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Sikhism in the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American Sikhs
A gurdwara in Evergreen, San Jose, California.
Total population
~280,000–500,000
0.08% of the total American population (2020 est.)
Languages
American English • Punjabi and its dialects
American Spanish • Indian English • Hindi • Urdu • Sindhi
Related ethnic groups

American Sikhs form the country's sixth-largest religious group.[1] While the U.S. Census does not ask about religion,[2] 70,697 Americans (or 0.02% of the total population) declared Sikh as their ethnicity in the 2020 census.[3] The U.S. Census Bureau cites the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey's estimate of the adult Sikh American population at 78,000.[4] The Pew Research Center estimated the Sikh American adult population to be 140,000 and the total population at 200,000 in 2012 while the World Religion Database at Boston University estimated the American Sikh population to be at 280,000 in 2012.[4][5] Sikh organizations like the Sikh Coalition and American Sikh Congressional Caucus estimate the Sikh American population to be as high as 1,000,000, but do not provide any sources for these figures;[6][7][5] 500,000 nevertheless remains the most cited Sikh American population size.[8][15] With 1% of Asian Americans being Sikh, and 90.7% of Sikh Americans being Asian American, the American Sikh population can be estimated at around 200,000–300,000 in 2021.[16][17][18] The largest Sikh populations in the U.S. are found in California (52%), New York (11%), and Washington (6%).[19]

Sikhism is a religion, originating from medieval India (predominantly from the Punjab region of modern-day India and Pakistan) which was introduced into the United States during the 19th century. While most American Sikhs are Punjabi, the United States also has a number of non-Punjabi converts to Sikhism.[20] Sikh men are typically identifiable by their unshorn beards and turbans (head coverings), articles of their faith. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and subsequent other terrorism related activities by Islamic groups, Sikhs have often been mistaken as Muslims or Arabs, and have been subject to several hate crimes, including murders.[21][22] Sikh temples have also been targets of violence due to being mistaken for mosques. A 2012 shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin garnered national and international attention, with then President Obama ordering flags to be half-staffed at all federal buildings.

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History

[edit]

First immigrants

[edit]
The Stockton gurdwara, the oldest in the U.S., opened on October 24, 1912.[23]

Sikhs have lived in the United States for more than 130 years. The first Sikh immigrants to the United States started to arrive in the second half of the 19th century, when poor economic conditions in British India drove many Indians to emigrate elsewhere. Most Sikh immigrants to the United States came from the province of Punjab and came to the U.S. to work on agricultural farms in California, travelling via Hong Kong to Angel Island.[24]

In the years just after 1900, hundreds of Sikhs had arrived to work in the lumber mills of Bellingham, Washington. In 1907, 400–500 white men, predominantly members of the Asiatic Exclusion League, attacked the Sikhs' homes in what is now known as the Bellingham riots. This quickly drove the East Indian immigrants out of the town.[25][26][27]

Some Sikhs worked in lumber mills of Oregon or in railroad construction and for some Sikhs it was on a railway line, which allowed other Sikhs who were working as migrant laborers to come into the town on festival days.[28][unreliable source?]

A big effect on Sikh migration to the western states occurred during World War I and World War II, where Sikhs were recruited by the British Indian Army to serve for them. Sikhs fought bravely during these wars and began to live in England after their serving period. Among the Sikhs who already lived in America prior to the wars, many Sikhs joined them, mainly during World Wars I and II. Among those who served in the US military include Bhagat Singh Thind in World War I.

The first Sikh gurdwara established in the U.S. was the Gurdwara Sahib Stockton, in Stockton, California, which was established in 1912 by Wasakha Singh Dadehar and Jawala Singh.[29]

21st century

[edit]

Rising hate

[edit]
Sikhs of America parade float at the 2016 Martin Luther King Day parade in Midtown Houston
Houston Sikh Community at the 2016 Martin Luther King Day parade in Midtown Houston

As a result of the September 11 attacks, some Sikh Americans have become subject to discrimination, often from individuals who mistakenly believe that they are Arab or Muslim.

