California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 20

Introduced by Assembly Members Logue and Perea

February 20, 2013

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 20—Relative to postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 20, as introduced, Logue. Postsecondary education: instruction in world religions: Sikhism.

This measure would recognize the need for the inclusion of Sikhism in world religions, Eastern religions, Asian, and South Asian courses at all postsecondary educational institutions and recommend that the concerned governing bodies consider including Sikhism in their institution’s world religions, Eastern religions, Asian, and South Asian courses.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, California is blessed and enriched by the
unparalleled diversity of our residents; and

WHEREAS, The United States Declaration of Independence
states that all men are created equal, and this truth is emphasized
by Sikh Holy Scriptures through hymns like, “One Father, and we
are children of the One,” and “Recognize ye, all Humanity as the
Same”; and

WHEREAS, Sikh Americans appreciate and enjoy various
citizen’s rights, including the “freedom to worship as you wish.”
Our country is a country of immigrants and a pluralistic society,
with numerous ethnic groups practicing many different religions,
including Sikhism; and

WHEREAS, In our highly diverse state, over 250,000 residents
follow Sikhism, comprising 1⁄3 of the total estimated 750,000 Sikh
population of our country; and

WHEREAS, Dr. D.S. Saund, a Sikh, became a naturalized
United States citizen in December 1949, almost 30 years after
immigrating to the United States in 1920. Dr. Saund first served
as a judge in the Imperial Valley (1952-56) and then became the
first Asian American elected to the United States House of
Representatives in 1956, and other Sikhs have recently served as
members of city councils and as mayors; and

WHEREAS, By dint of their hard work, the Sikhs have
distinguished themselves in many fields, especially in agriculture,
trucking, security services, small family owned businesses, medical
services, engineering, and information technology and science, as
noted in Assembly Concurrent Resolution 181 (Res. Ch. 161, Stats.
2010) and in Assembly Concurrent Resolution 97 (Res. Ch. 60,
Stats. 2012); and

WHEREAS, During the 1915 dedication of the first American
Gurdwara (Stockton Sikh Temple), Professor Pope of the
University of California, Berkeley, described Sikhism as pure and
lofty monotheism, and mentioned the following as Sikhism’s
special features: no castes, no idol worship, equality of women,
tolerance of other religions, free dining, and bravery of Sikh
soldiers in times of war, and the Sikhs have served in all United
States wars since 1917; and

WHEREAS, Guru Nanak (1469-1539) founded Sikhism in
Northwestern India and Sikhism is not a branch of any other
religion. Sikhs now live in most countries and have Gurdwaras in
65 countries, with nine in greater Sacramento alone; and

WHEREAS, Earning their livelihood honestly, sharing their
earnings with the needy, and meditating on the name of the Creator
are the three Pillars of Sikhism. Truthful living, selfless service,
and minimizing the vices and maximizing the virtues are important
preachings of Sikhism; and

WHEREAS, The Sikhs are conspicuous and easy to spot, owing
to their turbans, and have suffered from a disproportionately high
number of hate crimes, including bullying and shooting, in the
misguided backlash of the September 11, 2001, attacks on our
country; and

WHEREAS, The Sikh faith is the fifth largest world religion
after Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, and is the third
largest monotheism, after Christianity and Islam, yet Sikhism is
not included in world religions courses at most postsecondary
educational institutions; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby recognizes the
need for the inclusion of Sikhism in world religions, Eastern
religions, Asian, and South Asian courses at all postsecondary
educational institutions, such as University of California, California
State University, and California Community Colleges systems,
and recommends that the concerned governing bodies consider
including Sikhism in their institutions’ world religions, Eastern
religions and Asian, and South Asian courses; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the author, the Members of the Legislature,
the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the
Academic Senate of the California Community Colleges, the Chief
Academic Officer, the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor for the
California State University, the President and the Executive Vice
President for Academic Affairs of the University of California,
and major Sikh organizations and interested persons.