By #IAMHINDUAMERICAN
Digital campaign to raise awareness of Hindu Americans’ contributions to society and clarify misperceptions about Hinduism; Hinduism takes center stage amid speculation about first Hindu American to run for president in 2020—Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Media Contact:
Margaret DeJesus
FINN Partners
646-741-0352
Margaret.DeJesus@finnpartners.com
New York, NY (December 4, 2018) —Today the Hindu American Foundation launched a new campaign – I Am Hindu American – to improve awareness of the Hindu religion and Hindu Americans. The multi-platform initiative includes a social-media campaign, a 30-second PSA (access through link below), and a companion website to provide valuable resources about Hinduism and Hindu Americans: www.IAmHinduAmerican.org.
In collaboration with more than 300 community partners around the country, the PSA is being distributed through social media networks nationwide to boost awareness and clarify common stereotypes and misunderstandings about Hinduism. The platform will be interactive, encouraging Hindu Americans to upload a photo of themselves and share how Hinduism inspires them in their everyday lives. There are many Hindu contributions to our daily lives: from yoga and meditation to the decimal system as well as an understanding of the law of cause and effect known as karma.
“The goal of the ‘I Am Hindu American’ campaign is to drive online conversation by putting a face on the Hindu American community. Despite the fact that Hindus are one of the most successful minority communities, knowledge about Hindus and Hinduism is very low among the US general public,” says Suhag Shukla, executive director and co-founder of the Hindu American Foundation. “Our own data shows that one in three Hindu-American students report being bullied for their religious beliefs. Most of this is based on misperceptions about Hindus and we want to change that narrative.”
I am grateful to be a part of this initiative featuring the stories of Americans across the country who are sharing how their Hindu faith inspires them in their everyday lives,” says Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii).
Another goal of the “I Am Hindu American” campaign is to educate about Hinduism during a period where the country has seen a rise in religious intolerance. Hate crime incidents reported to the FBI increased by about 17% last year compared to 2016 according to statistics released earlier this month by the FBI.
Read the rest @ https://www.hinduamerican.org/press/hindu-american-foundation-announces-launch-i-am-hindu-american-campaign
