Assembly Concurrent Resolution
No. 20
CHAPTER 23
Relative to postsecondary education.
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Filed with
Secretary of State
May 01, 2013.
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LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 20, Logue.
Postsecondary education: instruction in world religions: Sikhism.
This measure would recognize the need for the inclusion of Sikhism in world religions, Eastern religions, Asian, and South Asian courses at all postsecondary educational institutions and advise the concerned academic governing bodies, deans, and department chairs to include Sikhism in their institution’s world religions, Eastern religions, Asian, and South Asian courses.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
NO WHEREAS, California is blessed and enriched by the unparalleled diversity of our residents; and
WHEREAS, The United States Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal, and this truth is emphasized by Sikh Holy Scriptures through hymns like, “One Father, and we are children of the One,” and “Recognize ye, all Humanity as the Same”; and
WHEREAS, Sikh Americans appreciate and enjoy various citizen’s rights, including the “freedom to worship as you wish.” Our country is a country of immigrants and a pluralistic society, with numerous ethnic groups practicing many different religions, including Sikhism; and
WHEREAS, In our highly diverse state, over 250,000 residents follow Sikhism, comprising 1/3 of the total estimated 750,000 Sikh population of our country; and
WHEREAS, Dr. D.S. Saund, a Sikh, became a naturalized United States citizen in December 1949, almost 30 years after immigrating to the United States in 1920. Dr. Saund first served as a judge in the Imperial Valley (1952–56) and then became the first Asian American elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1956, and other Sikhs have recently served as members of city councils and as mayors; and
WHEREAS, By dint of their hard work, the Sikhs have distinguished themselves in many fields, especially in agriculture, trucking, security services, small family owned businesses, medical services, engineering, and information technology and science, as noted in Assembly Concurrent Resolution 181 (Res. Ch. 161, Stats. 2010) and in Assembly Concurrent Resolution 97 (Res. Ch. 60, Stats. 2012); and
WHEREAS, During the 1915 dedication of the first American Gurdwara (Stockton Sikh Temple), Professor Pope of the University of California, Berkeley, described Sikhism as pure and lofty monotheism, and mentioned the following as Sikhism’s special features: no castes, no idol worship, equality of women, tolerance of other religions, free dining, and bravery of Sikh soldiers in times of war, and the Sikhs have served in all United States wars since 1917; and
WHEREAS, Guru Nanak (1469–1539) founded Sikhism in Northwestern India and Sikhism is not a branch of any other religion. Sikhs now live in most countries and have Gurdwaras in 65 countries, with nine in greater Sacramento alone; and
WHEREAS, Earning their livelihood honestly, sharing their earnings with the needy, and meditating on the name of the Creator are the three Pillars of Sikhism. Truthful living, selfless service, and minimizing the vices and maximizing the virtues are important preachings of Sikhism; and
WHEREAS, The Sikhs are conspicuous and easy to spot, owing to their turbans, and have suffered from a disproportionately high number of hate crimes, including bullying and shooting, in the misguided backlash of the September 11, 2001, attacks on our country; and
WHEREAS, The Sikh faith is the fifth largest world religion after Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, and is the third largest monotheism, after Christianity and Islam, yet Sikhism is not included in world religions courses at most postsecondary educational institutions; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby recognizes the need for the inclusion of Sikhism in world religions, Eastern religions, Asian, and South Asian courses at all postsecondary educational institutions, such as University of California, California State University, and California Community Colleges systems, and advises the concerned academic governing bodies, deans, and department chairs to include Sikh culture and faith in their institutions’ world religions, Eastern religions, Asian, and South Asian courses; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author, the Members of the Legislature, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the Academic Senate of the California Community Colleges, the Chief Academic Officer, the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor for the California State University, the President and the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University of California, for further transmission to the deans of humanities and chairs of philosophy and religious studies departments, and major Sikh organizations and interested persons.