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Territorial Dispatch

‘Time to Toot Our Horns,’ Sikhs Advise Commission

Oct 30, 2024 08:43AM ● By Shamaya Sutton
Attendees of the area's first “Sikh Listening Session” gather in Ettl Hall in Yuba City on Oct. 22. Photo by Yee Xiong [5 Images] Click Any Image To Expand

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - The area's first “Sikh Listening Session” was held Oct. 22 at Ettl Hall in Yuba City.

This special session aimed to gather more data on the Sikh community, noting their specific concerns and accomplishments to better advise California's current governor and legislature.

“This is the first time we’re doing something that's solely specifically around the Punjabi community,” said Rajan Gill, a historian and professor at Yuba College and commissioner for the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA). “The cool thing about Yuba City is that in this area, the Punjab community really represents the community of the entire state. So just by coming here, you can learn so much and get so many insights.”

Gill was joined by his fellow commissioner Dr. David Yee, a sixth-generation Californian and physician, as well as Khydeeja Alam, the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs’ executive director, and Dr. Larissa Estes, executive director of the Racial Equity Commission.

“The California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs and the Racial Equity Commission is elated to partner with the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) and the Punjabi American Heritage Society to convene a space for our community members and elected officials in the region,” Alam said. “What we heard from the convening, among other issues, is that they need access to more local and state resources that are culturally relevant. CAPIAA remains committed to meeting the community where they are and ensuring their concerns are addressed.”

Approximately 30 residents attended, many of whose roots in the Yuba-Sutter community go back 50 years or longer. Interns from culture education groups, such as the West Coast Sikh Youth Alliance, were present as were a handful of prominent community leaders and media representatives from throughout the greater Sacramento area.

“Rajan Gill, who is native to Yuba City and a Yuba College professor, played the biggest role in gathering the Sikh community leaders and members together and has championed this work for a long time,” said Yee Xiong, the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs’ manager of communications and external affairs. “It was his idea to bring the listening session to Yuba City to hear the needs and views of the Sikh Punjabi community.”

Each attendee was given an opportunity to introduce themselves and the reason for their attendance, many of which were eager to share. However, for privacy and safety purposes, it was asked by Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs members that their identities be kept secret. After the introductions, the meeting officially started with a series of questions.

Question One: “What are you proud of about this community?”

Guests cited being proud of their resilience and prosperity as a culture and acknowledged the generosity of their surrounding community. They loved the location, being close to both the ocean and mountains as well as to one another. Additionally, they appreciated the resources available to them such as the Sikh Family Center and a Sikh Community Center, located at 820 Plaza Way, Yuba City.

“Yuba City is like a village,” stated one attendee. “More like a village for me than a city.”

Recent progress in expanding access to cultural dances and music seemed to bolster this sense of connection and belonging. Residents were also pleased with Punjabi language representation and translative services provided by the public school systems here and in voting.

“You wouldn’t see that anywhere else in America,” stated another attendee and local educator

Question Two: “If you could improve one thing about your community to make it stronger, what would it be?”

The overall concerns brought up here revolved around education, representation, funding and support. While bullying in schools and in the community over cultural headwear, skin color and religion seems to have subsided a bit over the past 10 to 20 years, residents said educating the public on the robust Sikh/ Indian population present in Yuba-Sutter is vital.

Many said that their history and contributions have not been adequately acknowledged. There was a great push to develop a regional info center such as those established for the local Hmong, Chinese and Hispanic populations. Through this discussion, it was revealed that active participation in the state census could help generate the data needed to secure funding for this type of endeavor. The biggest disconnect was not knowing what steps to take and who to approach to get support. Implementing more administrative guidance or perhaps a liaison for specific community needs and projects was posed as a possible solution.

Other issues revolved around women's health, homelessness, domestic violence and the nutritional needs of senior citizens, especially those with vegetarian diets who cannot cook or access public food programs due to their dietary restrictions.

Question Three: “What do you think are the top three priorities for the Punjab community and what can the state do to support those priorities?”

Again, education came up as a top contender. Attendees said that the historical significance of the Indian, Punjab and/or Sikh community in Yuba-Sutter has largely been overlooked, including the positive economic impact that they have on the region. The annual Sikh festival was brought up as one such example, an event that brings in thousands of people and floods the local economy with business. It was said that many have incorrectly assumed this was a tax burden to Yuba City when in fact it is funded entirely by the local Sikh community.

Another priority to address was racial discrimination based on misinformed stereotypes. The terrorist attacks that occurred in America on 9/11 sent a wave of racism across the United States that had immense implications on the local Sikh-Indian community. A lack of education on their religion, cultural attire and geographical origins has given way to many hateful prejudices and associations to unrelated cultures and countries.

The Sikh/Indian community also plays a vital role in local agriculture and medical services which they said is not represented historically or politically. Alongside education comes an equal need for access to grants and resources with a plea for guidance. Classes on voting and registration came up as a possible solution. When the group was asked if they could identify one priority for the year, “execution” was used to summarize their goal to identify resources and perhaps elect a community liaison.

“In some ways, we are a silent minority of our own making,” stated one commenter. “It's time to toot our horns a bit.”

The Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs was formally established in 2004 and has since been providing listening sessions across California. The group stated that it will continue to do so to hear the needs of the diverse Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community. This listening session was a joint effort between the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs and the Racial Equity Commission, which plan to partner up again in Fresno for another Listening Session.