Reflections and Gratitude from Sikh Americans for Biden

By Sim J. Singh & Ikaasa Suri

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa; Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.

For so many of us, the results of this election invokes such a powerfully visceral response — leaving us with so many emotions and very few words. It has for us, too.

What started as a small group has turned into a group of thousands in less than three months with an outsized impact. And as a result we won. We voted into office a historical presidential ticket with a President that will restore decency and respect back to the White House and the first woman, the first Black individual, and the first person of South Asian descent to ever be elected Vice President. Our nation broke barriers — voting not only for greater access to healthcare, increased resources allocated towards combating climate change, and a plan to get us out of a horrid pandemic but also to protect the fundamental right to exist for so many of us who have felt marginalized, otherized, and unwelcome over the past four years.

The entire Sikh Americans for Biden team wants to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for joining us, voting, and ultimately allowing democracy to run its course. We also want to thank all of our volunteers who have been with us from the start — helping us phonebank to reach more than 5,000 Sikh voters in key battleground states, attending our virtual events, translating our materials in Punjabi to make them as accessible as possible, and creating, posting, and sharing our graphics. Quoting the late Congressman John Lewis, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris spoke of democracy as an “act” — a component of our society we must actively work towards preserving. Because of you — because of the Black, Indigenous, Asian, and Pacific Islander communities who came out in unprecedented numbers this election — we maintained the democratic process.

For the first time in the history of a major Democratic party ticket, Sikhs in particular were given a platform to be heard. With your support we built a movement that will help organize future political campaigns and demonstrate the importance of the Sikh American community. Using this voice, we want to remind you that our work should not stop. If anything, now is when it truly begins. Having voted in a President and Vice President who have committed to listening to the voices of the American people, we must seize the opportunity to advocate for action that not only matters to us, but will also benefit Americans across the nation: ending systemic racism and hate, containing the pandemic, curbing the climate crisis, addressing immigration reform, implementing equal employment opportunities, increasing access to healthcare for all, stimulating minority-owned small businesses, and so much more. These are issues for which we need to collectively continue advocating and goals to which we need to hold our elected officials — at all levels — accountable.

With Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in office, we have the chance to reunite our nation, see the human race as one — not as enemies — and begin to heal. Let us continue building on this momentum and let us continue organizing for a better tomorrow. We hope that you will join us in our future initiatives.

In Chardi Kala,

Sim J. Singh & Ikaasa Suri