Balbir Singh Sodhi, a gas station owner, was killed on September 15, 2001, due to being mistaken for a Muslim. In a 2011 report to the United States Senate, the Southern Poverty Law Center reported several assaults and incidents of arson at Sikh temples after September 11. All were labeled as hate crimes that resulted from the perpetrators' misconceptions that their targets were Muslim.[30] In August 2012, a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, was the site of a shooting, leading to six Sikh individuals being killed.[31] On May 7, 2013, an elderly Sikh man was attacked with an iron bar in Fresno, California, in a possible hate crime.[32] On September 21, 2013, Prabhjot Singh, a Sikh professor was attacked in Harlem, New York, by a group of 20-30 men who branded him as "Osama bin Laden" and Terrorist".[33]

A 2007 survey of Sikh students by the Sikh Coalition found that three out of four male students interviewed "had been teased or harassed on account of their religious identity."[34] In 2014, the Sikh Coalition released a national report on the bullying of Sikh children in American schools. The report found that 55.8% of Sikh students surveyed in Indianapolis reported being bullied, while 54.5% of Sikh students surveyed in Fresno, California, reported being bullied.[35] According to the surveys, Sikh students wearing turbans are twice as likely to be bullied as the average American child.

In 2011, two Sikh American grandfathers were killed while out for a morning walk in Elk Grove, California.[36] This led to a national public outcry by the community, raising safety concerns for the city's 3,000 Sikh community members.[37] The city completed the "Singh and Kaur Park" in 2021 to commemorate the lives of the slain men, and to raise awareness about the Sikh faith.[38]

Historic firsts

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In 2019, the United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution recognizing the importance of Sikh history, and contributions to American society. [39] In the same year, Snatam Kaur became the first Sikh American nominated for a Grammy Award with her album Beloved.

In 2009, Kash Gill made history as one of the first Indian mayors and the first Sikh to be elected mayor in the United States when he took office in Yuba City.[40] Additionally, the Charlottesville City Council (Virginia) appointed councilmember Satyendra Huja to the position of mayor in 2012, becoming the first turban-wearing Sikh to hold the position.[41] In 2020, Elk Grove elected Bobbie Allen-Singh as its new mayor, making her the first Sikh woman to hold the position of mayor in an American city.[42]

Converts

[edit]

In the 1960s, due to increased Indian immigration and rising interest in Indian spirituality in the American counterculture, a number of non-Punjabi Americans began to enter 3HO. Prominent in this trend was Yogi Bhajan, leader of the Sikh-related movement 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization), whose Los Angeles temple was the first to introduce non-Punjabi Americans to Sikhism.[20]

Demography

[edit]

Generation status

[edit]

Most American Sikhs are immigrants.

Sikh American generation status (2020)
Generation status 2020[43]
Pop. %
First generation 163,992 58.5%
Second generation 100,638 35.9%
Third generation or more 15,979 5.7%
Total 280,329 0.08%

Occupations

[edit]

Bhagat Singh Thind v. United States

[edit]
A gathering of British veterans who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War; a Sikh is present among them (c. 1917)
A Sikh-American U.S. Army officer (2010)
Main article: Sikhism in the United States military

Sikhs have served in the United States military at least as far back as the early 20th century, when one Bhagat Singh Thind, who though not a citizen joined the United States Army and served in World War I. Thind requested citizenship at the end of the war, being granted and revoked twice, before finally being naturalized in 1936.[44] Far larger numbers of Sikhs served in World War II, and all American wars following.

