NAND KAUR probably the first Indian woman to come to live in Yuba City, California, arrived in the United States as a young, 1 7yearold bride of a Sikh farmer, Pune Singh. The year was 1923.
“In those days Sikhs used to come to Vancouver and you could come to America after passing an eye exam. He came to Chico (California) because when they bought the ticket in Vancouver, nobody knew of any other place in America but Chico”.
It is a far cry from today, when Nand Kaur’s daily schedule involves meeting with women of Yuba City, who come to her for advice. At the age of 80, she is one of the most respected community figures in the small farming; town with Sikh farmers making one thirds of its population.
At 80, Nand Kaur also spends her time taking care of one of her sons, a World War 11 veteran. She visits the local gurdwaras and also participated in the first Sikh demonstration outside the Indian Consulate in San Francisco in 1984 after the Indian Army’s assault on the Golden Temple.
“During depression, with seven children, we had no money in the bank. Even then my husband gave money for the Ghadar Party. When India was attacked by China, we all got together and we gave $26,000 to the Indian Consulate in San Francisco”.
“But now nobody is for India. They go into our Golden Temple when they feel like it. Still sitting there now. And I feel bad about it”, she lamented.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 6, 1987
