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Hon Dan Logue presenting ACR 181 Resolution to community leaders - Dr Jasbir Kang, Sarb Johl and Mr Dhillon - News East-West
NEW YORK: A resolution has been introduced in the California Assembly seeking the introduction of Sikhism in curriculum in institutions of higher learning in the state.
North State Assemblyman Dan Logue, who has introduced the resolution, said last week, “I am a proud supporter of the Sikh community which my district has the largest community in the United States in the Yuba-Sutter area. It’s about time that the California State University (CSU) and the University of California (UC) system recognize the importance that Sikhism has as the world’s fifth largest religion.”
California is the first place in the US where Indian immigrants, mostly from Punjab, landed more than a hundred years ago.
Named Assembly Concurrent Resolution 20 (ACR 20), the motion is aimed at recognizing the contribution of Sikhs in various fields as well as Sikh tenets of egalitarianism, equality of women, and tolerance of other religions.
If passed, the resolution would call on the University of California, California State University, and California Community systems to include Sikhism in their various world religion classes.
“The need for this resolution is especially important after the unfounded discrimination that many Sikhs have suffered in the past decade,” Logue added.
“More knowledge on their religious practices is the first step towards recognizing the valuable contribution that the Sikh community makes to this state every day,” the Assemblyman added.
The Assembly Higher Education Committee will have its first hearing on the resolution in March.
Yuba City-based Punjabi American Heritage Society* thanked Assemblyman Logue for introducing the resolution (ACR 20).
In a statement, the Society said, “Mr. Logue was also author of ACR 181 – a resolution which was unanimously passed by the State Assembly and recognized – November 2010 as Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month. We also like to thank Prof. Onkar S. Bindra for his tireless efforts to highlight the great need of inclusiveness in the state schools’ curriculum. Sikh American have been residents of California for over 125 years but their history and contributions remains unrecognized in the school and college text books.’’
There are about 15,000 Punjabis, mostly Sikhs, in Yuba City which has a population of over 65,000.
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2/21/2013 Logue Introduces Resolution to Call on Public Universities to Recognize Sikh Religion Jamie Mauhay 916-319-2003 SACRAMENTO – North State Assemblyman Dan Logue announced today that he has introduced a resolution to call on California’s institutions of higher education to recognize Sikhism in their curriculums.
“I am a proud supporter of the Sikh community which has the largest community in the United States in the Yuba-Sutter area,” said Logue. “It’s about time that the CSU and UCs recognize the importance that Sikhism has as the world’s fifth largest religion.” Assembly Concurrent Resolution 20 would recognize the hard work that Sikhs have used to distinguish themselves in many fields. The resolution would also recognize many of the beliefs of Sikhism such as equality of women, and tolerance of other religions. Finally the resolution would call on the University of California, California State University, and California Community systems to include Sikhism in their various world religion classes. “The need for this resolution is especially important after the unfounded discrimination that many Sikhs have suffered in the past decade,” Logue added. “More knowledge on their religious practices is the first step towards recognizing the valuable contribution that the Sikh community makes to this state every day.” ACR 20 will receive its first hearing in the Assembly Higher Education Committee in March. Assemblyman Logue represents the 3rd Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the communities of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter, Tehama, and Yuba. ### |
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* Yuba City’s Punjabi community is an example for US SikhsNews East-West
YUBA CITY: With Friday marking the second month of the Oak Creek Sikh Temple massacre on August 5, the Punjabi community of Yuba City (northern California) has a lesson for Sikhs elsewhere in the US: There is no alternative to reaching out to the common American to raise awareness about their religion and culture.
Having dinner and posing for photos with American leaders is fine, but the common American won’t know who the Sikhs are unless they reach out to them at the local level.
Indeed, the 15,000-strong Punjabi community in this northern California city of 65,000 people is so deeply integrated with the mainstream that for the first time the city elected a Sikh – Kash Gill – its mayor in 2009.
“It was a huge achievement not only for me but also for the whole Punjabi community. It made headlines worldwide. My achievement was the results of our efforts to become involved in the (decision-making) process. Once people know you, they trust you,’’ says Gill.................more