Written by: Suzanne Nolan Wisler (The Monroe News)

Monroe County Community College Courtesy Photo

Several people who work to improve the plight of minorities took part in a virtual panel discussion Thursday morning.

“Violence Against Asian Americans: A Perspective” was hosted by Monroe County Community College.

Panelists were: Rep. Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton, from the 21st House District for the western Wayne County area; Sunita Doddamani, head of the hate crimes and domestic terrorism unit with the Michigan Department of Attorney General, and Laura Misumi, executive director or Rising Voices of Asian American Families and managing director of Detroit Action.

Rep. Joseph Bellino, R-Monroe, joined as a surprise guest.

Through introductions and questions, the panelists agreed violence against Asian Americans—and many other minorities—has a long history, and incidences are vastly underreported. While crimes must be reported to authorities, restorative justice, they said, also is key to ending racial violence.

The COVID pandemic has put a spotlight on violence against Asian Americans, but hate crimes have been going on for generations.

“Hate has always been there. People are more emboldened in the last 10 years to perpetrate and be out-in-the-open about their hate. They are encouraged by society and political rhetoric,” said Doddamani.

“Crime against Asian American has existed for generations. Social media and cell phones allow us to capture violence now,” said Rep Puri.

Examples of violence and discrimination toward Asian Americans abound.

Puri spoke of a 2012 shooting by a white supremist in Racine, Wis., the city where his parents lived after immigrating from northern India.

Six were killed.

“That incident was in the news for six hours, until another shooting, and then it completely vanished. It’s really hard for me to process. My family’s life story and my family’s American dream was worth about six hours of subtext on CNN,” said Puri, who said he’s the first person of color to represent the area in the House of Representatives.

Misumi is a fourth-generation Japanese American. Her ancestors were incarcerated in a concentration camp in California during World War II.

Hate crimes are vastly underreported, said Doddamani.

 “Only 3-5 percent of hate crime is reported to the police,” she said.

Barriers to reporting include mistrust of law enforcement, a victim's fear of mistreatment and language barriers.

“Report, report, report,” said Doddamani.

“We need to report crime. It is absolutely critical,” agreed Misumi.

Doddamani says victims should document crimes with photos and quotes. Hate crimes should be reported to the police and also to the attorney general’s office.

“We can’t do anything unless they are reported,” said Doddamani. “If a person’s behavior starts to escalate, we need to see how it escalates. You don’t go on a mass shooting as your entry into the criminal justice system.”

Panelists said there’s also a place for restorative justice, which focuses on rehabilitating and educating the perpetrator.

Doddamani shared the story of a Jewish artifact taken and destroyed.

“The victim didn’t want to prosecute. The Jewish victim arranged for the thief to visit the Holocaust Museum, to see how important that symbol was and what it meant to rip that symbol down and damage it,” said Doddamani.

“Prosecuting people doesn’t make them more open-minded. It’s much easier to broaden your perspective and be open to changing views when it’s done in a matter that respects who you are as a human,” said Misumi.

Education is a big part of the solution.

“Share personal experiences, support community efforts to advocate for diverse curriculum,” said Misumi.

“It's really hard to hate a person you know,” said Doddamani.

Panel moderators were Dr. Shuvra Das, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Detroit Mercy, and Parmeshwar (Peter) Coomar, dean of applied sciences and engineering technology at MCCC.

Source: https://www.monroenews.com/story/news/2021/05/29/panelistspanelists-discuss-hate-crimes-discuss-hate-crimes/7485448002/

Written by: Slone Terranella and Niraj Warikoo (Detroit Free Press)

In the parking lot of Plymouth's Mata Tripta Ji Gurdwara Sahib, a familiar sense of sorrow cloaked community members as they prayed for the Indianapolis FedEx facility shooting victims on Sunday.

It was a feeling gurdwara members felt before as they placed memorial candles in front of the building. The vigil was held at the same house of worship where hundreds gathered nine years ago for a vigil after a white supremacist fatally shot six Sikhs at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, in 2012.

