III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 427 

Recognizing the historical, cultural, and religious significance of Sikh 

Americans, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 14, 2019 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. MENENDEZ, and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the historical, cultural, and religious significance 

of Sikh Americans, and for other purposes. 

Whereas Sikhs have been living in the United States for more 

than 120 years, and during the early 20th century, thousands of Sikh Americans worked on farms, in lumber 

mills and mines, and on the Oregon, Pacific, and Eastern 

Railroad; 

Whereas Sikhs in the United States and around the world 

live the values and ideals of equality, service, and devotion to God first preached by the first of the ten living 

gurus and the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak; 

Whereas the devotion of Guru Nanak to spiritual matters led 

him to embark on a 24-year spiritual journey throughout 

South Asia and to places outside South Asia, including 

Tibet, Baghdad, and Mecca; 


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•SRES 427 IS 

Whereas Guru Nanak was the first of the ten living gurus 

whose wisdom is now contained in the Guru Granth 

Sahib, and the teachings of Guru Nanak became the 

basis of Sikhism; 

Whereas 2019 is the year of the 550th birthday of Guru 

Nanak, and Guru Nanak’s Gurpurab, which is one of the 

most important dates in the Sikh calendar, is celebrated 

across the United States and worldwide; 

Whereas Vaisakhi, which is one of the most historically significant days of the year for Sikhs, is celebrated every 

April; 

Whereas Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world, 

and there are more than 25,000,000 Sikhs worldwide and 

more than 750,000 Sikh Americans; 

Whereas Sikh men and women have notably contributed to 

the society of the United States since their arrival in the 

United States in the late 1800s; 

Whereas Sikh Americans pursue diverse professions that add 

to the social, cultural, and economic vibrancy of the 

United States, including by serving as members of the 

Armed Forces and making significant contributions in 

the fields of agriculture, information technology, small 

business, hospitality, trucking, medicine, and technology; 

Whereas Sikh Americans, such as Bhagat Singh Thind, 

served in the Armed Forces during World War I and 

World War II; 

Whereas the first Asian-American Member of Congress, Dalip 

Singh Saund, was a Sikh American elected to office in 

1957; 

Whereas Gurbir Singh Grewal became the first Sikh-American State attorney general in the history of the United 


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•SRES 427 IS 

States when he was confirmed by the State Legislature 

of New Jersey on January 16, 2018; 

Whereas Lieutenant Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal was the first 

observant Sikh to serve in the Harris County Sheriff’s 

Office and was one of the first observant Sikhs in the 

State of Texas to receive a policy accommodation to practice his religion while serving as a police officer, and on 

Friday, September 27, 2019, in Houston, Texas, Lieutenant Dhaliwal was killed by gunfire while serving in the 

line of duty; 

Whereas Sikh-American women, such as Grammy-winning 

artist Snatam Kaur, Officer Gursoach Kaur of the New 

York City Police Department, and Professor Supreet 

Kaur of the University of California, Berkeley, continue 

to make diverse contributions to the United States; 

Whereas the inventor of fiber optics, Dr. Narinder Kapany, 

and the largest peach grower in the United States, Didar 

Singh Bains, are Sikh Americans; 

Whereas Sikh Americans distinguish themselves by fostering 

respect among all people through faith and service; 

Whereas the Senate is committed to educating citizens about 

the religions of the world, the value of religious diversity, 

tolerance grounded in the principles of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, a culture 

of mutual understanding, and the importance of reducing 

violence; and 

Whereas the Senate seeks to further the diversity of its community and afford all residents the opportunity to better 

understand, recognize, and appreciate the rich history 

and shared experiences of Sikh Americans: Now, therefore, be it 


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•SRES 427 IS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the historical, cultural, and reli3 gious significance of the 550th birthday of Guru 

4 Nanak; 

5 (2) recognizes that the teachings of Guru 

6 Nanak on equality and service have inspired millions 

7 of people and can serve as an inspiration for people 

8 of all faiths; 

9 (3) recognizes the invaluable contributions and 

10 sacrifices made by Sikh Americans; 

11 (4) recognizes the discrimination that Sikh 

12 Americans have faced in the United States and 

13 around the world; and 

14 (5) expresses its respect for all Sikhs who prac15 tice their faith. 

Æ 


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