South Queens, NY – On Sunday, Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-AD 38) gathered hundreds of members of the Sikh American community at the Baba Makhan Shah Lubana Sikh Center temple in South Richmond Hill, in the wake of recent hate crimes against the community. The Assemblywoman brought to the community New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who conducted a press conference and Q & A along with Assemblywoman Rajkumar.

The Assemblywoman organized the press conference after two recent hate crimes against the Sikh American community in October. Hate crimes against Sikhs increased by 140% in 2021 alone.

With a packed room of Sikh leaders, Assemblywoman Rajkumar and Mayor Adams charted a path forward with the Sikh community. They announced their plan for a citywide campaign to educate the public on the generosity, inclusivity, and bravery of the Sikh people, including how Sikhs are tasked to be the protectors of the vulnerable.

At the press conference, Mayor Eric Adams said, “We need to clearly educate people to what this community stands for and what you represent. You are not about terror: you are our protector…Assemblywoman Rajkumar has been clear and she has represented you in Albany and in the streets of the City. She is a partner with our law enforcement community and City Hall. You elected the first Punjabi woman and first South Asian woman to Albany, and she has lived up to the expectation.”

Below is a full transcript of Assemblywoman Rajkumar’s Sunday remarks:

Good afternoon to my Sikh family. I am your New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar. Let me start by saying my heart is broken. The recent crimes against the Sikh community were devastating. But, now it is time for us to get up and take action.

Allow me to re-introduce myself. It’s true that I am a daughter of the Punjab, a State of North India. My ancestors are from Amritsar, from the Old City of Patti. The region of Punjab is the heart of the Sikh Community. Like many Punjabi families across our Great Country, my family immigrated to the United States for the American Dream, settling in New York where I was born and raised. I am proud to now be the State Assemblywoman for the beautiful Queens neighborhood of Richmond Hill, known by many as Little Punjab. I am proud to say that the 38th Assembly District’s neighborhood of Richmond Hill is known as the Sikh Capital of the United States. Today I stand before you as a proud Punjabi. Most of all I stand before you as a proud American.

Let me tell you an American story. One day, a man named Martin Luther King, Jr. led thousands of protestors on a 50-mile march from Selma—and African Americans were granted their voting rights. One day, a suffragist named Alice Paul starved herself in an American prison, and American women were granted their right to vote. And today, over 500,000 Sikh Americans will come together across our nation, fight for our civil rights and demand, “Stop the hate. Stop the targeting of Sikh-Americans. And see the Sikhs for who we really are—the protectors of society, proud Americans with generous hearts.”

As the first and only Punjabi elected to state office, I am your fighter in the halls of government. Since I was a child, my uncle always told me, “The Sikhs are our protectors. The Sikhs are the protectors of society.” But now, we need to ask who is protecting the Sikhs? And the answer is us. We will protect the Sikhs. New York City Mayor Eric Adams and I are both here. You are here. For the first time, we are going to use the levers of government to end hate crimes against Sikh Americans. For the first time, we are going to come together and educate New York State, the United States and the entire world about who the Sikh people truly are so we are not attacked and misunderstood.

In 2021 alone, hate crimes against Sikh Americans across the country increased 140%. Sadly, Sikh-Americans are among our nation’s most targeted religious groups because of their distinct appearance, wearing turbans on their head. Recently, four Sikh Americans were fatally shot in the tragic mass shooting in Indianapolis. Last year, a 70-year-old Sikh man was assaulted in Queens. And now, the hateful incidents of last week.

Let me make it abundantly clear: Number One: The hateful targeting of Sikhs is not acceptable and any perpetrators who come after the Sikh people will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Number Two: We will join with Mayor Adams to tell the world who the Sikh people are. People misunderstand the Sikh culture. We will tell the world about langar, how the Sikh community feeds everyone of every faith every day. Every Sikh Temple welcomes people of any background, faith, income level, gender or race to come in every day for free, freshly made food. We will tell the world how Sikhs are required to defend and protect people of every faith, as if it were their own faith. We will tell the world about the Sikh practice of seva, selfless service. We will tell the world that Sikhism teaches that there is divinity in everyone of any faith, and that Sikhs believe in protecting the welfare of ALL of humanity.

This is not the first time I have been in this gurdwara speaking out against hate crimes against the Sikh Community. But it is the last time I want to be standing here talking about hate crimes. Starting right now, we are going to end the hateful targeting of Sikhs. You have me, the first Punjabi elected official. And we have Mayor Eric Adams who will give us a national platform. You have our full 500% commitment.

This is a dark time but it is just one moment in our journey. Just think, it was exactly 100 years ago, in 1923, that the United States Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Bhagat Singh, that Indians could not be citizens of this country. And now look at us 100 years later in 2023: Sikhs number over half a million across this country and are thriving in all fields.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been here with us many times for many years. He was here with us last year, when a Sikh man was assaulted at JFK Airport and also when a 70-year-old Sikh gentleman was attacked on the street in Richmond Hill. He was the first to reach out when he heard of last week’s hateful acts. He truly cares for the Sikh people from his heart, always elevating the Sikh faith in public. He is deeply committed to giving us a national platform. He is not only our leader, he is our hope. Mayor Adams please lift up our Sikh community. No one can lead like you. We are grateful for your help and your strong leadership.

On behalf of myself and the Sikh Community, we give you this gift kirpan to embolden you in the fight or our Sikh Community. All Sikhs are required to carry a kirpan. It symbolizes the Sikh commitment to fight for the defenseless and for those who cannot fight for themselves. And today, we gift you with one, as we thank you for fighting for us and for your protection. The sword is engraved with the words “To our protector New York City Mayor Eric Adams.”