Tod Rasmussen/The Reporter Members of the Punjabi American Cultural Association work on posters for their cultural festival to be held in Fairfield on Saturday.

Sharing a Heritage

By Barbara Smith/Reporter Staff

Every day, Sikh-American Gurpreet Dhugga wears his sky blue turban to his job as a physician at Kaiser Permenente Medical Center in Fairfield.

But in the days following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as fear gripped the nation, local Sikhs found themselves being mistaken for extremist Muslims.

Dhugga, 36, decided to explain about the significance of his turban to his staff and colleagues.

"The response was so positive and enthusiastic, I felt that we should do it on a larger scale," said Dhugga, a native of Punjab, India, who now lives in Green Valley.

Eleven other Sikh-American professionals and businessmen who worship at the rural Fairfield Guru Nanak Sikh Temple agreed and formed the Punjabi American Cultural Association. The initial goal was to educate the public in order to counter the backlash Sikhs endured following 9/11.

"We have such a rich heritage and culture, and we feel very proud of who we are. We need to tell people about it, and we want to remove any misunderstandings," Dhugga said. The images of turbaned terrorists on television screens in American homes created the misunderstanding and fostered hate crimes against Sikhs, Dhugga said, noting that no major hate crimes occurred in Solano County.

But one Sikh was murdered in Arizona, and people working in convenience stores and out in the public had a very tough time doing their jobs, he said.

"It's was our responsibility to educate people about ourselves," Dhugga said. "We have to act proactively to avoid any further misunderstandings. If we keep up with our efforts, we will be able to be a part of mainstream America when the people look at the person, not the appearance."

Nearly two years later, the association has worked tirelessly to achieve that mission - to educate mainstream America about Punjabi culture and Sikhism, and educate young Sikhs about their heritage, Dhugga said.

"We keep growing, and I think if we are able to achieve our objectives, Solano County could be a very ideal place for Sikhs to live in," he said. "We know it's not going to be easy, and needs continuous efforts for years and years."

While the association does not claim to be a religious organization, the Sikh religion has a profound effect on the Punjabi culture, Dhugga said.

Punjab - which means land of five rivers - is a state in northwest India, bordered by Pakistan on the west and Jammu and Kashmir on the north. Punjabis have been emigrating to America and California for more than 100 years. Today, there are an estimated 500,000 living in the United States, and at least 700 families in Solano County. Most Punjabis practice Sikhism, a monotheistic religion originating 500 years ago in India.

Dhugga said Punjabis can be found in every part of India and the world, and "they are always successful" people.

"Wherever they go, the Punjabi people, with their nature - of accepting new challenges and overcoming them - has helped them to go anywhere and be successful."

The group's first effort to connect with mainstream American was to host "A Cultural Evening" on the anniversary of Sept. 11 that was dedicated to 9/11 victims. It was a successful event and helped them reach their objectives, Dhugga said.

This year, they are hosting a "Punjabi Heritage Festival" on Sept. 6 at the Fairfield Center for Creative Arts with a similar aim.

Meanwhile, the association has donated books on Sikhism and the Punjabi culture to the Fairfield Public Library, and plan on donating the same to all libraries. On the event of the Sikh Vaisakhi celebration, they donated nearly 3,000 pounds of food to the Solano County Food Bank.

"We organized the food drive to show our tradition of helping needy people. It was just a way of expressing our beliefs and values, and we are planning to continue it as a yearly event," Dhugga said.

The ultimate goal of the association is to pave the way for Sikhs to enjoy the freedom of American culture, while at the same time keeping their identity, Dhugga said.

"I'm American, but I am very proud of my heritage and my rich culture," Dhugga said. "I feel like I have the freedom to pursue my beliefs and my values, to teach my kids about the history of Punjabis and Sikh people, and still live a life as an American.

"This is our country now, but we need to keep our roots intact," he said.

For more information about the Punjabi American Cultural Association, visit their Web site at www.pacassociation.org.

Barbara Smith can be reached at dixon@thereporter.com.