Cartoonist Vishavjit Singh is a Sikh, a member of a relatively small religious group known for appearing in public in turbans. The turban is more than a fashion statement for a Sikh—it’s a religious observance. So when he recently cosplayed as Captain America, it was quite an experience for many reasons:
I have been skinny all my life, and I felt a stirring of anxiety to be so exposed. Family and friends have pointed out my thin-ness for years, and the self-consciousness has sunk deep into my psyche. Before I could even confront the political statement of my costume, I had to confront my own inhibitions and body image. But I took a deep breath, and kept walking.
Singh went out on Puerto Rican Pride day and has many encounters:
As we posed for a picture with one kid, he stuck his middle finger right in my face.
“So you are flipping off Captain America?” I admonished him.
He got red-faced, apologized and struck a smile instead. We carried on undeterred, and the overall crowd reaction was positive and friendly.
Negative reactions were exceptions, as Singh found himself a celebrity for a day. Read the whole story, which is actually very sweet.
Singh’s cartoons can be found at Sikhtoons.com. They are pretty, um, basic, but hey, Vishavjit Singh, the Sikh cartoonist.
my wife is sikh and i’ve got to day this pic made my day. kind of sweet and provocative at the dame time. wonder if he had a kirpan (sikh dagger) on display as as well?
It’s a nice sentiment, and a brave one as well. Not to sour things, but there is the context that after the 9-11 attacks many sikh communities faced violence from ignorant Americans who linked them with Islamic extremists. You know, despite the fact that they’re not even Muslim. A few days after the attacks one was even shot dead by a crazy asshole in Arizona. Sadly such ignorance has not disappeared.
So good for Singh for taking a brave stand and shouting out his love for this country, shouting out against such ignorance with some true patriotism. That really is a beautiful article.
Costume is real, but the photos aren’t. The shield isn’t even real.
He actually wore the costume and took photos of himself wearing it, but he didn’t walk around New York while wearing it. He just photoshopped himself, and the shield for that matter, into several photos which I assume he took while strolling around central park.
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