November to be Sikh Awareness Month in California

YUBA CITY - In a historic gesture for the 250,000-strong Sikh community in California, the state assembly has passed a resolution declaring November as ‘California Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month.’

During the month, Sikh cultural and social events will be held to highlight their contribution to California since there arrival in the state more than a hundred years ago.

The resolution (ACR 181), which was moved by Assemblyman Dan Logue (Republican), was passed unanimously by the state assembly Sept 1, the Sikh community of Yuba City announced Saturday.

Yuba City, considered the first Punjabi village in North America, and its surrounding Sutter County areas are home to one of the largest concentration of the descendants of the first Indian immigrants into North America in the 1870-80s.

In fact, Yuba City’s current mayor is a Sikh - Kash Gill - who assumed office in November last year.

This is the first such resolution passed by the California assembly to recognize the contribution of any immigrant group in the state.

“Californians of Sikh heritage have made many great contributions to California and I think it is important for all Californians to recognize and appreciate the important role Sikh Americans have played in our state,” said Assemblyman Logue after the passage of the resolution. “The Yuba-Sutter area boasts one of the largest Sikh populations in the US., and they are truly a model community,” the assemblyman added. “California has now recognized our contribution. Thanks to our area Assemblyman Logue, ‘California Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month’ in November will go a long way towards promote awareness about the Sikh community. It is a big milestone for us,” Yuba City Sikh leader and prominent physician Jasbir Kang told IANS.

“When the assemblyman proposed the idea, we worked with him to formulate it. It is the best thing to happen to Yuba City Sikhs,” added Kang who has organized many fund-raisers for the slum dwellers in India. Famous for its annual Sikh Parade which attracts about 100,000 Sikhs from around the world, Yuba City has five gurdwaras, one Hindu temple and a mosque. There are about 15,000 Punjabis, including Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims, in this city of 65,000.

Punjabi is taught as a second language in the three major schools of the city.

(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)