The ability of observant Sikhs to serve in the American military has, since 1985, been compromised by a discontinuation of exemptions to uniform standards which previously allowed Sikhs to maintain their religiously mandated beards and turbans while in uniform.[45] As of 2010, a Sikh doctor, Kamaljeet S. Kalsi, and dentist, Tejdeep Singh Rattan, are the only Sikh officers to be permitted to serve in uniform with beard and turban.[46] In addition, Simranpreet Lamba was permitted to enlist, with exemption to wear his turban and beard, in 2010 due to his knowledge of Punjabi and Hindi.[47]

Military

[edit]

In the federal appeals court in Washington, a preliminary injunction allowed two Sikh men to enter the military recruit training wearing a turban as it was considered an article of religion. The military recruits Milaap Singh Chahal and Jaskirat Singh sued the Marine Corps in April 2022 due to violation of the first amendment which allows the freedom of religion. The branch that they were a part of declined full religious exemption.[48]

Policing

[edit]

In 2016, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) began to allow turbans, subject to standards compatible with unimpeded performance of duty.[49] In 2015, Sandeep Dhaliwal became the first Deputy Sheriff in Texas to wear a turban on duty (Harris County Sherriff’s Office). He was shot and killed from behind in 2019 while conducting a routine traffic stop on the Copperbrook subdivision in Houston Texas.[50]

In 2019, the Houston Police Department changed their rules to allow beards and turbans, joining 25 other law enforcement agencies.[51]

Professionals

[edit]

Many Sikhs started life in America working in lumber mills, mines, and as farm laborers, with many eventually becoming landowners. Many early Sikh immigrants were restaurant owners. In 1956, Dalip Singh Saund became the first Asian Indian-born person to be elected to the United States House of Representatives.

Today, many Sikhs are well represented in white-collar positions such as lawyers, doctors, engineers, accountants, and businesspeople. They are considered to be a successful ethnic group in line with most of the Indian community. The community has a higher level of education, as over 53% have received a bachelor's degree compared to 40% of the general population. This is also reflected in terms of income as over 75% of the community earns over $50,000 and over two-thirds of the population have incomes over $100,000.[52][17]

Elected officials

[edit]
  • Dalip Singh Saund served three terms in the United States House of Representatives between 1957 and 1963. He was the first Asian American and the first person of a non-Abrahamic faith to serve in Congress.
  • Preet Didbal was elected to the position of mayor of Yuba City, California in 2017. She is the first Sikh woman to serve as a city mayor in United States history.[53]
  • Balvir Singh was elected to the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders, New Jersey on November 7, 2017. He became the first Asian-American to win a countywide election in Burlington County and the first Sikh-American to win a countywide election in New Jersey.[54]
  • City planner Satyendra Huja was elected mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia in January 2012.[55]
  • Amarjit Singh Buttar was elected in December 2001 to the Vernon, Connecticut Board of Education and won re-election in 2011.[56]
  • Ravinder Bhalla was elected mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey in November 2017. He is also the first Sikh mayor to wear a turban.
  • Satwinder Kaur became the first Sikh elected to the City Council of Kent, Washington in November 2017.
  • Manka Dhingra of Washington became the first Sikh woman elected to a state legislature in November 2017.[57]
  • Pargat S. Sandhu was elected as mayor of Galt, California on Dec 3, 2019. He became the first Sikh to be elected for City Council and Mayor for the city of Galt.
  • In November 2020, California's Sutter County and Stanislaus County became the first two America to elect turbaned Sikh supervisors (Karm Bains and Mani Grewal, respectively).[58][59]

Geographical distribution

[edit]
Main article: Punjabi Americans § Geographical distribution
Members of the Sikh community of Somerville, Massachusetts

Over half of American Sikhs live in California. Most of California's Sikh population live in NorCal, especially in the Central Valley and the Bay Area. The nation's largest Sikh population is in California's Central Valley, where Punjabi is the third most spoken language after only English and Spanish.[60] Sikhs can found across the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, but the largest concentrations can be found in the valley's largest cities (Sacramento in the Sacramento Valley and Stockton, Fresno, and Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley), and in smaller communities associated with the farming of almonds, peaches, walnuts, and plums. There are also significant concentrations of Sikh Americans in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and in the Bay Area near San Jose, California and Fremont, California.

