bill / “The absence of Sikhism from classroom curricula has contributed to this knowledge gap, perpetuating stereotypes and, regrettably, fueling instances of hate violence and discrimination against Sikhs nationwide,” Gumtala said highlighting the alarming rate of bullying faced by Sikh students.
A Sikh Coalition report found that 67 percent of Sikh students adhering to their articles of faith, such as turbans, experience bullying–more than double the national average.
Prior to the first hearing in June, Sikhs from Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland, and other cities gathered at the Ohio State House, and approached elected officials, urging them to vote in favor of HB 171. Additionally, state-wide gurdwaras initiated a signature campaign in support of the bill, emphasizing the importance of updating Ohio’s curriculum requirements.
Launched on May 16 by OPAWL, the campaign seeks to change the state’s K-12 model curriculum to include age and grade-appropriate instruction in the migration journeys, experiences and societal contributions of a range of communities in Ohio and the United States. This includes African Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, Arabs, African and North African immigrants, refugees and asylees, Jews, Latin and Native Americans.
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