Jean Gerber has written an op-ed in which she states, "Recently a Sikh teenager in Vancouver alleged he was set upon by a gang of whites and had his turban removed and his hair cut. As it turned out, he cut his hair himself. Community leaders called for his prosecution. It seems to me this event called for compassion, not prosecution. This community, too, struggles with modernity, a new life in a new world, and the overpowering issue of group survival."

"This all sounds so familiar to communities, including ours, that try to survive with traditions and heritage intact while meeting the demands of daily life in a larger world. We all try to give our children and grandchildren the essence of our heritage, customs and community – the beliefs that hold us together. And we all struggle with the outcomes when we fail, or seem to fail."

"I wish that communities seeking to live in two worlds would sooner recognize the signs of distress in their young, so that before the explosions of anger, rebellion and grief, there would be ways to bridge the gap between father and son, mother and child. I wish that compassion could replace shame, understanding replace anger, and that we could celebrate our children and the lives they choose to live."