Street Roots • June 29-July 5, 2018
Five years ago Vishavjit Singh, above, took on the persona o f Captain America. Singh has applied this hum or to fam ous images and icons,
including superheroes from the Golden Age o f comic books.
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Sikh Captain America
With his creations, cartoonist Vishavjit Singh throws a
mighty shield at the hate and prejudice he’s experienced
BY LISA EDGE
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R
n the first floor of Wing Luke
Museum in the International District
of Seattle, several cartoons of people
wearing turbans accompanied by succinct
statements are on display. They’re the
' creations of Vishavjit Singh, a Sikh man
who is sharing his story through colorful,
witty and sometimes sarcastic cartoons.
“We Are From Here” shows a Sikh
woman and man donning turbans while
standing side by side. The man is holding a
pitchfork in his hand. It’s a nod to Grant
Wood’s iconic “American Gothic” painting.
[t was painted in 1930 and is an example of
regionalism, representing two people living
tn Iowa. In Singh’s cartoon there s no farm
house or trees in the background. There s a
word bubble above them that states: “We
are from freaking right here. Next
question!”
“People in turbans and beards are just
like you. They love humor, said Singh. I
want people to question their propensity to
use stereotypes, to have stereotypes of
O
other people.”
Singh has applied this humor to famous
images and icons, including superheroes
from the Golden Age of comic books.
In his cartoons, Singh often addresses
what he calls “turbanphobia,” the irrational
fear of those who wear them. “What’s
Under the Turban” shows a smiling man
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Culture
dynamic as to why those groups direct
with glasses and a beard, captioned: “It’s
derisive comments his way.
called a turban, underneath is a 3-pound
“I’ve come to realize everybody has
explosive device known as the brain.”
prejudices, everybody stereotypes, has
Singh is well acquainted with dealing
stereotypes,” said Singh. “We’re prone to
with people’s negative attitudes toward
engage in simple narratives but life is very
him. Because of the way he looks - a
complicated, human beings are very
bearded Indian man who wears a turban -
complicated, individuals are very
he’s mistaken for a Muslim and seen as
complicated.”
someone who doesn’t belong.
Rather than label those who label him,
Sikhism is an independent faith that
Singh hopes they learn a lesson instead. As
originated in the Punjab region. It is the
upsetting as they are, he’s chosen to not let
world’s fifth-largest religion, and Sikhs have
those experiences turn him into a jaded
been in the U.S. for more than 125 years,
person.
according to the Sikh American Defense
Singh was born in Washington, D.C., and
Fund.
spent most of his childhood in India. His
The reaction to his appearance changed
family survived the 1984 Sikh Massacre
dramatically after the events of September
that left thousands dead. After high school
11, 2001. Brown men wearing turbans
he moved back to the states to attend
became closely associated with terrorism
and came to symbolize the ultimate “other.” college in California. He removed his
turban and cut his hair short. During those
He said Americans have a limited tolerance
years he was often mistaken as hispanic.
for turbans unless they are in a Disney
Exploring Eastern philosophy led him back
movie or caricatures in entertainment.
to embracing his Sikh identity.
Singh lives in New York City and has
Singh said an interactive cartoon by
been the target of verbal abuse. After a
Mark Fiore titled “Find the Terrorist”
quick assessment, he’ll either ignore the
published in October 2001 led him to
insults or confront those attacking him.
cartooning and back to his love for drawing.
Singh will ask them outright if they think
He connected with Fiore’s piece because it
he’s Osama bin Laden or a terrorist. Often,
captured his predicament and combated
they’ll back away from their insults and
hatred through humor. The deadly attack
apologize. One might expect the people
on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin in 2012 also
directing derogatory comments his way to
had a profound effect on Singh. He decided
be white; Singh said that’s not always the
the world needed a superhero who fights
case. It often comes from black and
the bigotry and hate in our midst.
hispanic men. It’s a layered and complex
Five years ago Singh took on the persona
of Captain America. The tall, intelligent and
athletically gifted superhero is a one-man
army defending freedom and liberty. Even if
one is unacquainted with the super soldier’s
abilities, his red, white and blue costume
alone signals his unrivaled patriotism.
Captain America was created by Joe
Simon and Jack Kirby for Timely Comics
(later Marvel) and is known for the
infamous first issue in 1941 in which he
punches Adolf Hitler square in the face.
Many Marvel characters other than
Steve Rogers have donned the suit and
wielded the shield, each bringing their own
personality to the icon. Singh’s Captain is
the perfect pairing in his fight against
bigotry. He initially created a poster
showing Captain America in a beard and
turban for New York Comic Con. A year
later a photographer convinced him to bring
the cartoon to life by donning it himself,
vibranium shield and all.
Since then he’s brought his message to
thousands of people on the streets of New
York, at comic cons and at the 2016
Republican National Convention in
Cleveland. His message is strong but not as
violent as how Steve Rogers takes down
Red Skull, Captain America’s most
infamous nemesis. In one of the photos on
display in the exhibition, Sikh Captain
America stands in front of a line of police
officers. He’s holding a sign with the
phrase: “Let’s kick some intolerant ass with
compassion.”
The popularity of Sikh Captain America
has given him th e opportunity to leave his
career as a software engineer and become a
full-time artist. You can hear the
enthusiasm in his voice when he talks about
the storytelling sessions he holds at
diversity conferences, corporations and
schools from elementary to the college
level.
“I share my story through cartoons, then
I connect it to broader issues of race,
identity, bullying, diversity, vulnerability,
prejudices,” said Singh. “I mix up all those
things that little ones can connect to, adults
can connect to.”
When talking to students he’ll ask them
to share the first words to come to mind
when they see him. For elementary school
kids it’s “turban or that thing on your
head,” “I like your shoes and you’re skinny.”
By middle school the response to where
they think he’s from is usually outside of
the U.S. He uses the misperceptions as a
teaching opportunity.
“I make the point that we all fall into this
trap of labeling and stereotyping each other
although we know we should not but we do
it anyways because that’s how our brains
are wired,” said Singh. “How we culturally
kind of learn a lot of these kinds of things.”
He also holds cartoon workshops and
encourages the kids to express themselves
through art.
In addition to writing about his
experiences for various publications and
cartooning, the next big project for Singh is
an autobiographical graphic novel. Given his
ability to share frustrating experiences in a
straightforward, inviting way, it should
come as no surprise that Singh describes
himself as a hopeful person. He’s also
confident there are better days ahead of us.
Courtesy o f Street Roots’ sister paper Real
C h a n g e / INSP.ngo