Sikh Canadians

The result of an exhaustive analysis of the beliefs and attitudes among three generations of the Sikh community - and having conducted over 100 interviews - Nayar highlights differences and tensions with regards to the role of familial relations, child rearing, and religion.

The Religions of Canadians is a book about religions and the making of Canada. Drawing on the expert knowledge and personal insights of scholars in history, the social sciences, and the phenomenology of religion, separate chapters introduce the beliefs and practices of nine religious traditions, some mainstream, some less familiar. The opening chapter explores how Aboriginal Canadian traditions continue to thrive after centuries of oppression. Subsequent chapters follow in the footsteps of Catholic and Protestant Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Baha'is as they have made their way to Canada, and reveal how different immigrant communities have adapted their rich religious heritages to a new life in a new land. Each chapter is divided into five sections: an introduction; a succinct overview of the tradition; its passage to and transformation in Canada; a close study of contemporary Canadian communities; and an afterword suggesting possibilities for future research. Chapters conclude with a list of important terms and dates, related websites, a concise bibliography of further readings, and key questions for reflection. The Religions of Canadians is a timely and unique contribution to the field, introducing readers to the religions of the world while simultaneously building an overall picture of the development of Canada's multicultural, pluralist society.

A superbly illustrated book that succinctly describes the social history of the Sikh population in Canada, focusing on their struggles, hardships, and perseverance to live in British Columbia. -BC Historical News

This edited volume discusses how the Punjabi transnational experience has impacted Indian transnationalism and led to a diverse diaspora.

Discover the adventures of Sikh immigrants as they travelled to Canada and how they adapted their way of life into their new surroundings.

Identifying himself as both an Indian and a Canadian but first and foremost a Sikh, Tara Singh has shuttled back and forth between Canada and India for most of his life, finding personal harmony while incorporating two very different countries and cultures into his life. Tara Singh was raised within an amritdhari, or baptised, Sikh tradition in a small village in Punjab, India; his values and identity are firmly rooted in Punjabi Sikh culture. As a child and adolescent he suffered mercilessly from his father's verbal and physical cruelty, but the support that he drew from his village environment and his religion gave him strength. He married, according to traditional practices, the woman that his family had arranged for him to wed. Sponsored by his sister, Tara Singh emigrated to Canada in the early 1950s and settled in British Columbia. He came alone, without his wife and children, as most Punjabis did. His greatest initial shock in Canada was his experience with racism, and its impact on his relatives who tried to persuade him to shave his beard and abandon his turban - two sacred symbols of the Sikh. Refusing to betray his beliefs, he resisted the relentless pressure of his family just as he later fought against the exploitation of immigrants in the saw mills where he worked. Tara Singh became active in fighting for immigrant rights and protecting the Sikh faith in Canada. The Four Quarters of the Night is more than one man's life story: his single voice reveals much about the collective experience of immigrants. Tara Singh's narrative presents an evocative picture of a newcomer's experiences in a land of foreign customs, culture, and religious beliefs. Hugh Johnston, to whom Tara Singh told his story, has created a unique and invaluable document in immigration and ethnic history.

"The book is the tale of an immigrant's arrival in a strange new world, of hostility and insult, of persistence through ups, downs and heartaches, and, finally, of security and finding a place to call home. In that sense, it is as a story as Canadian as, oh, chaat, dal and paneer." -- Toronto Star A riveting, incisive account of some of the most complex politics in modern Canada, from the founder of the World Sikh Organization of Canada. Widely publicized atrocities in the mid-80s came to define Canada's Sikhs: the 1984 assault on the Golden Temple by the Indian military, the assassination of Indira Gandhi and subsequent pogroms that left over 3,000 Sikhs dead in Delhi alone, and the bombing of Air India Flight 182 one year later. In An Uncommon Road Gian Singh Sandhu traces the evolution of Sikhs' place in Canada: from Sikhs' dealing with the assumption of blame for the Air India bombing; to combatting incendiary false news stories; to overcoming rampant disdain by governments in India and at home. Sharing never-before-heard stories, Sandhu offers a remarkable view of some of the most complex modern politics Canadian citizens have ever faced. But struggle can lead to liberation. Over three decades, the World Sikh Organization fought for landmark human rights legislation, from the rights of Sikhs in the RCMP to wear turbans, to campaigning on behalf of religious freedoms for others, and championing the acceptance of gay marriage. An Uncommon Road is the celebration of an extraordinarily resilient people and a moving roadmap for how individuals, and a community, can fight for their own social justice and--in doing so--gain justice for all.

This new and expanded edition offers the most thoroughly researched account of the notorious Komagata Maru incident. The event centres on the ship's nearly four hundred Punjabi passengers, who sought entry into Canada at Vancouver in the summer of 1914, only to be chased away by a Canadian warship. This story became a symbol of prejudicial immigration policies, which Canadians today reject, and served to fuel the emerging anti-British movement in India. It deserves the careful re-examination it gets in this thoroughly updated edition that provides a contemporary perspective on a defining moment in Canadian, British Empire, and Indian history.