Turbans

A story of Oregon was green and blue, with blackberries in abundance, crisp air and a mighty Columbia River. My parents came from India, but my brothers and I were born in California. When father got the job in Oregon, we left the dusty fields behind. We thought we had moved to Paradise. People called us Hindus then, but we were sixth. They called everyone from India Hindu, regardless of their faith. We were one of the first Indian families to settle on the West Coast.

Take out your writing materials, we are going to continue with our curse of lesson, with the letter H, both big and small. Rani, no talking, and I've told you before only English is spoken in this classroom. We can't work. Jit SUMA.

NADAlli. KETE THIR RAG PRAI SFRIETER We are back in the evening, who is going to arrive this evening. Can I bring Mike Dimitris to the next Melwork as meeting? Of course. You know he is Greek, not Indian. Any working man is welcome at our meetings. Achachar, the l'll bring him.

What are you making? I am framing one of my wife's favourite pictures. A surprise. Zaheem, over here. Oh, can you come for dinner on Saturday? Why not? Are those how to endure my own cooking, right? Good. Margie, what? I'm busy. Could you give me some turban cloth for my doll? But it's a girl doll. Papa G said that girls wore turban's too and they fought in the forest. I'll see. Go get your brothers and get cleaned up. We have company coming. Why do you have to clean it, we have to get dressed for dinner.

We have to get dressed first. Wait, give me that ball. Will you call the children the latter, Rizad?

She doesn't exist. Yfe. Running. Gotcha. Run. Run. What's the matter with Rani's ear? There, Bani. Oh, Tanda Pani. Look, what I just happened to find in a little bird's nest on the way here. Go on. Little bird's nest on the way here. Go on. Little bird's nest on the way here. Go on. Little bird said that the sing-children deserved a little something extra today. The teeth would rot with all this American sugar.

Oh. Papi Ji. Forgive me. Come on, let's go in. I have something for you. The kooka martyrs. Who are these men? A devout branch of six called kookas. The resistor of the British and this is how they were executed. Try to cannons, the British are inspired. Come on. Where did you find this picture? My father's family comes from these people. I've always had this picture. The frame is beautiful. I'm glad you like it. This sag makes me think of the mustard fields back home.

I'd go out with my sister Noori and pick the fresh mustard for my mother to cook into sag. You're a fortunate man, Sing-ji. To have a wife and a family. You will have a family one day or two Shahid. Laws will have to change soon. Papaji. Yes, Putra. Why doesn't Shahid wear a turban? Because Shahid is a Muslim, not a Sikh. And his faith is alright to cut hair. But Shahid is an Indian. Yes, of course he is. It's just that he follows Allah. And we follow the teachings of Guru Nanak. He worships God in a different way. Does Allah have short hair?

I don't know, son. It's just that we as Sikhs keep our hair long. It's part of our identity or culture. Bang, Bang. Hey rag heads, can I borrow your rag to shine my shoes? Where's your colours? Rag hits, rag hits, rag hits, rag hands! I told you all of this before leave the sync kids alone. Go home. Are you all right? Go on home. No, no.

Papaji, I don't want to go to school. Fight them if you have to. But I want you to go to school. We've been waiting for you. Red hat, red hat, red hat. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. I leave. Go. I cross for you.

Do you know what I'm talking about? Danny, watch the class for a few minutes. Look at my son's disturbance. They ruined. Disgraced. They call my children names, make fights, ruin their clothes. Have they no respect for anyone?

Not for themselves. My husband works hard six days a week at your Hammond Lumbermill, and this is our reward to have our children tormented when they go to school. What are you going to do about it? I can't control people's reactions to Hindu children. Children will be children. That is not how we raise our children. Clean up. You're going to class today. They won't stop you from going to school. Kishan, you stay with your brother and sister today. Do you know what I'm going to do?

I'm going to do it. I'm going to be a teacher. Do you know what I'm going to do? You must not cut the hair, it is disgraceful and what about the girl, soon she would want to have short hair too, and not wear the headscarf as she gets older. Why would you want to wear the headscarf? So let them cut their hair.

We're in a new country, trying new things besides short hair is very comfortable. What does it matter in the end? You know who you are. You know you are a sick. Two hundred years ago we fought the mobile conquerors. The turbos identified us. How many mobile conquerors you see in the story of the... Seriously cool, the attacks have been going on for a few months. The children of four years. The turbos are a gift from our gurus. But God are you trying to please? Who's up there so important that we make our life miserable on this earth? You might as well make it tolerable for your family. A sick never cuts is here. If you give that up, you have started a process that will never end. How can they be good-six with hair that is cut?

Are you going to go to the principal's office every day? We are in America now. Did you expect to change nothing when we came here? I did not choose to come here. Yes. But you are here, as we all are, until we return. I want them to flourish, not just survive.

I wouldn't mind if you'd be strange, wouldn't it? Yeah, but it'd be easier. He looked like a Japanese boy, but would you still be a sick? Yeah. Just not perfect. Hey, Vaheguru, Sanumavkari.

If you don't want to go to the principal's office every day, you have to go to the principal's office every day. Let's go to the principal's office every day. Let's go to the principal's office every day. Let's go to the principal's office every day.

Let's go to the principal's office every day. Let's go to the principal's office every day. Let's go to the principal's office every day. Let's go to the principal's office every day.

The principal's office every day. The principal's office every day. Let's go to the principal's office every day. The principal's office every day.

The principal's office every day. The principal's office every day. The principal's office every day. Let's go to the principal's office every day.

Let's go to the principal's office every day. Let's go to the principal's office every day. Our parents never returned to India and we made our lives here in this country where we were born. Let's go to the principal's office every day.

Let's go to the principal's office every day. Let's go to the principal's office every day. The principal's office every day. The principal's office every day.

The principal's office every day. The principal's office every day. Thank you. Thank you.