On the second Sunday of each month members of the lowa Sikh Association gather in the community room at t Clive City Hall to share their ethnic heritage and religious beliefs.

The number that attends is small usually no more than SO. For some the gathering is the only contact they are aliment with other Sikhs.

But that is to be expected since only a families live in central ding to Dr. Kirpal Singh a psychiatrist from Marshalltown and a member of the Sikh community “In the larger cities like Chicago or Kansas City there may be 1000 or more Sikhs” said Dr Singh who practices in both Des Moines and Marshalltown.

They have their own temple in which to worship and are able to meet Weekly for services and the community time which follows. Here we are so spread out that we are only able to get together once a month.”

What Tittle time they can spend together   usually no more than two to three hours is filled with worship fellowship religious education and Support.

Several people present at the April meeting were Hindus A few were Caucasians born in the United States and raised in the Christian faith such  h. B. D. and Lou Ann Dunaway and their two children

Lou Ann Dunaway said she became involved with the faith 11 years ago while dating her husband-to-be who became involved 17 years ago. They were so impressed with its philosophy that they even chose to be married in a traditional Sikh wedding ceremony. “found the religion was really complementary to the values of Christianity” said Dunaway “They respect all religions so they could accept my continued association with my Christian faith. We just celebrate the holidays for both.”

Those attending the April gathering explained that many of the Sikhs who migrated to North America did so to avoid discrimination and persecution caused by their minority status and political unrest

Some left India in the state 1940s and early 1950s after England granted the country its independence in1947.

Others left during the intense wave of anti-Sikh sentiment that followed the 1984 assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi Gandhi’s Sikh bodyguards were accused of the killing

But many at the gathering said they emigrated to pursue a better quality of education than was being offered in India.

Dr. Manmohan Singh 39 is a psychiatrist at Broad lawns Medical Center and a clinical professor at psychiatry at the University of low a Medical School. He said he came to the United States to learn more about the changes in technology and Advances in biological factors related to mental disorders.

Dr Harpal S. Bal of Ames came to the United States in the 1960s for a post-graduate education in veterinary medicine. For the past 30 years he has taught anatomy at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Both said they chose to remain in the United States because there were more opportunities here than would have been available to them as Sikhs living in the predominantly Hindu culture of India

Members of the Sikh community are divided on whether they have experienced any real prejudice or discrimination

Jyoti K. Randhawa 13a student at Marshalltown High School said her classmates treat her no differently than anyone else Daljit Singh who was a high school English teacher in India and now works as a retail clerk for the Younkers at Valley West Mall said she doesn’t believe loans are prejudiced. “Even my associates are surprised at how many people want me to help them because I look different I speak differently they want to talk to me they want to know more about my religion” she said. Gurvinder S. Kapur.33 said he also has found acceptance in Iowa especially from his co-workers at the Principal Financial Group.

At first they didn’t know how to approach Me.” commented Gurvinder “But i started to explain things about my background and my religion and I found they were curious”

Older members of the group said they can remember being treated differently.

Bal said he has known prejudice and discrimination his entire life regardless of culture or geographic location

I was born in Burma and can remember the Catholic priests trying to convert me to Christianity. They wanted me to be “saved” in the afterlife. They pitied me the heathen but I also pitied them for their arrogance Now if pay (people like) them no mind”

Article extracted from this publication >> May 20, 1994