Meet Mikey Hothi California’s First Sikh Mayor

BY ZOFEEN MAQSOOD

Hothi took out time from his busy schedule as a newly elected mayor to speak to Hi India about trying to bring a change and being a Sikh in America.

California councilman Mikey Hothi created history when he was selected to become the mayor of Lodi – a city in Central California. With this, a young Hothi has become the first-ever Sikh mayor in the history of California. A rather impressive feat for the community which despite its contributions to America has often been victim of hate crimes and ignorance about their faith.

A Lodi native, Hothi who grew up and went to school in the city has seen the place transform over the years. From a small city with little or no diversity to a place which elected Golden States’ first Sikh mayor – it has come a long way. Hothi took out some time from his busy schedule as a newly elected mayor to speak to Hi India about trying to bring a change and being a Sikh in America.

Tell us in detail about your family background. When did your parents come to the US, your growing up years etc.

My parents immigrated to the US from Punjab, India in the early 1980s. They settled in the San Joaquin Valley due to family ties and began working as laborers at local farms. We grew up with very modest means but my parents prioritized education at an early age and I always had what I needed to succeed academically.

You have been involved with the community from a very young age. Was there any reason or a motivation to be a part of the community you grew up in?

Sikhs in the US experienced very challenging times, especially after 9/11. My family faced harassment due to this as well and that emboldened me to want to become more involved and active to fight back against discrimination.

As the first Sikh mayor in California how significant is the win for you and for the Sikh American community that has often been the target of racist attacks in the country

I’m very proud of my background but also proud to represent a diverse region with a rich agricultural history. Sikh have had a long history in politics. The 1st Asian US Congressman was a Sikh by the name of Dalip Singh Saund. I’m very proud to represent the Sikh community and all of our diverse communities that we have here in California.

You have mentioned that growing up as a Sikh in post 9/11 America was a challenging experience. Did you as a kid back then experience the backlash first hand?

After 9/11 I experienced a lot of hatred from kids in school. Lodi was much less diverse at the time and there were instances where I was spat on, called an Arab, etc. These experiences very much shaped my trajectory. As a result, I made it a point to highlight the Sikh community. I worked in the California State Legislature for almost a decade and organized Sikh awareness and appreciation events. I worked on a bill to recognize November as Sikh Awareness & Appreciation Month in California, hosted Langars on the Hill at the Capitol where guests ate Punjabi food and learned about Sikhi, and prioritized hiring Sikh staff and interns to increase our presence and awareness in the political arena.

Do you feel more young South Asians, immigrants of color are now getting involved in American politics. Has the political scene become more receptive now or do you feel that the young men and women are more confident now as opposed to their parents to venture into fields that they didn’t think would welcome them

Sikhs are now involved in politics throughout the region. I’ve witnessed and supported a number of Sikh candidates for local office. The California Legislature just elected its first Sikh Assemblywoman. Things are trending in the right direction.

After 9/11 the Sikh community really came forward and coalitions were formed to create awareness yet every now and then we keep hearing about hate crimes. In fact New York had a spate of hate crimes in the recent past, some against elderly. What would you say the community should do to combat it?

We have to continue and bring awareness to these issues of discrimination and violence against Sikhs. For Sikh children being bullied at school I recommend training martial arts and learning how to defend yourself. For the larger community I ask that we keep an eye out for each other. The hatred fueling these attacks won’t be rooted out by Sikhs alone. It takes a community wide effort. It takes education, it takes confronting hatred whenever it’s encountered, it takes reporting issues to law enforcement etc.