Members of the local Sikh community listen to speakers during a vigil at the Plymouth Gurudwara Sahib in honor of four members of the Sikh community who were killed during a mass shooting at a FedEx Facility in Indianapolis last week. Antranik Tavitian, Detroit Free Press

On Thursday, 19-year-old Brandon Scott Hole shot and killed eight people and wounded several others at a FedEx Ground Plainfield Operations Center, USA Today reports. Hole died by suicide, and four of the eight shooting victims belonged to the Sikh community.

During Sunday's vigil, Sona Sandhu, 41, of Northville, said when news first broke of the shooting, her first reaction was sadness. Her second thought, she said, centered on  the need to improve cultural awareness. 

"We all have to treat each other equally. This is America. This is a melting pot," she said. "We all should respect and value each other's religious beliefs, and each other's appearances. Sikhs, they have a different appearance than most other Americans, and I think people need to educate themselves, or maybe we as a Sikh faith have to come up and start educating people better."

From left, Guraman Kaur, 11, lights Rajwinder Kaur's candle, mother, as Manpreet Kaur listens to speakers during a vigil at the Plymouth Gurudwara Sahib in honor of four members of the Sikh community who were killed during a mass shooting at a FedEx Facility in Indianapolis last week. Antranik Tavitian, Detroit Free Press

Sandhu said she hopes there is more education regarding different values and cultures, but she also hopes for more gun laws. 

Joining members of the gurdwara Sunday was FedEx worker Veronica Goldwater, 64, of Lincoln Park, who said she showed up to support the Sikh and FedEx communities. 

"We all mourn. We are a FedEx family. When one is hurt, we are all still bleeding," she said. "We call it bleeding purple."

Goldwater said she found out about  Thursday's shooting when she woke up for work and turned on the radio. She instantly heard the broadcast announcing eight people had been killed at a FedEx facility.  However, she still needed to go to work that day. 

"It was quiet, everybody was quiet. We still did our jobs," Goldwater said. "We were trying to figure out if it was an employee, if it was from someone outside or if it was ongoing. We did not know until the next day." 

Birinderjit Singh lights a candle during a vigil at the Plymouth Gurudwara Sahib in honor of four members of the Sikh community who were killed during a mass shooting at a FedEx Facility in Indianapolis last week. Antranik Tavitian, Detroit Free Press

Goldwater said her heart goes out to everyone affected by the situation, and fear lingers in the back of her mind when she goes into work now. 

"Everyone (victims) was there just making a living. It's hard when a lot of people are still at home and that we, FedEx, we're essential," Goldwater said. 

The parents of state Rep. Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton, the first Sikh to serve in the Michigan Legislature, helped establish the Sikh temple in Oak Creek that was targeted in 2012. Two days before the FedEx shooting, Sikhs were celebrating Vaisakhi, an annual religious holiday. Puri took part in an online forum Tuesday to celebrate Vaisakhi with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, and other politicians.

And now, Puri and other Sikhs are mourning those  killed at the FedEx facility in Indiana.

“I am exhausted, I am broken, I have no more tears left to shed,” Puri wrote  on Twitter on Friday.  “It is seemingly everyday we are hearing of innocent lives lost to gun violence. My heart aches for all the victims of the shooting in Indianapolis — which include members of the Sikh community.”

Members from other gurdwaras also came to support and honor the victims. 

Harpreet Singh tests a speaker before starting a vigil at the Plymouth Gurudwara Sahib in honor of four members of the Sikh community who were killed during a mass shooting at a FedEx Facility in Indianapolis last week. Antranik Tavitian, Detroit Free Press

Birinderjit Singh, 40, of Canton, is part of the Singh Sabha of Michigan located in Canton. He said elected officials must act to prevent this kind of senseless violence.

"Unfortunately, most of the victims (FedEx shooting) were Sikhs. As Sikhs because of the way we look, we are always misunderstood," Singh said. "We want all of these politicians to not always favor the lobbies, but also think about the citizens because we are the ones who pay the taxes." 

Singh said he hopes politicians can enact legislative change to ensure this situation doesn't happen again. 

"I would like to give my message to all of the politicians because we can only hope," Singh said. "Everything like amendments, they (politicians) have to do it. Our job is to vote for them and to elect. After that, their job is to take action."

