Instagram sparks an instafix: The power of social media overcomes racial profiling

Waris Ahluwalia modeled H&M clothing for a billboard above the store in New York's Time Square.

THIS STORY couldn't have happened five years ago. With the increasing dominance of social media, you can get the world's attention in minutes. Almost as fast, you can start getting reactions.

Waris Ahluwalia is a model and actor. His face is up on a giant billboard in New York City's Times Square above the H&M store. The billboard is historic in that it was the first time Sikhs were featured in such a prominent ad and what is arguable the center of the America's public square. 

The first indication we knew something was amiss with Ahluwalia was his Instagram  saying that AeroMexico would to let him on their flight from Mexico City to New York City. Apparently, his turban and beard, both elements of his religion, was enough to bar him on the airline's plane even though restrictions were  put in place to catch radical Muslims.

“I was about to board, and they asked me to remove my turban,” Ahluwalia said, referring to the religious headgear typically worn by Sikh men. “That’s not something I’m willing to do in front of everyone. It’s like asking someone to remove their underwear in public.”

“I said that’s not going to happen,” he said. “Then another gentlemen came by and said that I would not be getting on any Aero Mexico flight.”
Then the international media caught whiff of the story, his friends in the entertainment industry joined the fray to support him and the airline's action became an international incident. 

The Sikh Coalition began a campaign protesting the treatment of Ahluwalia.

Finally, the snowball effect of the negative publicity pushed the airline to relent and realize the error of its ways. Ahluwalia was offered a ticket to New York City. But Ahluwalia refused the ticket until the airline apologized.

The airline posted on their website said that AeroMexico “recognizes and is proud of the diversity of its passengers,” the statement said. “Every day we work to ensure strict compliance with the highest safety standards, while we respect and value the culture and beliefs of our customers.”

“We apologize to Mr. Waris Ahluwalia for the bad experience he had with one of our security elements while boarding his flight to New York in the Mexico City International Airport. This case motivates us to ensure that security personnel strengthen its care protocols, always respecting the cultural and religious values ​​of customers.”

However, Ahluwalia's predicament can no longer be seen as an isolated event. Like so many Sikhs, Muslims and Arab Americans have been stopped and searched beyond airports' normal screening measures. The racial profiling that occurs is happening to other Asians as well with the increasing terrorist activities in Indonesia and the southern Philippines. 

Islamaphobia often extends to untrained passengers who simply feel uncomfortable with men who wear turbans and beards. Feeling uncomfortable is enough to get people escorted off of airplanes.

Four Muslim and Sikh men are currently suing American Airlines for allegedly removing them from a flight without cause in December, and in the same month, an influential Sikh commentator for MSNBC was asked to show passengers on a plane her breast pump to prove she wasn’t a terrorist.

Compliments to Aeromexico to see and admit their error but the profiling that is being done by airport personnel is happening all too often and proof that further training is needed. 

For more news about Asian/American &Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

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