After a white supremacist opened fire at a Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek in August, significant media resources have been devoted to describing, analyzing and attempting to explain the event. A few of the prominent themes have included buzzwords such as "unprecedented," "victimization" and "suffering" endured by Sikhs in America.

Although these buzzwords rightfully point to the challenges faced by Sikh Americans, they fail to aptly capture the spirit and attitude with which Sikhs have embraced such challenges throughout history.