3/3/16, 9:10 AM Timeline The Sikh Tradition in America 1903 Indian Immigration to North America begins Twenty Asian Indians immigrated to North America. In 1904, 258 entered followed by 145 in 1905. By 1906 about 600 had applied for entry to the U.S. from Vancouver. The vast majority of immigrants from India in this period were Sikhs from the Punjab. 1905 Sikh Workers on the Railroad Sikhs worked on the Western Pacific Railway in Northern California. Two thousand Sikhs worked on a seven hundred mile road from Oakland to Salt Lake City. They were responsible for the construction of a large number of bridges and tunnels. 1907 Bellingham "Anti-Hindu" Riot A mob of some 500 white lumberjacks attacked 250 Sikh mill workers in Bellingham, Washington, beating them and burning their belongings. Some Sikhs fled into Canada, where 400 were arrested. The press was sympathetic to the attackers. The Asiatic Exclusion League (AEL) was formed in 1907. 1907-10 Immigration through San Francisco After 1907, immigration of Indians shifted to California, through the port at San Francisco. Though immigration of Asian Indians was not illegal, immigration officials scrutinized immigrants carefully, rejecting many on medical grounds. In 1910, 1,403 entered the U.S. through San Francisco. 1910-20 Sikh Farmers Settle in California The Punjabi immigrants, most of them Sikh, but some Muslim, settled in the San Joachin Valley in central California and the Imperial Valley in southern California. Beginning as farm workers, some were successful enough to lease and then buy land. 1912 Khalsa Diwan Society The Pacific Coast Khalsa Diwan Society was established in Stockton, California. It provided support for Asian Indians facing discrimination in the U.S. and for those seeking to end British rule in India. The KDS was also the managing organization for the Stockton Gurdwara. 1912 Stockton: The First Gurdwara The first gurdwara in the United States was established in Stockton, California. The “Sikh Temple” as it was called was built by an agriculturally based Sikh community. It was for over three decades the only Sikh worship facility in the U.S. 1913 Alien Land Law Passed file:///Users/axeltakacs/Downloads/Sikhism%20in%20America%20Timeline..htm Page 1 of 8 3/3/16, 9:10 AM The California legislature passed the Alien Land Law, barring those ineligible for citizenship from leasing or owning land in California. After the 1923 Thind decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which established Asian Indians or “Hindus,” as ineligible, the Alien Land Law threatened the livelihood of many Sikh farmers. They lost their lands or had to find ways to transfer legal title to others. 1913-18 The Ghadar Party and Indian Freedom The Ghadar Party was a movement of Indians in California dedicated to the overthrow of British rule in India. It was led at first by the Punjabi Hindu Har Dayal, based at Stanford University. Ghadar means “revolution” in Punjabi, and a few California Sikhs returned to India, hoping for an armed revolutionary upraising. It’s international activities led to the San Francisco “Hindu Conspiracy” trial in 1917-18. 1917 Immigration Act of 1917 Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1917, called the “Barred Zone Act,” which barred immigration from certain areas, designated by longitudinal and latitudinal zone. India was included in the “barred zone.” Legal immigration came virtually to a halt for thirty years. By this time between 6000-7000 East Indian immigrants had come to the U.S. 1918 Hindustani Welfare and Reform Society Founded in the Imperial Valley for mutual aid to farmers, its leaders were Ram Chand (a Hindu), Asa Singh (a Sikh), and Fazl Din (a Muslim). 1923 Bhagat Singh Thind Denied Citizenship. Bhagat Singh Thind came to the United States in 1912 and served in the U.S. Army during World War I. A naturalized citizen, Thind's citizenship was revoked by the provisions of the 1917 act. This rescinsion, upheld by the United States Supreme Court in 1923, had devastating consequences for Sikhs. 1920’s Sikhs in the Imperial Valley By 1920 Sikhs leased more than 32,000 acres in Southern California’s Imperial Valley. These Sikh farmers, many of whom had been in Holtville or El Centro for a decade, were settled. Unable to bring wives from India. they chose to marry Mexican wives. A distinctive “Mexican-Sikh” population emerged. 1922 The Ghadar Party The revived Ghadar Party, now dominated by Sikhs, continued to work for India’s independence until 1947. It also became a focus for Sikh community organization in the U.S. 1938 India League of America is established Jagjit Singh became president of the newly formed India League of America. Sikhs fought for file:///Users/axeltakacs/Downloads/Sikhism%20in%20America%20Timeline..htm Page 2 of 8 3/3/16, 9:10 AM restoration of their right to U.S. citizenship. 