Sikh Diaspora - Sikh Identity Today

Sikh Identity Today

Whilst the rate of Sikh migration from the Punjab has remained high, traditional patterns of Sikh migration, that favored English speaking countries, particularly the United Kingdom has changed in the past decade due to factors such as stricter immigration procedures. Moliner(2006) states that as a consequence of the 'fact' that Sikh migration to the UK had "become virtually impossible since the late 1970s", Sikh migration patterns altered to continental Europe. Italy has now emerged as a fast-growing area for Sikh migration, with Reggio Emilia and the Vicenza province being areas of significant Sikh population clusters. The Italian Sikhs are generally involved in the areas of agriculture, agro-processing, machine tools and horticulture. Canada has maintained a liberal immigration policy, and the Sikh community there is the second largest in proportion to the country's population after only India, and about 2.5 times the size of the American Sikh community. The largest North American Sikh community is thought to be in Vancouver, British Columbia, and its surrounding communities. The Sikh migration to Australasia has also increased to a large extent in the first decade of the 21st century.

In the post-9/11 era, the Sikh diaspora in Europe and North America stand out as a visible minority often confused with radical Islamic groups because of their turbans. There have been numerous hate crimes targeted at Sikhs. France banned turban-wearing Sikh students from publicly funded schools, as part of a broader policy originally intended to restric Muslim head-scarves. Western security think-tanks quote the Air India bombing to justify profiling of Sikh travellers at airports. The soft influences of popular culture and the need for fitting in with peers is driving many young Sikhs to shed Khalsa symbols such as the turban and beard. Some second generation Sikhs growing up in the West do not have proficiency in the Punjabi language. On the other hand small groups of Westerners have converted to Sikhism. There are now Sikh Gurduwaras (equilvalent of churches and temples) scattered across Europe, North America, Australia and Malaysia. The combination of these factors creates a new and more complex Sikh identity that may slowly emerge in the 21st century.

As globalisation progresses and India's & Punjab's economy continues to expand, the question is whether the Sikh diaspora's focus will shift from inward-looking identity and Khalistan issues to outword-looking global trade and homeland investment like the successful Jewish and Chinese diasporas.