In the Sacramento Valley, Yuba City and Live Oak have prominent Sikh populations, with the first Sikh arriving in Yuba City in 1906.[61] In 2020, Yuba City was home to around 10,000 Sikhs (~15% of the city's population), while Live Oak was home to around 700 Sikhs (~8% of the city's population), with most of these being Sikhs.[64] Sutter County, California as a whole is home to around 11,000 Sikhs (~11% of the county population); this makes Sutter County the most proportionally Sikh county in America.[64] Down south in the San Joaquin Valley, Livingston is home to around 2,500 Sikhs (~17% of the city's population); Livingston is the most proportionally Sikh municipality in America.[64]

The New York metropolitan area also has a significant Sikh American presence. Around 19,000 Sikhs live in New York City, with around 18,000 in Queens.[64] The Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens is often referred to as "Little Punjab" due to its large Punjabi population. In 2020, the stretch of 101st Avenue between 111th and 123rd streets in Richmond Hill was renamed Punjab Avenue (ਪੰਜਾਬ ਐਵੇਨਿਊ) and the stretch of 97th Avenue between Lefferts Boulevard and 117th Street was renamed Gurdwara Street.[65][66] Outside of the city, the suburbs of Hicksville in Long Island and Carteret in Central Jersey have significant Punjabi populations. In 2020, Carteret was home to around 3,000 Sikhs (~12% of the borough's population) while Hicksville was home to around 2,000 (~5% of the hamlet's population).[64]

Outside of California and the New York metropolitan area, there are significant populations of Punjabi Sikhs in Washington, Indiana, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and North Carolina. There is also a concentration of non-Punjabi converts to Sikhism in Española, New Mexico.[67]

States and territories

[edit]
Sikh Americans by state or territory (2020)[19][62][63]
State or territory Sikh alone Sikh alone or in
any combination 		Total Sikh population
(derived estimate)[68]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Alabama Alabama 29 0% 41 0% 163 0%
Alaska Alaska 3 0% 4 0% 16 0%
Arizona Arizona 403 0.01% 549 0.01% 2,177 0.03%
Arkansas Arkansas 22 0% 46 0% 182 0.01%
California California 25,037 0.06% 36,975 0.09% 146,614 0.37%
Colorado Colorado 223 0% 334 0.01% 1,324 0.02%
Connecticut Connecticut 260 0.01% 359 0.01% 1,424 0.04%
Delaware Delaware 69 0.01% 88 0.01% 349 0.04%
Washington, D.C. District of Columbia 7 0% 19 0% 75 0.01%
Florida Florida 421 0% 595 0% 2,359 0.01%
Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia 390 0% 548 0.01% 2,173 0.02%
Hawaii Hawaii N/A N/A 0 0% 0 0%
Idaho Idaho 8 0% 11 0% 44 0%
Illinois Illinois 840 0.01% 1,283 0.01% 5,087 0.04%
Indiana Indiana 1,283 0.02% 1,718 0.03% 6,812 0.1%
Iowa Iowa 33 0% 61 0% 242 0.01%
Kansas Kansas 99 0% 174 0.01% 690 0.02%
Kentucky Kentucky 25 0% 46 0% 182 0%
Louisiana Louisiana 56 0% 86 0% 341 0.01%
Maine Maine N/A N/A 23 0% 91 0.01%
Maryland Maryland 734 0.01% 1,012 0.02% 4,013 0.06%
Massachusetts Massachusetts 452 0.01% 600 0.01% 2,379 0.03%
Michigan Michigan 981 0.01% 1,465 0.01% 5,809 0.06%
Minnesota Minnesota 74 0% 115 0% 456 0.01%
Mississippi Mississippi 77 0% 116 0% 460 0.02%
Missouri Missouri 75 0% 131 0% 519 0.01%
Montana Montana 0 0% 4 0% 16 0%
Nebraska Nebraska 4 0% 7 0% 28 0%
Nevada Nevada 147 0% 282 0.01% 1,118 0.04%
New Hampshire New Hampshire 14 0% 36 0% 143 0.01%
New Jersey New Jersey 2,715 0.03% 3,888 0.04% 15,417 0.17%
New Mexico New Mexico 18 0% 37 0% 147 0.01%
New York (state) New York 5,587 0.03% 7,943 0.04% 31,496 0.16%
North Carolina North Carolina 206 0% 361 0% 1,431 0.01%
North Dakota North Dakota N/A N/A 0 0% 0 0%
Ohio Ohio 569 0% 887 0.01% 3,517 0.03%
Oklahoma Oklahoma 42 0% 48 0% 190 0%
Oregon Oregon 204 0% 285 0.01% 1,130 0.03%
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 759 0.01% 1,098 0.01% 4,354 0.03%
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico N/A N/A 0 0% 0 0%
Rhode Island Rhode Island N/A N/A 3 0% 12 0%
South Carolina South Carolina 42 0% 97 0% 385 0.01%
South Dakota South Dakota 0 0% 1 0% 4 0%
Tennessee Tennessee 48 0% 73 0% 289 0%
Texas Texas 1,918 0.01% 2,718 0.01% 10,777 0.04%
Utah Utah 62 0% 92 0% 365 0.01%
Vermont Vermont 3 0% 3 0% 12 0%
Virginia Virginia 1,157 0.01% 1,713 0.02% 6,792 0.08%
Washington (state) Washington 3,002 0.04% 4,367 0.06% 17,316 0.22%
West Virginia West Virginia 6 0% 7 0% 28 0%
Wisconsin Wisconsin 185 0% 356 0.01% 1,412 0.02%
Wyoming Wyoming N/A N/A 3 0% 12 0%
United States United States 48,321 0.01% 70,697 0.02% 280,329 0.08%

