After fatal crash, Sikh truck drivers in the US fear blowback

BBC:

The trucks keep rolling on Highway 99 in California, the route bustling with freight traffic through the Central Valley. And behind the wheel is often a turbaned Sikh man, their cabs adorned with religious symbols, portraits of Sikh Gurus, or posters of Punjabi singers.

Sikhs, a religious minority group from India, have become a large part of America’s trucking industry, helping to deliver everything from California strawberries to lumber across the country.

But a crash in Florida and its aftermath have sent shivers through the Sikh trucking community that could have economic consequences.

There are approximately 750,000 Sikhs in America, and about 150,000 working in the trucking industry, mostly as drivers. The role they play in this essential industry is evident from the names on their trucks’ doors – Singh Trucking, Punjab Trucking – to the curry served at rest stops along the west coast, where approximately 40% of all truck drivers are Sikh, according to the North American Punjabi Trucking Association.

Many have limited English skills but years of driving experience.

This has put some drivers in a precarious position, as the Trump administration has moved to tighten language requirements for commercial drivers. In response, many Sikh temples are offering language classes to help drivers pass their language tests.

“Many drivers stayed home out of fear of the new laws. We started the class in mid-July, to help them return to work,” said Tejpaul Singh Bainiwal, who volunteers with a Sikh temple in Stockton, California.

At an English class at the temple on Sunday, several drivers practised introductions and reviewed highway signs and regulatory signs. Many drivers felt shy about speaking but were motivated.

Narinder Singh, a 51-year-old driver who has been working in America for eight years, says he’s taking classes at the temple in Stockton because he thinks it’s important to try to be a good citizen, and comply with the law.

“Sometimes an individual’s actions may cost the entire community,” he said, referencing a fatal crash on the other side of the country that has shone a harsh spotlight on Sikh drivers in California.