Sikh Pioneers of North America Kindle Edition

This book, with more than 500 pictures and images (many published here for the first time), describes Sikhs' migration to North America in the early years of the 1900s. The stories of these brave Sikh pioneers' trials and struggles—collected from the authors' interviews with dozens of their descendants—tell a story of courage and hard work in the face of hatred and violence.Early Sikhs migrants were denied property, voting rights, and citizens rights. They faced anti-miscegenation laws that specified whom they could and could not marry. They and their children, whether Sikh or mixed-race, faced discrimination and bullying. Politicians legislated against them time after time, labor unions stirred up racist riots against them, and local populations rejected them.But in spite of all odds, they persisted and achieved voting rights and citizenship.They established families and communities, successfully farmed the land and worked as laborers, and created businesses.They also fought for the freedom of India.The Ghadar movement and the saga of Sikh passengers aboard the Komagata Maru were harbingers of eventual freedom for India later.The descendants of these Sikh pioneers are now productive and successful citizens of Canada and the United States—and an integral part of the social, political, and economic fabric of North America. We have the Sikh pioneers—many unknown to the public till now—to thank for their courage. Read more