In addition to the Plymouth temple, the Sikh community in metro Detroit has religious centers in Sterling Heights, Rochester Hills, Canton and Brownstown Township.

Source: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/04/18/plymouth-gurdwara-sikhs-honor-fedex-shooting-victims/7276770002/

Written by: Leonard N. Fleming (The Detroit News)

Plymouth — The solemn gaze on Heminder Singh's face told half the story. The placard he held Sunday with the names of four of the eight souls lost in a shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis told the rest.

Among the dead late Thursday were four Sikhs, a religious community from India with a presence in the U.S. and Metro Detroit, and it prompted those like Singh to honor them in a solidarity vigil in front of a temple of worship.

It also was a call for an end to gun violence and anger aimed at them because of their presence in American society.

"This an extremely tragic event for all of us as the Sikh community and the whole country," said Singh, 61, of West Bloomfield Township, who joined nearly 50 others honoring the fallen at the Gurdwara Sahib Mata Tripta in Plymouth.

"We're hoping and praying for the families of all the people we've lost," he said. "We have a lot of compassion for the family of the person who caused the loss of life. We believe staying positive no matter what the circumstances are."

The safety of Sikhs, Singh said, "is a concern because of our appearance and our identity because way too many incidents have happened over the years."

Bhai Iqbar Singh, right, offers a prayer as people from the Sikh community and others gather at a solidarity vigil at Plymouth Gurdwara Sahib in Plymouth, Michigan, on April 18, 2021. Robin Buckson, The Detroit News

About 90% of the workers at the FedEx warehouse near the Indianapolis International Airport are members of the local Sikh community, according to Indiana authorities.

People in attendance made reference to a 2012 shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin where six people were killed, a troubling trend they say targets their community for teasing and violence based on the turbans males wear or the way they look.

Those of the Sikh faith, of which there are an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 families in the region, held lit candles that dripped on the pavement on a brilliant sunny day, and prayed for peace and an end to gun violence.

Raman Singh, 55, of West Bloomfield Township reads the names of the victims of the Indianapolis shooting. Robin Buckson, The Detroit News

Raman Singh, 55, of West Bloomfield Township, said given the shooting in Indiana and the violence against Sikhs in the past, "it doesn't seem like that much has changed."

"This tragedy was all too personal for us. It took place in another Midwestern town not too different than ours," she said. "And the names of the victims could have been the names of our own friends and family."

Ramandeep Sidhu, 54, of South Lyon, Amisha Datta, 22, and her brother, Aniketh Datta, 18, both of Novi have their candles lit by Gurjinder Singh, 52, of Lansing at a Sikh solidarity vigil at Plymouth Gurdwara Sahib in Plymouth, Mich. on April 18, 2021. Robin Buckson, The Detroit News

Dilbag Singh, 51, president of the gurdwara in Plymouth, called the shooting a "very tragic incident and very sad."

These types of gun violence and shootings aren't "good for anybody, especially when it was known" that the man who killed the others and himself had a fragile mental state and his mother had warned the authorities prior, Singh said.

"I think we need more (gun) checks in order to keep a check on such killings," he said. "It's not just this incident. We know it happened in Colorado. It happened in Atlanta. I think we all need to come together and put our minds on it so that there can be more checks so that people which are not in their good mental state shouldn't be able to keep all these arms."

Ramandeep Sidhu, left, 54, of South Lyon watches as Amisha Datta, 22, and her brother, Aniketh Datta, 18, have their candles lit by their mother, Somlika Datta, 48, of Novi. Robin Buckson, The Detroit News

State Rep. Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton Township, decried the loss of "more victims to gun violence."

"Government action is absolutely necessary that these things can absolutely be prevented," he said to the crowd. "And our country has a problem. In just this month, this is the 45th mass shooting in this country. No American should live in fear. And Sikhs unfortunately are disproportionately affected, whether it's because of their faith, the way they look or just who we are."

These issues," he added, "are only brought to light when it's too late."

That needs to change, Puri said, to a community that "remains largely invisible."

