In the Sikh faith, it is customary to keep one’s head covered out of respect for the spirituality of our unshorn hair, one of the five articles of faith that Sikhs must maintain. Young boys tend to tie a patka while adolescents and older men wear a pagh or dastaar, which is often referred to as a turban. Young girls and women may also choose to wear a pagh but more commonly cover their head with a chunni.
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To me, my patka and pagh have been a constant reminder of my privilege to practice my faith freely. They are an extension of my morals and a display of pride in my religion. However, being a turbaned Sikh has not always been a smooth experience. Although Wisconsin has a large Sikh population, many people have never met nor know how Sikh’s look. Throughout my childhood I would notice people staring at me in public places such as the mall or parks, even walking backwards just to figure out what they were looking at. At school, classmates would often ask what I was storing on top of my head, or if I had a lump of extra cranium space. Those proactive enough to ask me about my patka would often assume that I was wearing a quirky “hat”, that I was a Hindu or Muslim, or oddly enough, a girl (even with my mustache creeping in).
The most memorable misconception that I’ve heard for my patka came when I was in line at a fast food restaurant. As I stared up at the menu, knowing full well that I was going to order the same thing I always order, I noticed a man in the other line staring inquisitively at me with his arms crossed and head tilted. He maintained this stance until I had finished ordering, then finally mustered up the courage to approach me. I assumed he would ask the usual “what’s that on your head?” but he leveled it up in the creativity department. As a reminder, Sikhs wear their patka, pagh, or chunni to cover their uncut hair, uncut being the key word. That’s why I couldn’t help but laugh when he asked “Is that a device to keep your hair up so the barber can cut it easier?” He couldn’t have been more wrong.
While these events and misconceptions stemmed from naivety, curiosity, and honestly, a lack of Sikh representation in popular media and the community, they were nevertheless uncomfortable to deal with at times. However, I was lucky enough to only be dealing with questions and stares. Early Sikh immigrants were refused jobs on account of their “unprofessional” appearance. Many, including my great uncle, were forced to assimilate by maintaining a clean shaven look in order to support their families and survive in a new country. Directly following the events of 9/11, Sikhs suffered the highest rate of discrimination and violence out of any minority group. Taxi drivers, realtors, business owners, and people whose appearance was their first impression on prospective customers, were forced to choose between their religion or a livelihood.
Currently, encouraging progress has been made to support the Sikh right to wear a turban and maintain their uncut hair. The United States military and many collegiate and professional sports leagues have adopted policies protecting the sanctity of our appearance. Schools in Virginia, California, and other states are implementing an overview of the basics of Sikhi in their curriculum, improving our visibility. Therefore, I am extremely grateful to never have had my identity threatened in any extreme manner. Instead, my experiences have prompted me to learn more about myself and the importance of my head covering so that I can address any misconceptions or curiosities.
Ultimately, it comes down to the Sikh community to educate our neighbors, friends, and fellow citizens about who we are. We cannot rely on institutions other than ourselves to do the work of promoting our image for us. I hope that other Sikhs dealing with any misconceptions about their appearance stay strong in their beliefs and take pride in what sets them apart. We wear our religion on our sleeves, and it’s time that we make it known what we stand for rather than hiding ourselves out of fear or convenience.