Sangat ji
About a week ago I argued in a Sikhnet discussion that we should stop using the phrase "white" Sikhs. I never returned to the thread to see what others replied.
What are White Sikhs? It is a strange label. When was it first used? Who are 'they?' Are White Sikhs only 3HO Sikhs? Are White Sikhs any Sikhs who come from an Anglo or European background? Are White Sikhs any Sikhs who wear white as a matter of routine (3HO or Nirmala).
So far the label has made little sense to me because membership in the White Sikh category is never clear-cut. Sometimes it means 3HO because they wear white. But so do Nirmalas and so do members of other sects within Sikhism. Sometimes it means Sikhs who are from Anglo or European heritage. That however poses a problem as a category because what then do we call African American Sikhs or Chinese, Japanese or Vietnamese Sikhs. We don't have categories for Black and Yellow Sikhs (and really should we?).
I did not know that Punjabi Sikhs were not "white." I thought that Punjabi peoples migrated originally from the middle of the 6th Century from the Caucasus (Scythia and the Ural steps) -- through Afghanistan and into northern India and what is now Pakistan. That would make Punjabi Sikhs genetically caucasian or "white.":welcome:
Many Punjabi Sikhs are darker in color on a continuum of tan to brown. Are they "brown Sikhs?" If they are, then why don't we group 3HO Sikhs who are African American with them --in the Brown Sikh category - using skin color as our way of classifying.
Dr. Lonnie Smith is a Sikh jazz musician in New York. Where does he fit?
Please clear up my confusion.
What about this problem of categories and labels? How does it fit with the Banee of the Gurus? What is the likelihood that at some point in time we will give it up?
Related threads
http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/new-to-sikhism/25944-white-sikhs.html
http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/business-and-lifestyle/20441-white-sikhs-white-clothes.html
About a week ago I argued in a Sikhnet discussion that we should stop using the phrase "white" Sikhs. I never returned to the thread to see what others replied.
What are White Sikhs? It is a strange label. When was it first used? Who are 'they?' Are White Sikhs only 3HO Sikhs? Are White Sikhs any Sikhs who come from an Anglo or European background? Are White Sikhs any Sikhs who wear white as a matter of routine (3HO or Nirmala).
So far the label has made little sense to me because membership in the White Sikh category is never clear-cut. Sometimes it means 3HO because they wear white. But so do Nirmalas and so do members of other sects within Sikhism. Sometimes it means Sikhs who are from Anglo or European heritage. That however poses a problem as a category because what then do we call African American Sikhs or Chinese, Japanese or Vietnamese Sikhs. We don't have categories for Black and Yellow Sikhs (and really should we?).
I did not know that Punjabi Sikhs were not "white." I thought that Punjabi peoples migrated originally from the middle of the 6th Century from the Caucasus (Scythia and the Ural steps) -- through Afghanistan and into northern India and what is now Pakistan. That would make Punjabi Sikhs genetically caucasian or "white.":welcome:
Many Punjabi Sikhs are darker in color on a continuum of tan to brown. Are they "brown Sikhs?" If they are, then why don't we group 3HO Sikhs who are African American with them --in the Brown Sikh category - using skin color as our way of classifying.
Dr. Lonnie Smith is a Sikh jazz musician in New York. Where does he fit?
Please clear up my confusion.
What about this problem of categories and labels? How does it fit with the Banee of the Gurus? What is the likelihood that at some point in time we will give it up?
Related threads
http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/new-to-sikhism/25944-white-sikhs.html
http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/business-and-lifestyle/20441-white-sikhs-white-clothes.html