Source: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/04/18/metro-detroit-sikhs-honor-victims-indiana-shooting-solidarity-vigil/7278398002/

Hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the surge across the country. The late Vichar Ratanapakdee, (seen in the photo on the left) was an 84-year-old immigrant from Thailand, who was violently shoved to the ground in a deadly attack in San Francisco. , during a community rally to raise awareness of anti-Asian violence and racist attitudes, in response to the string of violent racist attacks against Asians during the pandemic, held at Los Angeles Historic Park near the Chinatown district in Los Angeles, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) AP

Written by: Lindsay Moore (Booth Newspapers)

Resolutions condemning the growing number of hate crimes against against Asian American and Pacific Islanders were adopted by the Michigan state House and Senate on Thursday, March 18.

Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, and Rep. Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton, proposed resolutions in response to the killing of eight people, primarily Asian women, at massage parlor in Atlanta.

The fatal shooting is the most recent example of a spike in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, according to a report by Stop AAPI Hate.

The national report recorded 3,795 hate-driven incidents reported between March 19, 2020 and February 28, 2021 from all 50 states. Of those reports, 25 occurred in Michigan.

On the Senate floor, Chang delivered remarks in support of the resolution giving examples of her own friends and fellow Michiganders.

She spoke of an Asian American dance teacher who was Zoom bombed and mocked with fake Asian accents. Another account was in a Michigan store where an Asian American employee was told he didn’t belong and “go back to China and take the virus with you,” Chang said.

Nationally, the Stop AAPI Hate report showed that women report hate crimes 2.3 times more than men.

The motive behind the Atlanta shooting is still being investigated but police have identified that six of the eight victims were Asian American women.

“Asian American women across the country were horrified and woke up the next morning feeling scared, sad and worried,” Chang said.

Rep. Puri told the house floor he spoke with an Asian American mom in his district who has chosen not to send her children back to in-person learning out of fear of bullying.

He spoke of his own experience growing up post-911 and being judged solely on his skin and his facial hair.

“I can speak firsthand to hateful rhetoric and the effect that this has on vulnerable communities,” he said. “The general lack of awareness of anti-Asian hate crimes and violence exasperates their impact.”

Following the proclamation issued by President Joe Biden, all U.S. and Michigan flags were lowered to half-staff immediately on Thursday, March 18 and will remain lowered through Monday, March 22 to honor the Atlanta victims, according to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office.

“The senseless murders of eight people in Atlanta, including six Asian-American women, is a national tragedy,” Whitmer said in a release. “By lowering the flags, we honor the legacies of the eight lives that were taken from us too soon and declare that hate has no home in Michigan or anywhere in the United States. My thoughts are with the victims’ loved ones and the entire Atlanta community as they mourn this loss.”

People can self-report instances of hate or basis at https://stopaapihate.org/. For more information on the program in Michigan, contact Melissa Borja at mborja@umich.edu.

Michigan residents can report hate crimes by email at hatecrimes@michigan.gov or by phone at 313-456-0200. Residents can file complaints of unlawful discrimination based on race, sexual orientation, gender, or religion by contacting the Michigan Department of Civil Rights by phone, 800-482-3604, or email MDCR-INFO@michigan.gov.

Source: https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2021/03/resolution-condemning-asian-hate-crimes-passes-michigan-legislature-following-atlanta-shootings.html

Written by: Michigan House Dems

LANSING, Mich., Jan. 21, 2021 — State Rep. Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton) was appointed to the House Committees on Energy, Transportation, and Agriculture today for the 2021-22 legislative term. Puri is serving his first term representing Michigan’s 21st House District, which encompasses the cities of Canton, Belleville and Van Buren Township. Before joining the Legislature, Puri worked in Detroit’s automotive industry, helping prepare the state and industry for the economy of tomorrow. Following the announcement, Puri issued the following statement:

“I look forward to using my professional experience in technology and the automotive industry as we set our legislative priorities and get to work for the people of Michigan. Whether by implementing clean energy solutions, updating our electric vehicle infrastructure or a variety of other ideas I have, I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to position our communities as national leaders in each of these industries.”

Source: https://housedems.com/puri-to-serve-on-house-committees-on-energy-transportation-agriculture/