Gurdwara

They immigrated to the US with their immediate family members and worked in companies and fields that were dominated by Punjabi Americans. The Bay Area in California has a very large South Asian population with Sikh Temples located in Hayward, Fremont and San Jose. Most Punjabis who immigrant to America are Sikh as well. Being Sikh, the Gurdwaras (Sikh Temples) played a huge role in the post-immigration process. Gurdwaras remain as the preferred destination to celebrate Sikh holidays, meet other Sikh folk, interact with community leaders, share personal experiences, and make Sikhi friends. The Gurdwara was an area where Gurpinder Gill and Harvel Gill could be proud of their identity and be emerged in a place designed for them to be themselves. They were able to come to the Gurdwara to participate in the community meal known as langar, volunteer in the process of making langar, and host celebrations like the birth of their children. Harvel Gill and Gurpinder Gill have been visiting a Gurdwara every Sunday Afternoon ever since they came to the US in the…

Reflection on Visiting an Uncomfortable Place I used to feel uncomfortable in any place of worship other than mosques for two main reasons. First, I grew up in an Islamic country where building houses of worship other than mosques is not allowed for religious reasons. Second, I chose to go to a Sikh temple because in my community, there is a common stereotype that Sikhs do not get along with Muslims. Growing up with this idea, made me presume that there are barriers between us, so I can not get…

have stopped following these customs. Sikhism just like Hinduism and Islam has its own Holy Book known as the Guru Granth Sahib and its place of worship is known as Gurdwara. Sikhism is relatively a new religion and is only about 500 years old. During this time it has gained a lot of followers. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE/…

A conventional question a stranger inquires about to better understand a newly met stranger is “What religion are you?” For me, I would instantly respond “Sikh”, and then exude a quick smirk staring at my querier who then, with a bewildered look, responds, “You're sick? Feel better, but what religion are you?” In an effort to save speech and time, I simply type in “Sikhism” onto Wikipedia’s homepage and have my newfound friend briskly glance over the first summary paragraph on the webpage. As he…

most out of all of the religions, and I find it very compelling due to its lifestyle, its scripture and the emphasis on equality. To begin, I believe that Sikhism is a compelling religion because of the lifestyle that Sikhs must follow according to the teachings of the Gurus. One of the practices that disciples must follow is to live an honest lifestyle. Another practice that is embedded into the Sikh way of life is distributing one’s wealth. For example, Sikhs must donate one tenth of their…

Throughout much of my life, I was afraid of the homeless and thought they were disgusting. I constantly avoided them, acting like they didn’t exist. Until one day, I was forced to interact with a homeless person while waiting to be picked up from the gym. At first I was terrified, but I quickly realized that he held no ill intentions. He was in his late twenties, and we began talking about sports. Soon after, he told me about how he ended up homeless. He had lost all of his money on sports…

In “De-Islamizing Sikhaphobia: Deconstructing Structural Racism in Wisconsin Gurdwara Shooting 10/12”, Birk, Gill, and Heer (2015) examine the media portrayal of the shooting of a Sikh gurdwara in 2012 where a gunman killed six individuals and injured four others. The media representation of the Sikh community after this event demonstrates how racialized individuals are Othered by the media, especially through the homogenization of brown bodies, despite the diversity of this racialized group…

religion. Individual’s perception of this God may be different but all in all, it is the same God. For Sikhs, God is in everyone and everything including themselves and the only way to reach God is to look inside one’s self. This is a genderless and shapeless God. Another belief is that, “The goal of human life is to break the cycle of birth's and deaths and merge with God. This can be accomplished by following the teachings of the Guru, meditation on the Holy Name and performance of acts of…

The Hate Cries Prevention Act (HPCA) defines hate violence as a violent act committed to a person due his or her gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, and disability. (Iyer, 22) In We Too Sing America, Deepa Iyer states that the multiple “root causes that lead to hate violence” listed earlier are the “racist and xenophobic attitudes and beliefs we hold about one another”. (Iyer, 23) Iyer goes on to affirm that these root causes for hate violence is only reinforced…

pamphlet. First, reference is made to the honour of the Panth; then it is said that it is not the time to criticise the leaders of the Panth. In both these places, according to the Court, the word "Panth" may conceivably mean the Sikh religion. "But when we go to the use of the word "Panth" in the next sentence, it becomes clear that the said word cannot possibly mean the Sikh religion". The relevant portion of the pamphlet says to the electors to defeat the opponents of the Panth the same way…