Stockton | American Turban

Heara Singh with bicycle, Crawfordsville, Oregon, c. 1900s. (Credit: Stephen Williamson)

Join the second annual Sikh Century Bike Ride on Nov. 2

October 25, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

On Saturday, November 2, 2013, a group of cyclists will be riding in the second annual Sikh Century Ride, a 100-mile route that begins in the historic city of Stockton, California and ends in Yuba City, where the largest Nagar Kirtan festivities in the United States will be taking place: We’re at it again! To commemorate the 100+ year history of Sikhs in the US and celebrate Sikh Awareness Month in California, the Sikh Century Ride will take place on […]

Categories: Events • Tags: California, Crawfordsville, Heara Singh, Oregon, Sikh Century Bike Ride, Stockton, Yuba City

"A flag waves in the wind atop a flagpole wrapped in orange material outside the Sikh Sabha of New Jersey, located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, in celebration of Vaisakhi" (source: Michael Mancuso/The Times of Trenton)

Vaisakhi celebrations continue across the United States

April 16, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

On Sunday, I had the pleasure of attending the Vaisakhi celebration at the Sikh Center of Pacific Coast Gurdwara in Selma, California, which brought together a large gathering of Sikhs from the Fresno County area for a Nagar Kirtan (religious procession). It was very well attended and the atmosphere was quite festive. A local television station covered the celebrations in Selma, which you can watch here. I certainly enjoyed my first visit to this Gurdwara and celebrating with them the […]

Categories: Events, Sikhism • Tags: Albany, Bothell, California, Dallas, Lawrenceville, Los Angeles, Nagar Kirtan, New Jersey, Niskayuna, Niskayuna Gurdwara Sahib, Seattle, Selma, Sikh Center of Pacific Coast, Sikh Center of Seattle, Sikh Sabha of New Jersey, Southern Methodist University, Stockton, Texas, Vaisakhi

The Panj Pyare, or Five Beloved Ones, lead the Nagar Kirtan in Los Angeles, California on April 7, 2013. (source: SikhNet)

Picture of the Day: Leading the Los Angeles Nagar Kirtan

April 12, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

On April 14, Sikhs across the United States and around the world are celebrating Vaisakhi (or Baisakhi), which is the most significant celebration on the Sikh calendar. In many cities, this celebration includes a Nagar Kirtan (religious procession) through the city, and these are taking place across the country this month. In Los Angeles, California, Vaisakhi was celebrated on April 7 with a large Nagar Kirtan originating at the Los Angeles Convention Center (pictured above). Similar celebrations are also taking […]

Categories: Events, Picture of the Day, Sikhism • Tags: Baisakhi, California, Los Angeles, Nagar Kirtan, New York, Panj Pyare, Selma, Stockton, Vaisakhi

"Indians, many of whom were Sikh, worked at the Hammond Mill before its demise in 1922. During that time period, the Indians left their mark on Astoria, participating in wrestling matches, occupying Alderbrook also known as "Hindu Alley," and forming the Ghadar political party. Courtesy of Clatsop County Historical Society." (source: The Daily Astorian)

Celebrating the centenary of the Ghadar Party, in Oregon

April 8, 2013 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

One of the legacies of the earliest Sikh and Indian immigrants to the United States at the turn of the twentieth century was the creation of the Ghadar Party, a political movement based in northern California that sought to promote India’s liberation from British rule. Led by Indian expatriates in the United States, the Ghadar Party was formed in 1913. One of its main activities was the publishing of literature to promote resistance to British rule and for a free […]

Categories: Events • Tags: Astoria, Bruce La Brack, Daily Astorian, Ghadar, Ghadar Party, Johanna Ogden, Oregon, San Francisco, Stockton

Ricky Gill makes a speech during his campaign to represent California's 9th Congressional District in Congress(source: IndiaWest)

When a Sikh runs: a recap of the Ricky Gill campaign

November 15, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

It was just over a week ago that we learned of the results of the elections in the United States, including that to represent California’s 9th Congressional District in the House of Representatives. In that race, a Sikh American named Ricky Gill challenged incumbent Representative Jerry McNerney to represent the district in Congress. Rep. McNerney would win this election by receiving almost 55% of the vote. As a Sikh American, I followed the Ricky Gill campaign on this blog. His […]

Categories: Politics, Reflections • Tags: 2012 elections, California, California 9th Congressional District, Jerry McNerney, Ricky Gill, Stockton, Tom McClintock

Representative Tom McClintock honors Stockton, CA, Gurdwara centennial

November 13, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Yesterday, Representative Tom McClintock, of California’s 4th Congressional District, formally acknowledged in the Congressional Record the centennial of the Gurdwara (Sikh house of worship) in Stockton, California: In his statement, Rep Tom McClintock (R-Granite Bay) compared members of the world’s fifth-largest religion to the Pilgrims who crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the Mayflower in 1620 “seeking a better future in a free land for their descendants. “It is the very same story of pilgrims like Baba Vasakha Singh and Baba […]

Categories: Events, Politics • Tags: California, Jerry McNerney, Stockton, Stockton Gurdwara Centennial Celebration, Stockton Gurdwara Sahib, Tom McClintock

Taking a tally of the Sikh American candidates of 2012

November 7, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

As discussed previously, the 2012 election cycle involved several Sikh candidates at federal, state and local levels. Interestingly, to my knowledge, the Sikh candidates that were running were all in the state of California. After last night’s election results, below is a tally of how each Sikh American candidate fared after the voting closed last night. Representative Jerry McNerney versus Ricky Gill California’s 9th Congressional District Ricky Gill’s campaign has been a regular topic on this blog, particularly around his […]

Categories: Politics • Tags: 2012 elections, California 9th Congressional District, California State Senate District 11, Harmeet Dhillon, Jerry McNerney, Kash Gill, Mark Leno, Ricky Gill, San Francisco, Stockton, Yuba City, Yuba City City Council

Join the California Sikh Century Bike Ride

November 1, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

This Saturday, November 3, members of the Sikh community are participating in a 100-mile bike ride from Stockton to Yuba City, California, a day ahead of the Yuba City Nagar Kirtan on Sunday: To commemorate the first Sikh Century in the US, a bike ride will take place from Stockton Gurdwara to Yuba City—the original support structure for a nation of immigrants to the largest gathering of Sikhs in the US at the annual Nagar Kirtan celebrations.It so happens that […]

Categories: Events • Tags: California, Sikh Centennial, Sikh Century Bike Ride, Stockton, Yuba City

Picture of the Day: Centennial Nagar Kirtan in Stockton, CA

October 16, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

On Sunday, Sikhs in Stockton, California held a Nagar Kirtan (religious procession) through the city as the final celebration of the Centennial festivities of the Stockton Gurdwara Sahib, established 100 years ago: STOCKTON – The Sikh community came from near and far this weekend to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Stockton Gurdwara – a temple on South Grant Street that holds special meaning, because it represents the first permanent Sikh settlement in the United States. A weekend of events, […]

Categories: Events, Picture of the Day • Tags: California, Nagar Kirtan, Stockton, Stockton Gurdwara Centennial Celebration, Stockton Gurdwara Sahib

American Turban

Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

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