Counties

[edit]
Sikh Americans by county (2020)[19][62][63]
County State Sikh alone Sikh alone or in
any combination 		Total Sikh population
(derived estimate)[69]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Fresno California California 3,603 0.36% 5,297 0.53% 21,004 2.08%
Queens New York (state) New York 3,110 0.13% 4,456 0.19% 17,669 0.73%
San Joaquin California California 2,758 0.35% 4,026 0.52% 15,964 2.05%
Sacramento California California 2,595 0.16% 4,015 0.25% 15,920 1%
Alameda California California 2,582 0.15% 3,689 0.22% 14,628 0.87%
Santa Clara California California 2,200 0.11% 3,078 0.16% 12,205 0.63%
King Washington (state) Washington 2,003 0.09% 2,900 0.13% 11,499 0.51%
Sutter California California 1,990 2% 2,812 2.82% 11,150 11.19%
Kern California California 1,395 0.15% 2,207 0.24% 8,751 0.96%
Nassau New York (state) New York 1,432 0.1% 2,137 0.15% 8,474 0.61%
Los Angeles California California 1,117 0.01% 1,710 0.02% 6,781 0.07%
Stanislaus California California 1,058 0.19% 1,595 0.29% 6,325 1.14%
Middlesex New Jersey New Jersey 1,122 0.13% 1,553 0.18% 6,158 0.71%
Contra Costa California California 839 0.07% 1,304 0.11% 5,171 0.44%
Merced California California 699 0.25% 1,027 0.37% 4,072 1.45%
Placer California California 536 0.13% 859 0.21% 3,406 0.84%
Harris Texas Texas 606 0.01% 836 0.02% 3,315 0.07%
Orange California California 555 0.02% 781 0.02% 3,097 0.1%
Riverside California California 433 0.02% 671 0.03% 2,661 0.11%
San Bernardino California California 409 0.02% 630 0.03% 2,498 0.11%
Collin Texas Texas 427 0.04% 618 0.06% 2,451 0.23%
Solano California California 452 0.1% 614 0.14% 2,435 0.54%
Fairfax Virginia Virginia 436 0.04% 571 0.05% 2,264 0.2%
Wayne Michigan Michigan 359 0.02% 558 0.03% 2,213 0.12%
Bergen New Jersey New Jersey 417 0.04% 553 0.06% 2,193 0.23%
Maricopa Arizona Arizona 393 0.01% 543 0.01% 2,153 0.05%
Johnson Indiana Indiana 403 0.25% 534 0.33% 2,117 1.31%
Loudoun Virginia Virginia 343 0.08% 524 0.12% 2,078 0.49%
Cook Illinois Illinois 328 0.01% 520 0.01% 2,062 0.04%
Snohomish Washington (state) Washington 313 0.04% 492 0.06% 1,951 0.24%
Total United States United States 48,321 0.01% 70,697 0.02% 280,329 0.08%

