澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图

New Archive Provides 1-Stop Access to Vital Resources on California鈥檚 Punjabi American Community

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Photo: Page from a diary
A page from Hari Singh Everest’s Diary tracing his journey from the Punjab to the Stockton temple in 1955. Courtesy of the Everest family.

Quick Summary

  • More than 100 years of history shared through videos, photos, diaries
  • The archive will be a resource for academic researchers, K-12 educators, and the general public

In the late 19th century, people from the Punjab region in north India, known as the Land of Five Rivers, began settling in the Sacramento Valley and other parts of rural California, farming the land that reminded them of home. Despite the many challenges these pioneers faced in a new land, they built a thriving community.

The history and ongoing vibrancy of Yuba City鈥檚 Punjabi American community 鈥 one of the largest rural South Asian communities outside India 鈥 is celebrated with the launch of the by the University of California, Davis.

The digital archive seeks to share the stories and contributions to California of these pioneering Punjabi Americans and their descendants through more than 700 video interviews, speeches, diaries, articles and photographs.

鈥淚t is important to save and share the rich history of the South Asian pioneers in California,鈥 said Nicole Ranganath, a lecturer in the 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 Middle East/South Asia Studies Program. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a vital part of California history that鈥檚 virtually unknown.鈥

Ranganath created the archive in collaboration with the Punjabi American Heritage Society in Yuba City. The project also builds on the decades of research about the Punjabi pioneers gathered by Ted Sibia, a former 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 librarian.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very inspiring story, one that not enough people know about,鈥 said Dr. Jasbir Singh Kang, Punjabi American Heritage Society co-founder. 鈥淲ith a world class institution like 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 involved, it definitely takes us to a higher level.鈥

With its roots as an agricultural university and proximity to Yuba City, 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 is the appropriate home for the archive.

鈥淭he community has such strong ties to 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图, through agricultural innovations from new peach varieties to farming technology,鈥 Ranganath said. 鈥淭he university has been so integral to their livelihood and so many people from that community have also attended 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图.鈥

The archive will be a resource for academic researchers, K-12 educators and the general public. The Middle East/South Asia Studies, or ME/SA, program is partnering with the California History-Social Science Project to train K-12 teachers to use the archive in California history courses.

Among the dozen people featured in the archive are:

  • Didar Singh Bains, the best known member of Yuba City鈥檚 Punjabi American community and one of the largest peach growers in the world, known as 鈥淭he Peach King.鈥
  • Hari Singh Everest, a writer and teacher whose extensive diaries, writings, and video and audio interviews form a core part of the archive.
  • Dr. Jasbir Singh Kang, a passionate community activist whose speeches, media appearances and writings promote greater cross-cultural understanding, and address pressing issues facing the Punjabi American community, especially after 9/11.
  • Dr. Gurdev Khush, a 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 adjunct professor in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, known for his pioneering work in rice breeding and winner of the 1996 World Food Prize.

鈥淧unjabis are a vibrant and influential community in California,鈥 said Khush, who gave the keynote address at the archive launch.

鈥淒uring their 120-year presence here Punjabi Americans have made remarkable contributions to agriculture, technology, engineering, medicine and academic professions,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he archive is a valuable resource for historians, academicians and the community in general.鈥

The digital archive will also contribute to connecting the ME/SA program to the region鈥檚 various South Asian communities.

"The ME/SA program is excited to showcase this rich archive of the history and dynamism of the Punjabi community in California,鈥欌 said Smriti Srinivas, a professor and director of the program. 鈥淲e hope to engage with other South Asian communities in meaningful ways in the future."

Media Resources

Nicole Ranganath, Middle Eastern/South Asian Studies Program, (530) 754-8945, nranganath@ucdavis.edu

Jeffrey Day, College of Letters and Science, Division of Social Sciences, 530-219-8258, jaaday@ucdavis.edu

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