JANUARY 2009 Sikhism in America By Janna Charles The month of January features the Sikh celebration of Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Birthday, honoring the Sikh's tenth great master and teacher who sought to abolish the caste system in India by creating a unified community. This unique religious population continues to gain prominence in the United States. Test your knowledge about Sikhism with this quiz! QUESTIONS: Approximately how many Sikhs live in the United States? 2 million 650,000 250,000 Less than 100,000 Which state has the highest number of Sikhs? New York Washington Oregon California Who was the first Sikh elected to the United States House of Representatives? Gurinder Chada Rehat Maryada Dalip Singh Saund Bhagat Singh When was the first Sikh religious temple, called a Gurdwara, built in the United States? 1912 1968 1898 1928 What is the Foundation of Virginia? Created in response to an increase in discrimination against Sikhs in the aftermath of 9/11, this organization works to protect Sikh rights. A non-profit organization established to propagate the teachings of Sikhism and create unity among Sikhs in the United States. An organization established to promote the rights of Sikhs serving in the United States military. An organization that helps Sikh immigrants adjust to American society. What is the Sikh flag called? Khalsa Nishan Sahib Phrera Tiranga The Sikh Coalition argued that the United States Army regulation prohibiting Sikhs from wearing beards or Turbans was a violation of what act? The Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 The Civil Rights Act of 1991 What does the word "Sikh" mean? Understanding Found Disciple Faith In terms of size, where does Sikhism rank among world religions? Twelfth Second Fifth Eighteenth Who founded Sikhism and when? Guru Ramadas in 1000 A.D. Guru Nanak in the 1500s Guru Arjan in the 1850s Guru Arjan in 1000 B.C. Which of these is NOT included in the Five Sins of Ego according to the Sikh religion? Desire Pride Greed Gluttony What is the Sikh Scripture called? Guru Granth Sahib Guru Nanak Nishan Sahib Kara ANSWERS: B. 650,000. Sikhs from India began settling in the United States during the 1800s. According to the 2001 Census, there are more than 650,000 Sikhs currently living in America. This includes public figures such as Bhagat Singh Thind, the first Sikh to be recruited in the American military, and many more who have contributed to the American economy, military and society in general. SOURCE: http://yomi.mobi/egate/Sikhism_in_the_United_States/a D. California. Sikhism is one of the world's largest religions. It is thought to have evolved from Hinduism over the past 500 years. An estimated 250,000 Sikhs call California home. Most are immigrants from the rural Punjab region of India, where the economy is largely agricultural. Many of these recent Punjabi immigrants were attracted to a life of agriculture in the inland valleys of California. In particular, cities such as Bakersfield and Yuba City have become home to a substantial population of Indian American Sikhs. SOURCE: www.weareca.org C. Dalip Singh Saund. Born in a small village in India, Dalip Singh Saund immigrated to the United States in 1920. He became a mathematician, farmer, businessman, judge and finally, the first Sikh to be elected to the United States House of Representatives. SOURCE: www.infoplease.com A. 1912. The first Sikh Gurdwara was built in Stockton, California in 1912, as a result of the joint efforts of Sant Baba Vasakha Singh and Baba Jawala Singh. Land was purchased in September of that year on South Granth Street. A small frame house that was already on the lot was used as the main building.  Sant Baba Vasakha Singh Dadehar and Baba Jawala Singh Thathian of Amritsar Sahib were appointed as the first Granthi Singh Jis of the Gurdwara. SOURCE: http://www.stocktongurdwarasahib.com/2/ B. A non-profit organization established to propagate the teachings of Sikhism and create unity among the Sikhs in the United States.The Sikh Foundation of Virginia (SFOVA) is located in Fairfax Station, Virginia and is organized for charitable, religious, scientific and educational purposes. The organization spreads the teachings of the ten Sikh Gurus and the present guru Granth Sahib. They also coordinate activities with other Sikh institutions in hopes of establishing unity among the Sikh population. SOURCE: http://sfova.org// A. Nishan Sahib. The Sikh Flag is orange, and often flies outside of a Guradwara and bears the Sikh holy symbol. SOURCE: http://www.sikh-history.co.uk/nishan_sahib.htm B. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The Army argued that the Sikh religious practice of wearing turbans and beards would hinder Sikhs ability to meet health, safety and mission requirements, including the use of a gas mask. Though exemption from the policy has been permitted on a case-by-case basis, the Army continues to maintain the regulations. The Sikh Coalition maintains that these exemptions, such as Captain Kalsi in October of 2009, are the beginning of a policy shift that will expand opportunities for Sikhs in the United States Army. SOURCE: http://www.stripes.com http://www.armytimes.com C. Disciple. The word "Sikh" means disciple in Hindi and Sikhism is seen as the path of discipleship. SOURCE: http://www.world-faiths.com/Sikhism/sikhism.htm C. Fifth. Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world. It is also one of the newest and has only been in existence for about 500 years. There are about 25 million Sikhs living around the world. Sikhs live in almost every major country. About half a million Sikhs live in the United States. SOURCE: http://www.about.com B. Guru Nanak in the 1500s. Sikhism began around 1500 A.D, in the northern part of ancient Punjab, which is now part of Pakistan. It originated with the teachings of Guru Nanak who rejected the philosophies of the Hindu society that he grew up in. Refusing to participate in Hindu rites, he argued against the caste system and preached equality of mankind. Denouncing the worship of demi gods and goddesses, Nanak became a traveling minstrel. Going from village to village, he sang in praise of one God. SOURCE: http://www.about.com D. Gluttony. A reoccurring theme in Siri Guru Granth Sahib is that of sanjog (unity) and vigjog (duality). Identifying with homai, the ego, a soul enters the state of separation or duality. The five elements of homai, (ego) are: Kaam -- Desire, Khrodh -- Anger, Lobh -- Greed, Moh -- Attachment, and Ahnkaar -- Pride. These act as clamoring voices to distract, delude, and drive the senses of the individual soul outward into duality, and are the source of sorrowing, struggling, and suffering. SOURCE: http://www.about.com A. Guru Granth Sahib. The Sikh scripture has 1,430 pages in a single volume, called a Granth. The hymns of the Granth are written in raag, a classical musical system. There are 31 raags, each corresponding to a particular time of day. The Guru Granth is the eternal Guru of the Sikhs and may never be replaced by a human being. The scripture is formally referred to as "Siri Guru Granth Sahib,",meaning respected scripture of the supreme enlightener. The text is called Gurbani, or the Guru's word. The original manuscripts of the Granth are handwritten in the Gurmukhi script. The words are strung together to form an unbroken line. This ancient connected way of writing is called laridar meaning linked. Modern text separates individual words and is called Pad ched, or cut text. Modern day publishers print the sacred scripture of Guru Granth both ways. SOURCE: www.about.com http://www.swarganga.org/articles/icmconcepts/icm6.php http://sikhism.about.com/od/glossary/g/Gurbani.htm http://sikhism.about.com/b/2008/07/07/learning-gurmukhi-script.htm TAKE MORE QUIZZES! Search for a variety of topics in our Cultural Diversity at Work Archive. Here are some to get you started! Holiday Diversity Different cultural celebrations all around the world “In God We Trust”: How many gods do we trust? back to top

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