Condemning hate crimes and calling for peace and justice, hundreds of New Yorkers took to the streets of Jackson Heights for an evening candlelight vigil on August 19th.

The Vigil Against Violence, organized by Queens-based New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), was held in response to the racially biased attack on Woodside Sikh resident Surinder Singh and his family earlier this month. Singh appealed to the crowd to stay calm in the face of ignorance and senseless violence. "We all have the right to live here in dignity and peace,” the turban-clad cab driver said.

Singh, his wife and a cousin, all victims of the crime, immigrated from India ten years ago. On the night of August 3, three white men, apparently drunk, drove up in a livery cab in front of their home and started screaming at them. "Bin Laden family, go back to your country," the men said. They began beating up the family after Singh had tried reasoning with the perpetrators. The men fled after Greg Hodge, a local pizza delivery man and some neighbors came running to rescue the family.

The vigil called for prompt justice to this and other post-9/11 bias crimes against the city's new immigrants and was attended by nearly fifty immigrant rights, peace and justice groups.

"We are here in defense of American values," said Inderjit Singh, a member of the Sikh community and a Richmond Hill City Council candidate. "This kind of crime shames a great city like New York that is proud to be a city of immigrants."

Some speakers had harsh words for policies the Bush Administration has enacted since the September 11 terrorist attacks. Udi Ofer, of the New York Civil Liberties Union, blamed the federal government for the "climate of fear and mistrust" that he thought stemmed out of measures such as the special registration. Joel Levy, director U.S. Patriot Act Anti-Defamation League's New York office demanded an end to all discriminatory policies and practices.

Other activists were equally emphatic. "Stop all forms of racism and violence on the poor immigrants," Shahenshah Begum of Workers' Awaaz said. "We immigrants came to this country not to beg," she said. "We're here from countries with rich histories and traditions. We demand respect."

Zahid Ali of Immigrant Worker Freedom Rights reminded people that most Americans came here as immigrants. He had strong words for the perpetrators of bias attacks.

"They have forgotten where their parents have come from and forgotten where they come from," he said.

Tuesday evening's vigil was attended by a number of politicians. Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Democratic State Senator John Sabini, New York Assembly Members Catherine Nolan and Jose Peralta, City Council Members Eric Gioia, John Liu, Hiram Monserrate, David Weprin and Sayu Bhojwani, Mayor Bloomberg's Immigrant Affairs Commissioner, all spoke at the Hart park. Bhojwani, an immigrant from South Asia, said she felt "sad that these hate crimes are happening in Queens" which she considered her "own neighborhood."

NICE has planned for a September 16 town hall meeting in Jackson Heights. The umbrella organization calls for help and cooperation from all advocacy, rights and justice organizations and asks them to be a part of the immigrant-led meeting.