The New York Times

H former members 1957–1992 H Dalip Singh (Judge) Saund 1899–1973 UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE 1957–1963 DEMOCRAT FROM CALIFORNIA n November 1956, D. S. Saund, who everyone During World War I, Saund read the speeches of simply called “Judge,” became the first person of President Woodrow Wilson in the news and later Asian descent elected to serve as a United States discovered the writings of Abraham Lincoln, especially IRepresentative. He was a tireless champion of his southern the moving words of the Gettysburg Address.4 “Lincoln,” California district and the farmers who called it home. Saund later wrote, “changed the entire course of my life.”5 But his unique backstory—born in India, naturalized Saund had planned to spend no more than a few years U.S. citizen, successful businessman, county judge—also in America learning the fruit-canning business before catapulted him to the international stage. During his career returning home.6 His trip west took him from Bombay in the House of Representatives, at the height of the Cold to England and from England to Ellis Island, New York, War, Saund became something of a transcendent politician where he arrived on September 27, 1920. “You are now who had the singular ability to engage audiences abroad. a free man in a free country,” one of the immigration Although he frequently confronted discrimination during officers told him.7 Saund made his way west and enrolled his life in the United States, Saund maintained his belief in in the University of California’s agricultural school and the promises of American democracy. mathematics department as well.8 Dalip Singh Saund was born on September 20, 1899, Berkeley, California, was not the most welcoming of and raised in Chhajjalwaddi in the far-northern province places for Indian and Asian students, and “outside of the of Punjab, India, which at the time was a British colony. university atmosphere,” he later remembered, “it was made Saund’s father worked as a construction contractor for the quite evident that people from Asia—Japanese, Chinese, government and died when Saund was only a boy. His and Hindus—were not wanted.”9 Saund, however, became parents had lived through the period of British colonialism involved with the local community and then earned MA and neither had attended school, but education was a and PhD degrees in mathematics in 1924. cornerstone of Saund’s life. His father and uncles saved After he finished his studies, Saund’s family informed enough money to open a one-room schoolhouse about a half him that the Indian government had been keeping tabs mile from where Saund lived. At the age of eight, his parents on his “anti-British utterances in America.” Saund decided sent him to boarding school 16 miles away in the city of to stay in California and later authored My Mother India, Amritsar near the border with modern day Pakistan.1 a book about his experiences at home and a critique of While in college at the University of Punjab, Saund British imperialism.10 He moved south to California’s supported the movement for an independent India led Imperial Valley, where a number of other Indians had by Mohandas Gandhi.2 Along with his informal lessons settled.11 His first job, he said, was as “foreman of a cotton- in nonviolence and civil disobedience, Saund majored in picking gang at a ranch belonging to some Indian friends.” mathematics, graduated with a BS degree in 1919, and Saund saved money and quickly went into the business of moved to America to further his education. While he waited growing lettuce. The lettuce market tanked, however, and for his passport, Saund worked to expand his childhood it was a while before he recouped his losses.12 school, planted trees along the roads throughout his village, In 1928 Saund married Marian Kosa, the daughter of a and helped establish two community banks.3 close friend and a future teacher in the Los Angeles school 316 H ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICANS IN CONGRESS Image courtesy of the Library of Congress 42940_07-APA-MP2.indd 316 2/13/2018 11:58:36 AM Dalip Singh (Judge) Saund 1899–1973 UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE 1957–1963 DEMOCRAT FROM CALIFORNIA 42940_07-APA-MP2.indd 317 2/13/2018 11:58:39 AM H dalip singh (judge) saund H system. Together they had three children : Dalip Jr., who from becoming a U.S. citizen. In the 1940s, he helped served in the Korean War as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army, organize efforts to open citizenship to people of Indian and two daughters, Julie and Ellie, who both attended the descent living in the States. He worked long hours to University of California, Los Angeles.13 build support, and, eventually, Congress passed a bill Initially, Saund’s young family settled on a ranch in allowing Indian immigrants to pursue naturalization.23 Westmorland, California, a dry, windy, and hot region of Saund became a U.S. citizen three and a half years later on the state just a few miles south of the Salton Sea. The area December 16, 1949.24 specialized in sending melons to market before anywhere Saund was elected to the Imperial County Democratic else, but the Depression hit the local economy hard. Fruit Central Committee in the summer of 1950 and ran for a rotted in the field, and harvest work disappeared.14 Saund judgeship in November. He claimed to know every voter came out of the economic collapse relatively unscathed in the district and campaigned door-to-door, building because he grew and baled alfalfa hay and had direct access momentum. He won, but a higher court vacated his to Los Angeles.15 Saund owned his own farming equipment, election after it became clear that Saund had not been a but because California law prevented people of Asian U.S. citizen for a full year at the time of his victory.25 descent from owning or leasing land at the time, a friend in Two years later, Saund ran again, and in the buildup the valley had to put the contracts in his own name.16 to the 1952 judicial election, he faced a barrage of As the economy rebounded, Saund stumbled for a spell discrimination. Voters, and even old friends, told Saund and plunged into debt. Against advice from friends and that they liked him well enough but could never bring business associates, he refused to declare bankruptcy and themselves to “go for a Hindu judge.”26 decided to work his way out of the hole “slowly but surely.” As the election heated up, Saund adamantly refused to “That decision to follow the dictates of my own heart was go negative, his message being, “I am not running against one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” he wrote years anybody ; all I’m asking for is a job, and it’s up to you to later.17 After 20 years of farming, Saund opened his own judge whether I deserve your support or not.”27 fertilizer business around 1953, commuting a total of nearly “Doc, tell us, if you’re elected, will you furnish the 1,000 miles a week between his home near Los Angeles, turbans or will we have to buy them ourselves in order to where his wife taught and where they raised their children, come into your court?” someone later asked him in the and his business, headquartered in Westmorland.18 middle of a restaurant. “My friend,” Saund responded, Saund closely followed politics during his time in the “you know me as a tolerant man. I don’t care what a man west, studying the issues of the 1924 and 1928 presidential has on the top of his head. All I’m interested in is what he’s contests. “By 1932,” he wrote in his memoirs, “I had got inside.”28 On Election Day, Saund won by 13 votes.29 positively and definitely become a Democrat by outlook During his four-year judgeship, Saund worked to and conviction.”19 During the 1930s, his home county institute stiff sentencing that helped clean up blighted areas received a number of benefits from federal New Deal of Westmorland.30 He earned the reputation as a first- programs created to help struggling farmers and people out rate legal mind, going head to head with more practiced of work.20 attorneys.31 Saund’s judgeship became a huge part of his When he was not farming, Saund was a popular speaker in identity and served as a springboard to national office. the valley and addressed local groups nearly every week.21 He When he ran for the House, he ran as “Judge Saund.”32 learned how to think and speak in the moment, unscripted, In 1954 Saund won election as the head of the during his involvement with the Toastmasters Club.22 Democratic Central Committee for Imperial County. Saund’s political activities could go only so far, Democrats lost the congressional election that year but however, because, at the time, federal law prevented him made a stronger showing than most political experts 318 H ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICANS IN CONGRESS 42940_07-APA-MP2.indd 318 2/13/2018 11:58:40 AM H dalip singh (judge) saund H expected, encouraging local party officials to go all in He stayed on message and refused to attack his opponent, for the next race in 1956.33 Saund had met a number eventually winning the primary by more than 9,000 votes.42 of political kingmakers, and by the next fall, California Going into the general election, Saund played catch-up Democrats began pledging support for Saund—whom they to his Republican opponent, Jacqueline Cochran Odlum.

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