In an apparent 'racial attack' in New York, a Sikh man was stabbed by three men, causing severe injuries in one of his eyes.

The incident occurred on Wednesday morning, when three men accosted Jasmir Singh and his friend in the Jackson Height section of Queens suburb of New York City. Jackson Height has a flourishing Indian market.

Singh, 21, who is being treated at a hospital, claimed the attackers singled him out because of his long hair and traditional Sikh beard.

"It was racial," Singh said, adding that his white friend was unharmed in the attack. "They were taunting me about my hair and beard," he was quoted as saying by Daliy News.

Singh said that they were accosted on the street by three men who demanded money. He and his friend ran into the nearby super market but were dragged out. He was stabbed in the eye, back and chest.

The police have arrested two teenagers and are looking for the third but are not investigating it as a hate crime, as they say no hate words were spoken during the incident.

The arrested teenagers have been booked on brutal assault and robbery charges.

Singh's family claimed that they have been repeatedly subjected to such attacks because of their looks and appearance.

"It keeps happening to my family. We both worked at Ground Zero on 9/11 and we voted for Obama [Images]. We hoped things would get better but it hasn't," Singh's father Jiwan Singh said.