Places

[edit]
Sikh Americans by census-designated place (2020)[19][62][63]
CDP State Sikh alone Total Sikh population
(derived estimate)[70]
Pop. % Pop. %
New York New York (state) New York 3,293 0.04% 19,104 0.22%
Fresno California California 2,369 0.44% 13,743 2.54%
Yuba City California California 1,757 2.51% 10,193 14.54%
San Jose California California 1,467 0.14% 8,511 0.84%
Bakersfield California California 1,352 0.34% 7,843 1.94%
Sacramento California California 966 0.18% 5,604 1.07%
Kent Washington (state) Washington 952 0.7% 5,523 4.04%
Union City California California 803 1.14% 4,659 6.64%
Fremont California California 799 0.35% 4,635 2.01%
Stockton California California 794 0.25% 4,606 1.44%
Manteca California California 681 0.82% 3,951 4.73%
Elk Grove California California 602 0.34% 3,492 1.98%
Carteret New Jersey New Jersey 530 2.09% 3,075 12.14%
Tracy California California 479 0.52% 2,779 2.99%
Los Angeles California California 444 0.01% 2,576 0.07%
Livingston California California 417 2.94% 2,419 17.07%
Turlock California California 379 0.52% 2,199 3.02%
Greenwood Indiana Indiana 370 0.58% 2,147 3.36%
Hicksville New York (state) New York 363 0.83% 2,106 4.8%
Hayward California California 343 0.21% 1,990 1.22%
Ceres California California 321 0.65% 1,862 3.78%
Clovis California California 310 0.26% 1,798 1.5%
Vineyard California California 289 0.66% 1,677 3.82%
Antelope California California 286 0.59% 1,659 3.4%
Lathrop California California 283 0.99% 1,642 5.72%
Indianapolis (balance) Indiana Indiana 264 0.03% 1,532 0.17%
Fairfield California California 251 0.21% 1,456 1.21%
Roseville California California 233 0.16% 1,352 0.91%
Kerman California California 229 1.43% 1,329 8.3%
Modesto California California 206 0.09% 1,195 0.55%
Santa Clara California California 205 0.16% 1,189 0.93%
Auburn Washington (state) Washington 198 0.23% 1,149 1.32%
Milpitas California California 167 0.21% 969 1.21%
Mountain House California California 165 0.67% 957 3.91%
Newark California California 155 0.33% 899 1.89%
Fowler California California 152 2.27% 882 13.16%
Phoenix Arizona Arizona 149 0.01% 864 0.05%
Dublin California California 148 0.2% 859 1.18%
San Diego California California 144 0.01% 835 0.06%
Fontana California California 143 0.07% 830 0.4%
Renton Washington (state) Washington 142 0.13% 824 0.77%
Rocklin California California 136 0.19% 789 1.1%
San Ramon California California 135 0.16% 783 0.93%
Selma California California 131 0.53% 760 3.08%
Folsom California California 126 0.16% 731 0.91%
Live Oak California California 124 1.36% 719 7.9%
Jersey City New Jersey New Jersey 119 0.04% 690 0.24%
Hercules California California 115 0.44% 667 2.56%
SeaTac Washington (state) Washington 115 0.37% 667 2.12%
Total United States United States 48,321 0.01% 280,329 0.08%

Notable Sikh Americans

[edit]