1946 Congress Passes Immigration Quota Bill The virtual exclusion of Asian Indians since the “barred-zone” act of 1917 ended on July 2, 1946 with the passage of the Luce-Celler Bill granting natives of India the right to American citizenship and an annual naturalization quota of one hundred. This act was passed largely through the efforts of Jagjit Singh and Anup Singh of the India League of America. The quota was so small that it did not appreciably increase the Sikh community, though it did help to rebuild Sikh family life. 1948 Gurdwara Opens in El Centro, California Imperial Valley Sikhs had worshipped in homes for decades. They purchased the Japanese Buddhist Temple in El Centro in 1947, since few Japanese returned to El Centro after release from detention camps. In 1948, America’s second gurdwara opened. 1956 First Sikh Elected to Congress Dalip Singh Saund became the first Asian American to be elected to the U.S. Congress. Saund had come to the U.S. in the 1920’s to study at the University of California at Berkeley where he eventually earned a Ph.D. in Mathematics. He managed a farm in California and worked for the right of Asian Indians to become citizens. He served two terms in Congress. 1965 New Sikh Immigrants The Immigration Act of 1965 gave preference to visa applicants whose skills were needed in the U.S., especially highly educated professionals. Thus the Sikhs entering the country after 1965 differed greatly from most of their predecessors. The Sikh community increased fourfold in the decade between 1965-75. By 1975, more than 8,000 Sikhs had become American citizens. 1966-69 New Gurdwaras for America In these years, Sikhs organized to open gurdwaras. In many cities Sikhs began meeting in one another’s homes, renting space for festivals and programs, and finding an appropriate building or site for a gurdwara. The Sikh Study Circle in Los Angeles, the Sikh Center of the San Francisco Bay Area, and the New England Sikh Study Circle all began this way. In New York, Chicago, Detroit, Washington D.C., and Houston efforts were underway to establish gurdwaras. 1967 Sikh Foundation of Palo Alto California This organization was formed for the purpose of disseminating knowledge about Sikh history, religion and culture. The Sikh Foundation hosts television and radio interviews and talk shows. They are active in book printing and distribution. 1968 Yogi Bhajan comes to America Harbhajan Singh came to the U.S. and attracted American followers with Sikh teachings and yoga classes. He founded the Sikh Dharma Brotherhood in Los Angeles in 1968. The movement, known file:///Users/axeltakacs/Downloads/Sikhism%20in%20America%20Timeline..htm Page 3 of 8 3/3/16, 9:10 AM also as 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization) has over 120 yoga and meditation centers throughout the world. 1969 Yuba City Gurdwara is opened A gurdwara opened in Yuba City, California, to serve the old-timers and the new immigrants in Sutter and Yuba Counties. The new gurdwara seats 2,000 in the main hall. Built by progressive Sikhs and equipped with folding chairs, it soon became dominated by newer more traditional immigrants. By 1974, the chairs were gone and within a few years two other gurdwaras were built in the area to accomodate the different styles. 1969 Richmond Hill Gurdwara Sikhs who had been meeting in homes and rented sites since 1963 incorporated and purchased a former Methodist church building in the Richmond Hill section of Queens in New York City. It was converted to a gurdwara which opened in 1972. 1969 First Gurdwara in Los Angeles To celebrate the 500th birthday of Guru Nanak in 1969, the Sikh Study Circle, opened the doors of L.A.’s first gurdwara on North Vermont Avenue. 1970’s Expansion of American Sikh Community The decade of the 1970’s brought a dramatic increase in Indian immigration. The San Francisco Sikh community opened its first center and new gurdwaras were opened in Yuba City and Live Oak. 1973 Hindu-Jain-Sikh Temple The Indian community of Pittsburgh shared space and the planning for a new temple for all three traditions in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. By 1981, the Sikh community had grown substantially and opened its own gurdwara, the first in Pittsburgh. 1978 The Sikh Council of North America The Council was founded by professionals as a religious and socio-cultural organization to research Sikhism and to inspire interest among Sikh youth in Sikhism. It held a yearly conference in different parts of the United States at which each gurdwara was represented by at least one delegate. The organization ceased to exist in the mid 1980’s. 1979 First Sikh Parade, Yuba City The first annual Sikh Parade in Yuba City commemorated Guru Gobind Singh’s enthronement of the Guru Granth Sahib.