,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #abad  ,,in ,,the ,,house    
,,of ,,representatives  ,november #ab1  
#bjbj,mr4 ,costa 7for himself and ,mr4  
,garamendi7 submitted the following     
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,oversight and ,reform    
,,resolution  ,recognizing the          
accomplishments and contributions of    
,sikh ,americans and ,sikhs worldwide4  
,whereas ,sikhism was founded by ,guru  
,nanak who exhorted to his followers    
to-- 7#a7 remember ,god2  7#b7 earn     
their living by honest means2 and  7#c7 
share it with the less fortunate2       
,whereas ,guru ,nanak proclaimed that   
all men and women are equal1 and        
criticized caste inequality and other   
forms of social injustice2 ,whereas     
#bjai marked the #eejth anniversary of  
the birth of ,guru ,nanak2 ,whereas     
,sikhism teaches peace1 reconciliation1 
and overcoming differences to build     
community2 ,whereas ,sikhism is the     
world's fifth largest religion1 with    

more than #be1jjj1jjj followers         
worldwide and about #a1jjj1jjj in the   
,united ,states2 ,whereas ,sikhs first  
arrived in the ,united ,states in #ahii1
 and many early pioneers worked to build
 the ,nation's railroads and other      
pieces of critical infrastructure2      
,whereas1 by #aiaj1 many ,sikh pioneers 
had begun agriculture enterprises and   
helped feed the people of the ,united   
,states2 ,whereas the first ,sikh       
gurdwara was established in ,stockton1  
,california1 in #aiab1 and continues to 
operate in the present day2 ,whereas    
there are now more than #bjj gurdwaras  
in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas ,sikhs 
have fought courageously for and        
alongside the ,united ,states in every  
conflict since ,world ,war ,i2 ,whereas 
despite these undeniable contributions  
to ,american society1 ,sikhs have faced 
discrimination in the ,united ,states2  
,whereas ,world ,war ,i veteran ,bhagat 
,singh ,thind courageously campaigned   
for the right of ,sikhs and ,east       

,indians to become citizens1 but was    
denied this right by the ,supreme ,court
 in the #aibc case ,united ,states v4   
,bhagat ,singh ,thind2 ,whereas         
legislation to authorize ,sikhs and     
other ,east ,indian immigrants to       
naturalize as ,united ,states citizens  
was not enacted until #aidf2 ,whereas1  
in #aieg1 ,dalip ,singh ,saund became   
the first ,sikh ,american1 the first    
,indian ,american1 and the first ,asian 
,american elected to the ,united ,states
 ,house of ,representatives2 ,whereas   
,sikh ,americans today still face       
attacks on their identity and culture1  
including hate crimes that tragically   
claim lives1 as in ,elk ,grove1         
,california1 in #bjaa and ,oak ,creek1  
,wisconsin1 in #bjab2 ,whereas despite  
this troubling history1 ,sikh ,americans
 today have overcome these challenges to
 become successful in all aspects of    
,american life and openly celebrate     
their culture through events at         
gurdwaras1 parades1 and festivals2      

,whereas members of the ,sikh community 
continue to make outstanding            
contributions to the economic vibrancy  
of the region in industries including   
agriculture1 transportation1 education1 
medicine1 and retail2 ,whereas the ,sikh
 community's generous philanthropy has  
assisted many and serves as a testimony 
of the commitment of ,sikhs to the      
teachings of ,guru ,nanak and their love
 of country2 ,whereas ,sikh elected     
officials increasingly and proudly      
represent their respective communities  
in public office2 ,whereas the patriotic
 efforts of ,lieutenant ,colonel ,kamal 
,kalsi helped open the door to ,sikhs   
serving their country in the ,armed     
,forces while maintaining their         
religious traditions and culture2       
,whereas an increasing number of ,sikh  
young people have been inspired by      
,lieutenant ,colonel ,kalsi's example   
and have enlisted in the ,armed ,forces 
in recent years2 and ,whereas ,sikh     
,americans have been an invaluable part 

of the ,united ,states for more than a  
century1 and the ,sikh ,american        
community continues to make unique      
cultural contributions that enrich the  
diversity of ,american life3 ,now1      
therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of    
,representatives-- 7#a7 recognizes the  
discrimination that ,sikhs have faced   
and continue to face in the ,united     
,states and elsewhere1 and condemns all 
acts of bias and hatred against the     
,sikh community2  7#b7 expresses its    
respect and gratitude for the           
contributions of all ,sikh ,americans1  
both historically and in the present    
day2 and  7#c7 encourages all ,americans
 to recognize and celebrate the unique  
history and culture of the ,sikh        
community4