1900s

[edit]
  • Kartar Kaur Dhillon, political activist and supporter of the Ghadar Party
  • Bhagat Singh Thind, first turbaned soldier in United States Army; plaintiff in United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind, involving an important legal battle over the rights of Indians to obtain U.S. citizenship
  • Dalip Singh Saund, First Asian Pacific American member of Congress and politician serving in the United States House of Representatives for California's 29th district, 1957–1963
  • J.J. Singh, Punjabi-American businessman and political activist
  • Spoony Singh, Canadian-American Founder of the Hollywood Wax Museum
  • Narinder Singh Kapany, Indian-American Physicist and Sikh art Collector

2000s

[edit]

Academics

[edit]
  • Naunihal Singh, American political scientist and professor of national security affairs.
  • Arjun Singh Sethi, Civil rights writer, political rights writer, human rights lawyer, and adjuct professor of law

Activism

[edit]
  • Jasmeet Bains, author of California State AJR2 1984 Sikh Genocide Resolution
  • Valarie Kaur, American activist, documentary filmmaker, lawyer, educator, and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project.
  • Simran Jeet Singh, American educator, writer, activist and Executive Director for the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program

Business

[edit]
  • Ajay Banga, Indian-American business executive and president of the World Bank Group. (1981-present)
  • Gurbaksh Chahal, Internet Entrepreneur (1998-present)
  • Sant Singh Chatwal, Indian-American hotelier and businessperson (1975-present)
  • Vikram Chatwal, American hotelier and actor (2006-present)

Entertainment

[edit]

Law Enforcement

[edit]

Military

[edit]
  • G. B. Singh, Indian-American author and officer in the United States Army

Politics

[edit]
  • Jasmeet Bains, American Physician who is the first Sikh American and first South Asian Woman elected to the, California State Assembly
  • Ranjeev Puri, Michigan House of Representatives
  • Manpreet Kaur, Bakersfield City Council
  • Sukh Kaur, San Antonio City Council
  • Harpreet Singh Sandhu, American politician and community activist from Richmond, California (2007–2008)
  • Harmeet Dhillon, American lawyer and Republican Party Official (2008-present)
  • Kash Gill, Mayor of Yuba City, California (2009-2010) and (2013-2014)
  • Preet Bharara, Indian-born American lawyer and former federal prosecutor who served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (2009-2017)
  • Manka Dhingra, American attorney, Democratic politician who is represents the Party 45th legislative district, on Seattle's Eastside in King County (2017-present) and the first Sikh state senator of Washington
  • Preet Didbal, Mayor of Yuba City, California (2017-2018)
  • Balvir Singh, American teacher and Democratic politician from Burlington Township, New Jersey, serving on the Burlington County Board of County Commissioners (2018-present)
  • Gurbir Grewal, American attorney and prosecutor, served the sixty-first attorney general of the State of New Jersey (2018-2021) and serving as the Director of the Division of Enforcement for the Securities and Exchange Commission (2021-present)
  • Ravinder Bhalla, American civil rights lawyer, politician, and the 39th mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey (2018-present)
  • Daleep Singh, American economic advisor serving as the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Markets (2016-2017) and United States Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics (2021-2022)
  • Uttam Dhillon, American attorney, serving as the Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (2018-2020)
  • Sabrina Singh, American political administrator serving as the Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary for Vice President Kamala Harris in the Biden administration (2021-2022) and the Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary in the Department of Defense (2022-present)
  • Mani Grewal, Utah, Sikh Activist, served Utah State Boards including Multicultural Commission, Workforce Services and Investment Board, helped Governor draft Sikh Proclamation, celebrated Vaisakhi at the Utah Capitol Building and design a Sikh Float in the 24th July Parade of the Pioneers.

