Seeking the Sikhs in the River City

Last weekend, the Sikhs of Yuba City held their annual festival and parade, commemorating the installation of their holy book (the Guru Granth Sahib) as their spiritual guide. This was a record setting event, as the celebration drew a crowd of 60,000 people from several countries.

As unfamiliar as Sikhs are to the average American, the presence of such a large Sikh community in Sacramento and the Central Valley is actually a unique characteristic of this area. Northern California is no stranger to Sikhs by any means. The area is known to Sikhs around the world for being a hub for the community in North America. Almost every Sikh has a relative or close friend living in this area, which has one of the largest Sikh populations in the United States – comparable to and quite likely exceeding New York or Los Angeles. So, who are the Sikhs? Since you didn’t ask, I’m going to tell you…

Sikhs are native to the state of Punjab in northern India (bordering Pakistan), and speak Punjabi. While often confused for Muslims (on account of Sikh males wearing turbans and long beards), Sikhs are followers of their own 500-year old religion which, conveniently, is called Sikhism. With over 25 million followers around the globe, Sikhism is considered both the world’s youngest major religion, the fifth largest religion in the world.

Sikhism is a purely monotheistic religion – believing in the existence of one God. However, at the same time, the faith is not a proselytizing one, teaching that all people are equal under God regardless of religion, caste, creed or gender. The word Sikh literally means “student”. Sikhs follow the teachings of a line of ten Gurus or spiritual guides, who lived in between the 15th and 18th centuries. The teachings of Gurus and other Indian saints are encapsulated in the Guru Granth Sahib – which is now the Sikhs’ Guru and the reason for the festival in Yuba City last weekend.

Sikhs first arrived in northern California well over 100 years ago, to work on the railroads and in agriculture. Many settled in Stockton, which is the location of the oldest Sikh temple (or Gurdwara) in North America. Sikhs continued to settle in the area through the 19th and 20th centuries, as the region was very reminiscent in climate and geography to their homeland in India.

Followers of the Sikh faith are physically very distinct. Baptised Sikhs do not cut their hair, signifying their submission to the will of God. Many Sikh men can be seen with turbans and uncut beards. Along with uncut hair, Sikhs also wear a steel bracelet on their arm.

Because of their appearance, Sikhs in the United States are often confused for Muslims, and after 9/11 have been victims of hate crimes as a result. However, you can be sure that 99% of the time if you see a person with a turban, he will be a Sikh. Another way to identify a Sikh is by their name: men have the adopted name of “Singh” (meaning lion) in their name, and women have “Kaur” (meaning princess).

I’ll tell you how to make any Sikh your friend. First, pronounce the word correctly – it sounds more like “sick” than “seek”, though you’ll hear the latter more commonly used. Second, give them the Sikh greeting by folding your hands together and saying “Sat Siree Akal” (“God is Truth”). You’ll get a big smile, and a new buddy, and who doesn’t need more of those?

This posting just scratches the surface on Sikhs and Sikhism. If you’re interested in more information about this unique and historic community of the Central Valley, check out SikhNet.