STOCKTON, Calif. — The streets of Stockton are filled with vibrant colors of pageantry and the aroma of South Asian street food for the annual celebration of Vaisakhi during the second week of April. It’s one of the biggest Sikh celebrations in California.
The event honors the spiritual leaders who unified Sikhs more than 500 years ago and formalized the faith. At the center of the religion is the equality of all humankind.
Sikhism started as a small faith in Punjab, India, with a heavy emphasis on social justice, but today is one of the largest religions and is found all over the world.
A gurdwara, also known by many as the Stockton Sikh Temple, is a building founded in 1912 by Punjabi immigrants and farmers from the Central Valley.
“This is the first gurdwara, the first building for Sikhs in the United States,” said gurdwara historian, Tejpaul Singh Bainiwal.
For many who attend the Stockton gurdwara, the building is more than just a place of worship. It’s a community center, an educational institution and a museum. More importantly, this building was part of the largest independence movement for Sikhs in India.
“It started here, and they went back and fought. Over 5,000 people went back and fought for the independence of India,” said former gurdwara president, Manjit Singh Uppal.
For more than 200 years British colonialism ruled over much of India by controlling politics, land and resources. Sikhs in Punjab were different. The British needed them to fight in their military.
“The British knew they were warriors and fighters, and the British needed soldiers,” said Uppal.
Many Sikhs left Punjab in the late 1800s in search of a better life. Some ended up in Stockton.
“A lot of them were laborers; they worked in lumber mills, the fields,” said Bainiwal.
Sikhs were not always treated kindly in California. At the time, a series of discriminatory laws were in the process of being enacted which targeted Asian immigrants, including Sikhs.
“Eight or nine months after purchasing this land in south Stockton, California passed the Alien Land Law Act which prohibited Asians from owning land so we beat it by a few months,” said Bainiwal.
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Sikh farmers and laborers across California donated time and money to build the Stockton gurdwara, which opened in 1912. Over in India, a revolution was starting. The goal was to become independent of British rule.
“When we came to America, that’s when we realized what freedom is. That’s what our guru was teaching us: what freedom looks like,” said Uppal.
The Stockton gurdwara became a site of activism. Sikhs in California met in the building and strategized how to protect and empower their home state of Punjab.
“Respected speakers from across the world would come here to talk about freedom, talk about sovereignty,” said Bainiwal.
Activism in the Stockton Gurdwara significantly helped Sikhs, and ultimately India, gain independence from British rule in 1947. Still, the independence didn’t make life easier for Sikhs in the United States.
“I believe the most recent FBI report shows that Sikhs are among the most targeted religious communities in the U.S.,” said Bainiwal.
Before and especially after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the Sikh community has been confused with terrorist groups because they cover their heads or wear turbans.
“When the Iran crisis happened in Jimmy Carter's years, we were called Iranian. Then when Iraq happened, we were Iraqis. Same with Afghans, so we are thrown into any group,” said Bainiwal.
Sikhs have fought discrimination and racism since the religion was formed in the 15th century. One way they fight back is by taking the time to learn.
“'Sikh' ultimately means 'student,'" said Bainiwal. "So Sikhs are ultimately lifelong learners."
One reason Sikhs wear head coverings or turbans is to signify equality. Sikhs believe if everyone is equal, then it is easier to break bread together and talk about their differences.
That’s why every day the Stockton gurdwara welcomes the community to a free dinner. It’s a chance for anyone to learn about Sikhism and for Sikhs to learn about their neighbors as equals.
“It doesn’t matter if they are a doctor, laborer, agricultural worker or teacher, everyone comes to the ground and breaks the same meal together,” said Bainiwal.
The Stockton gurdwara is more than a building; it represents history and freedom for the Sikh community.
“Just sitting here and thinking about the conversations here. I mean, to be a fly on these walls 100 years ago gives me goosebumps today,” said Bainiwal.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Why the largest gathering of Sikhs outside of India gathered in Yuba City
