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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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From California to New York: a tale of two hate crimes

June 9, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

A disturbing twist of fate over the past few days saw a new hate crime against a Sikh come to light as another finally saw its resolution. It is a haunting reminder of the added hostility that Sikhs must face whenever they go out in public. Pedro Ramirez was sentenced to 13 years in prison for his November, 2010 attack on taxi driver Harbhajan Singh in West Sacramento, California: Pedro Ramirez, 42, was sentenced Friday by Yolo County Superior Court […]

Categories: Hate Crimes • Tags: Brooklyn, California, Harbhajan Singh, hate crime, Jiwan Singh, New York, Osama bin Laden, Pedro Antonio Ramirez, West Sacramento

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Police describe getaway vehicle in Balbir Singh Dhami murder case

May 26, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Police in Sacramento, California, are continuing their investigation into the murder of Balbir Singh Dhami and have released a description of the suspected getaway vehicle: Sacramento police today released the description of the suspected getaway car in the killing of 53-year-old Balbir Singh Dhami. The suspected getaway car is described as a 1990s, gold, four-door Mazda Protégé or 323. It is not believed that this murder was a hate crime.  Balbir Singh Dhami’s wife, who was also shot, is still in […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: Balbir Singh Dhami, California, Elk Grove, murder, Sacramento

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UPDATE: Two more Sikhs shot in Elk Grove, California

May 20, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Over the past day or so, more details have emerged over yesterday’s shootings of Sikhs in Elk Grove, California.  The identity of the male victim was confirmed by police as Balbir Singh Dhami, 53, who did not survive.  His wife is in critical condition in the hospital. Balbir Singh apparently had a checkered and cloudy past: The turmoil of Balbir Singh Dhami’s life in recent years could offer Sacramento police a glimpse into why he was gunned down on a […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: Amanpreet Singh, Balbir Singh Dhami, California, Elk Grove, hate crime, Las Vegas, Nevada, Sacramento

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Two more Sikhs shot in Elk Grove, California

May 19, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Only minutes from where Surinder Singh and Gurmej Atwal were shot and killed while on a walk in Elk Grove , California, last March (a murder that has yet gone unsolved), a middle-aged Sikh couple have reportedly been shot this morning in the same city: Sacramento police are searching for an armed suspect in the North Laguna Creek area who they believe fatally shot a man and critically injured a woman this morning. The gunman is described as a short black man […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: California, Elk Grove, Gurmej Atwal, hate crime, murder, Sacramento, shooting, Surinder Singh

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Modoc County, California Supervisor apologizes for “rag” comment

May 17, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Modoc County Supervisor Loren “Shorty” Crabtree publicly apologized last week for his disparaging comments about Sikh turbans last month. From The Modoc Independent: “As many of you are aware, during the April 12 Supervisor’s meeting, I made an inappropriate remark regarding Americans wearing turbans. After the meeting, I had a meeting with the American Sikh community and now understand that turbans have an important religious significance for Sikhs. The comments I made were hurtful and wrong, and I apologize for […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: California, Loren Crabtree, Modoc County

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Vaisakhi celebrations across the country close out April

May 11, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

While Sikhs usually celebrate Vaisakhi in the middle of April, there were several celebrations around the country that took place on the April 30 – May 1 weekend, and we are given the opportunity to read the local coverage about these celebrations: “Free Meals at Sikh Day Festival on Madison Ave. ” – New York’s “Sikh Day Parade” was covered by the New York Times, who unfortunately was more enraptured by the concept of free food than the opportunity to educate […]

Categories: Events • Tags: "Washington, Anderson, California, Marysville, New York, Queens, Redding, Vaisakhi

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A Sikh’s reaction to the killing of Osama bin Laden

May 4, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

I was sitting in a Bay Area, California, restaurant when I first learned of the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan by US Navy SEALs.  At my table, we were stunned into silence by news that came completely out of left field.  Almost ten years after the 9/11 attacks, Americans finally brought to justice the man behind the attacks. Video footage and images of bin Laden took over all of the televisions in the restaurant that moments before were […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: Balbir Singh Sodhi, Barack Obama, California, Osama bin Laden, Stockton, United States Navy SEALs

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Modoc Co., CA official blames ignorance for condescending reference to Sikhs

April 28, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In the northwest-most corner of California is Modoc County, somewhat remote and removed from the more populated areas of the state. You may excuse someone from such parts for being ignorant, but not for being disrespectful. However, Modoc County Supervisor Loren “Shorty” Crabtree is using ignorance to account for disrespectful comments he made about Sikhs after visiting Woodland, California (near Sacramento, California): During a routine item at the end of the board’s meeting in Alturas, Crabtree, a retired brand inspector, reported on attending an […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, Loren Crabtree, Modoc County, Sacramento, Woodland

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