Sikhism in the United States

American Sikhs
A gurdwara in Evergreen, San Jose, California.
Total population
~280,000–500,000
0.08% of the total American population (2020 est.)
Languages
American English • Punjabi and its dialects
American Spanish • Indian English • Hindi • Urdu • Sindhi
Related ethnic groups

American Sikhs form the country's sixth-largest religious group.[1] While the U.S. Census does not ask about religion,[2] 70,697 Americans (or 0.02% of the total population) declared Sikh as their ethnicity in the 2020 census.[3] The U.S. Census Bureau cites the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey's estimate of the adult Sikh American population at 78,000.[4] The Pew Research Center estimated the Sikh American adult population to be 140,000 and the total population at 200,000 in 2012 while the World Religion Database at Boston University estimated the American Sikh population to be at 280,000 in 2012.[4][5] Sikh organizations like the Sikh Coalition and American Sikh Congressional Caucus estimate the Sikh American population to be as high as 1,000,000, but do not provide any sources for these figures;[6][7][5] 500,000 nevertheless remains the most cited Sikh American population size.[8][15] With 1% of Asian Americans being Sikh, and 90.7% of Sikh Americans being Asian American, the American Sikh population can be estimated at around 200,000–300,000 in 2021.[16][17][18] The largest Sikh populations in the U.S. are found in California (52%), New York (11%), and Washington (6%).[19]

Sikhism is a religion, originating from medieval India (predominantly from the Punjab region of modern-day India and Pakistan) which was introduced into the United States during the 19th century. While most American Sikhs are Punjabi, the United States also has a number of non-Punjabi converts to Sikhism.[20] Sikh men are typically identifiable by their unshorn beards and turbans (head coverings), articles of their faith. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and subsequent other terrorism related activities by Islamic groups, Sikhs have often been mistaken as Muslims or Arabs, and have been subject to several hate crimes, including murders.[21][22] Sikh temples have also been targets of violence due to being mistaken for mosques. A 2012 shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin garnered national and international attention, with then President Obama ordering flags to be half-staffed at all federal buildings.

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Sikhism and other religions
  1. ^ "Why Pew Research Center typically can't report the views of smaller U.S. religious groups". www.pewresearch.org. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  2. ^ "Does the Census Bureau have data for religion?". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Asian Indian Was The Largest Asian Alone Population Group in 2020". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012 - Section 1: Population - Table 75: Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population: 1990, 2001, and 2008 (page 61)" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b "How Many U.S. Sikhs?". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  6. ^ "About Sikhs". Sikh Coalition. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  7. ^ "H. RES. 275 - 118th Congress (2023-2024)". United States Congress. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Sikhism Reporter's Guide". Sikh Coalition. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  9. ^ "The Sikh Community Today". Harvard University. Retrieved 28 March 2023. Today there are well over 500,000 Sikhs in the United States.
  10. ^ "American Sikhs are targets of bigotry, often due to cultural ignorance". Religion News Service. Retrieved 28 March 2023. Scholars and government officials estimate the Sikh American population to number around 500,000.
  11. ^ "Sikhs in America:A History of Hate". ProPublica. Retrieved 28 March 2023. There are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs living in the U.S., many in New York and California.
  12. ^ "April 2022: Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month". State of Michigan Office of the Governor. Retrieved 28 March 2023. Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world, and, today, there are more than 30 million Sikhs worldwide and an estimated 500,000 Sikh Americans;
  13. ^ "Want to know about Sikhism?". WUWM. Retrieved 28 March 2023. There are more than 500,000 Sikhs in the United States.
  14. ^ "A Brief Introduction to Sikhism". WTTW. Retrieved 28 March 2023. Despite its relatively recent arrival in Chicago, Sikhism is the world's fifth-largest religion, with 25 to 30 million adherents around the globe and an estimated 500,000 in America today.
  15. ^ [9][10][11][12][13][14]
  16. ^ "Asian Americans: A Mosaic of Faiths". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  17. ^ "2020 National Sikh American Survey: Key Findings". Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  18. ^ "DP05ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Detailed Races and Ethnicities in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2020 Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  20. ^ Ronald H. Bayor (31 July 2011). Multicultural America: An Encyclopedia of the Newest Americans. ABC-CLIO. pp. 985–. ISBN 978-0-313-35787-9. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  21. ^ "Crimes against Sikhs continue in US amidst spotlight on race relations". cnbctv18.com. 25 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  22. ^ Gumbel, Andrew (2018-09-19). "'The violence is always there': life as a Sikh in Trump's America". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-08-31.