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"Some of the Hindus driven from the United States to Canada", from "The Hindu of the Northwest" (1907) - http://saadigitalarchive.org/item/20110714-238

The Sikh diaspora: Sikh history doesn’t end in India

July 20, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

When one refers to “Sikh history”, quite often we take that to mean the history of Sikhs from our inception with the birth of Guru Nanak (the founder of Sikhism) in 1469 through to the near-present, but of that which occured in India.  The history of the Sikhs who began leaving India around the end of the 19th century for farther eastern and western lands is not as commonly known or acknowledged. The Sikh diaspora tends to be spoken of in broad terms, but […]

Categories: Literature, Sikhism • Tags: Bellingham riots, Bruce La Brack, California, Sikh diaspora, Washington State

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America’s “Hindu crews”: Sikh immigration in the 1900s

June 10, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

An interesting post on the blog Beyond Victoriana gives a short history of the “Hindu crews”  – migrant laborers from India – that saw with them the earliest accounts of Sikh immigration to the United States at the end of the 19th century: “Some 85 percent of the men who came during those years were Sikhs, 13 percent were Muslims, and only 2 percent were really Hindus.” The article goes on to describe the genesis of Punjabi-Mexican families, as these Punjabi and Sikh men would marry into […]

Categories: Reflections, Sikhism • Tags: California, Dr. Tarlochan Singh, Hindu Crews, Immigration, Mexican Sikhs, Punjabi American, Washington State

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Uncut hair: that Sikhs exist today, is its relevance today

May 24, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

  Dya Singh is a Sikh musician from Australia who is well-known for his powerful and uplifting style of devotional and world music.  As a Sikh who had taken the initiation ceremony (the taking of Amrit), he never cut his hair.  However, in an essay he wrote (which was recently reprinted on sikhchic), he describes his reaction to having had his leg shaved for surgery.  He included the following quote from a piece by I.J. Singh: India has produced many new religions like Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. […]

Categories: Reflections, Sikhism • Tags: articles of faith, Dya Singh, I.J. Singh, Sikhism, uncut hair

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A hukamnama (edict) from Guru Gobind Singh addressing the problems with masands. (source: info-sikh.com)

Gurdwara conflicts: When Sikhs live down to the stereotype

April 26, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The internet is abuzz today with the reports and video of the violence at the Baba Makhan Shah Lubana Sikh Center, a Gurdwara in Queens, New York. The reports of this incident paint a disgusting picture.  When Sikhs are dealing with an ignorant public (and I mean “ignorant” in its literal definition and not in a condescending way), these all-too-common conflicts only reinforce the stereotypes that are promoted in the media.  However, while there are those who legitimately object to how the violence […]

Categories: News Bits, Reflections, Sikhism • Tags: Baba Makhan Shah Lubana Sikh Center, Gurdwara, Gurdwara conflict, Guru Gobind Singh, Guru Ram Das, New York, New York Post, Queens

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Vaisakhi at Rockefeller College, NJ

More Vaisakhi celebrations across the USA

April 19, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

I’ve been enjoying surveying all the different Vaisakhi celebrations across the United States among various Sikh communities.  It’s become apparent that many Sikh communities are using these celebrations as outreach efforts to educate non-Sikhs about the religion and the Sikh identity. Princeton, New Jersey: On his website, one Savraj Singh posted a couple of pictures of Sikhs celebrating Vaisakhi at Rockefeller College in New Jersey. The setting for their service appears to be an old college building and gives the sense of […]

Categories: Events, News Bits, Sikhism • Tags: Baisakhi, California, Connecticut, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji Foundation, Lawrence, Los Angeles, Nagar Kirtan, New Jersey, New York, Norwalk, Princeton, Rockefeller College, Savraj Singh, Selma, Sikh, Stockton, Vaisakhi

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Vaisakhi celebrations continue across America

April 15, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

While the official date of Vaisakhi was yesterday, Sikh communities in several cities have already had formal celebrations to commemorate the day. I attended American Sikh Day a couple of days ago in Sacramento, California.  And, across America, various media outlets are covering the continuing celebrations in their communities.

Categories: Events, News Bits, Sikhism • Tags: American Sikh Day, Anderson, Baisakhi, California, Fresno, Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Center, Los Angeles, Nagar Kirtan, New York, Plainview, Redding, Selma, Southern California, Stockton, Vaisakhi

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Classroom resources for teaching children about Vaisakhi

April 13, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

I was recently contacted by Navjot Kaur, who is an educator and an author of children’s books about Sikhs and Sikhism (she is the author of the well-received A Lion’s Mane).  Her interest in educating about Sikhism is both a professional and personal one, as she is also a mother to a Sikh boy. With the approach of Vaisakhi, Navjot Kaur found it challenging to find suitable resources to educate and engage school-aged children on this historical event: While I maneuvered through […]

Categories: Resources, Sikhism • Tags: A Lion's Mane, Baisakhi, Children, Education, Navjot Kaur, Sikh children, Sikhism, Teaching, Vaisakhi

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Thousands attend expanded Sikh Gurdwara-San Jose's opening

Sikhs in America begin Vaisakhi celebrations

April 11, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

This week marks the celebration of Baisakhi or Vaisakhi, which is the most auspicious of celebrations on the Sikh religious calendar: Vaisakhi (Punjabi: ਵਸਾਖੀ, vaisākhī, is, as well, known as Baisakhi), it is a very important day for Sikhs and one of the most colourful events in the Sikh calendar. It occurs during mid-April every year and traditionally concurs in Punjab with the first harvesting of the crops for the year. So, historically, it has been a very joyous occasion and […]

Categories: Events, Sikhism • Tags: Baisakhi, California, Espanola, Gurdwara, Gurumustuk Singh, Jerry Brown, New Mexico, Rajinder Kaur Bains, Sacramento, San Jose, Syracuse, Vaisakhi, West Sacramento

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Sikh tradition of Langar: spiritually great, very filling

April 4, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

A recent study profiled on Time Magazine’s website correlates church goers with higher rates of obesity: So researchers at Northwestern University sought to find out how attending religious events is associated with weight gain over time. They analyzed data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study, which followed more than 2,400 people aged 20 to 32 for 18 years. Over that time, the scientists reported at an American Heart Association conference, people who went to church or […]

Categories: News Bits, Reports/Studies, Sikhism • Tags: Gurdwara, Langar, Northwestern University, obesity, Sikhism, The Langar Hall

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