Sikhs began immigrating to the United States 150 years ago to build better lives for themselves and their families. However, today, there is a lack of data on this demographic. The lack of data on the Sikh community further hinders our ability to address persistent issues Sikh Americans face: discrimination and misunderstanding.
The Sikh community, particularly in America, does not have a large organizational hierarchy or catalog of population size and scope. Accordingly, for community members to organize, it can be difficult to know where and how to engage with a Sikh American community that is widely spread in pockets around the country.
Without prior census data that speaks specifically to Sikh religious identification, low awareness and understanding of Sikh American demographics can lead to the underreporting of hate crimes by governmental agencies.
The research outlined in Sikhs In the United States: A Profile of Who We Are seeks to bridge this gap in information, by locating where Sikhs live and understanding their community demographics.