Religious Services

[edit]

See also

[edit]


References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Why Pew Research Center typically can't report the views of smaller U.S. religious groups". www.pewresearch.org. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  2. ^ "Does the Census Bureau have data for religion?". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Asian Indian Was The Largest Asian Alone Population Group in 2020". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012 - Section 1: Population - Table 75: Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population: 1990, 2001, and 2008 (page 61)" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b "How Many U.S. Sikhs?". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
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  9. ^ "The Sikh Community Today". Harvard University. Retrieved 28 March 2023. Today there are well over 500,000 Sikhs in the United States.
  10. ^ "American Sikhs are targets of bigotry, often due to cultural ignorance". Religion News Service. Retrieved 28 March 2023. Scholars and government officials estimate the Sikh American population to number around 500,000.
  11. ^ "Sikhs in America:A History of Hate". ProPublica. Retrieved 28 March 2023. There are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs living in the U.S., many in New York and California.
  12. ^ "April 2022: Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month". State of Michigan Office of the Governor. Retrieved 28 March 2023. Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world, and, today, there are more than 30 million Sikhs worldwide and an estimated 500,000 Sikh Americans;
  13. ^ "Want to know about Sikhism?". WUWM. Retrieved 28 March 2023. There are more than 500,000 Sikhs in the United States.
  14. ^ "A Brief Introduction to Sikhism". WTTW. Retrieved 28 March 2023. Despite its relatively recent arrival in Chicago, Sikhism is the world's fifth-largest religion, with 25 to 30 million adherents around the globe and an estimated 500,000 in America today.
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  21. ^ "Crimes against Sikhs continue in US amidst spotlight on race relations". cnbctv18.com. 25 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  22. ^ Gumbel, Andrew (2018-09-19). "'The violence is always there': life as a Sikh in Trump's America". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
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  60. ^ Sewell, Summer (2021-02-08). "'This has to end peacefully': California's Punjabi farmers rally behind India protests". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-11-27. Community members have also raised funds to support billboards drawing attention to India's protests throughout the Central Valley, where Punjabi is the third-most spoken language, after English and Spanish.
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  62. ^ a b c d "T01001TOTAL POPULATION". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  63. ^ a b c d "P1TOTAL POPULATION". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  64. ^ a b c d e In the 2021 Canadian census, 194,640 Canadians declared Sikh as their ethnicity while 771,790 Canadians declared Sikh as their religion. Using this, the number of Americans with Sikh as their religion can be approximated using the number of Americans with Sikh as their religion.[19][62][63]
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  66. ^ "'Punjab Way,' 'Gurdwara St.' coming to Queens". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  67. ^ "American Sikhs Run Billion-Dollar Security Firm". www.npr.org. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  68. ^ In the 2021 Canadian census, 194,640 Canadians declared Sikh as their ethnicity while 771,790 Canadians declared Sikh as their religion. Using this, the number of Americans with Sikh as their religion can be approximated using the number of Americans with Sikh as their religion
  69. ^ In the 2021 Canadian census, 194,640 Canadians declared Sikh as their ethnicity while 771,790 Canadians declared Sikh as their religion. Using this, the number of Americans with Sikh as their religion can be approximated using the number of Americans with Sikh as their religion
  70. ^ In the 2021 Canadian census, 194,640 Canadians declared Sikh as their ethnicity while 771,790 Canadians declared Sikh as their religion. Using this, the number of Americans with Sikh as their religion can be approximated using the number of Americans with Sikh as their religion

Further reading

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Further information: Indian Americans § Further reading
  • Atkinson, David C. The burden of white supremacy: Containing Asian migration in the British empire and the United States (U North Carolina Press, 2016).
  • Hawley, John Stratton, and Gurinder Singh Mann. Studying the Sikhs: Issues for North America (State University of New York Press, 1993).
  • Kurien, Prema. "Shifting US racial and ethnic identities and Sikh American activism." RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences 4.5 (2018): 81–98. online
  • Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley, and Stacy Brady. The Guru's Gift: An Ethnography Exploring Gender Equality with North American Sikh Women (Mayfield Publishers, 2000).
  • Mann, Gurinder Singh et al. Buddhists, Hindus, and Sikhs in America (Oxford University Press, 2008).
  • Sidhu, Dawinder S., and Neha Singh Gohil. Civil Rights in Wartime: The Post-9/11 Sikh Experience (Ashgate, 2009).
  • Stabin, Tova. "Sikh Americans." in Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 4, Gale, 2014), pp. 179–192. Online
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