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Arts & Culture

S

Sikh Monologues

Sikh Monologues: Capturing the diverse stories of the Sikh American community through interviews and creative expression.

$5,000

Goal

29

Donors

G
G. B.Nov 27, 2013$190.00
J
J. S.Nov 26, 2013$100.00
S
S. G.Nov 25, 2013$20.00
K
K. A.Nov 25, 2013$100.00
J
J. B.Nov 24, 2013$100.00

The Sikh Monologues Project endeavors to record the diverse stories that the diasporic Sikh American community has to share. Through interviews with men and women of all ages, classes, and backgrounds in cities across America, we seek to create an archive of written monologues. Each monologue will center on one theme, perhaps that of Discrimination, Immigration, Careers, or Homeland, and will draw from the facts and sentiments shared during interviews. The Sikh Monologues will serve as an educational and inspirational resource for the Sikh community and the broader American community as a creative means of conveying the “state of the union” of Sikhs in America.

We will be traveling through 17 different states with the hopes of interviewing 100+ Sikhs. We will be using a voice recorder and/or a video camera; whichever individuals are comfortable with. We will be asking individuals about the following topics:

• Family immigration history
• Childhood upbringing
• Instances of discrimination or bullying
• What Sikhi means to you
• Connection to the Sikh community
• Challenges the Sikh community faces
• Hopes for the future

The stories told through the interviews will be used for creating the content of the Sikh Monologues. The footage recorded through the interviews will become part of the Sikh Monologues documentary.

For the latest information, please visit sikhmonologues.wordpress.com
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Where is your contribution going?

Transportation:
$60 train tickets
$200 plane tickets
$50 metro passes
$100 car rentals

Equipment:
$500 Video Camera
$100 Voice Recorder
$20 64GB SD Card

From the Team

Both Dilroop and Jasleen have been heavily involved with the Sikh community camps, conferences, Khalsa school from a young age. In the summer of 2010, both women interned for the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund where they were exposed to the challenges that the Sikh community faces and the critical work that still needs to be done so Sikhs in America may be considered “American” and equally deserving of rights as any other group. The Sikh Monologues stems from this initial experience with activism with the Sikh community. Both ladies also were part of the inaugural class of SALDEF’s Leadership Development Program, which equipped them with the tools and knowledge to properly run a campaign. It is with previous experience of working side by side and this knowledge that Jasleen and Dilroop will embark on the Sikh Monologues project. Jasleen embodies a passion for writing and has written for SALDEF’s online blog, Kaurista.com, the Jakara Movement, and done personal spoken word pieces. Her anthropological background from undergrad informs her desire to understand and then properly convey the story of her community on its own terms, not through the lens of media. Additionally, Jasleen was part of the Vagina Monologues on Berkeley’s campus this past year and was able to understand the need for sharing the stories of populations less heard and less acknowledge Vagina Monologues was about female narratives Sikh Monologues will be about Sikh narratives. Additionally, she has a thorough understanding of the process by which the Vagina Monologues was written and will be applying that same process to create the Sikh Monologues. Jasleen has diverse travel experience both within and outside the United States, and has organized and marketed for several events with the Sikh community throughout under undergraduate careers including Kaur Voices, Diwaans, and Big Khalsa Little Khalsa. Dilroop brings foundational knowledge of relevant Sikh issues not only during her SALDEF internship, but during her work experience with the organization for a year after graduating George Mason University. She also offers an expertise with issues regarding Sikh youth as she has organized and volunteered with Sikh camps in Washington D.C., Houston, and Chicago. Dilroop is also wellversed in event planning, and is proud to have organized the candle light vigil for Oak Creek, WI that took place in Washington, DC last August. She is passionate about creating new and innovative resources for education and about broadening the perspectives of the Sikh and nonSikh communities. We will be calling upon not only our individual skill sets, but the resources our community offers as well. Our combined involvement with our local communities, SALDEF, Jakara Movement, United Sikhs, Sikh Coalition, Surat, Kaurista, and Kaur Foundation lend us the expertise of those who are more experienced, the advice of those who have traveled and interacted with Sikhs in different parts of the U.S., and the support and encouragement to keep this project moving.

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Fully Funded

$5,100

raised of $5,000 goal

G. B.gave$190.00+28 more