Sikhs of New Jersey
The Pioneers from Punjab
Surinder Kaur Puar
Sikhs of New Jersey: The Pioneers from Punjab travels through more than a century of time. It escorts the reader back to the struggles of pioneer Sikhs who suffered torture and racial discrimination at the hands of Canadian and West Coast Americans while trying to establish themselves as a Sikh American immigrant community. Indian Sikh migration to the East Coast of America was more favorable because of the relaxed immigration laws, and the migrants to that area quickly became assimilated, thus allowing them to pursue higher education and better career opportunities.
This book clearly describes how a handful of New Jersey Sikh families established a vibrant community and a place of worship through their farsightedness, determination and valor in the early 1970s. The internal conflicts of the Sikh Gurdwara management, the writer points out, are in no way unique to the Sikhs; they inflict all religious places. Even though the author rarely suggests solutions, she is hoping that the younger, educated generation will take a proactive lead in the management of their Gurdwaras and find answers to the challenges which they will face in the future. It is no coincidence that the publication of this book is occurring in the year 2019, the year of the 550th birth celebration of Guru Nanak. It is intended to bring home the universal message of Baba Nanak to all humanity that Ik On Kaar—the same light—spirit prevails in each of us and LOVE is the way to reach within!
Surinder Kaur Puar is also the author of Light of Santpura, Mother’s Day Bliss and Punjabi Language Simplified. She hopes to inspire all other Sikh Gurdwara Sangat and Interfaith Communities to write their own stories to preserve their past for future generations.
Table of Contents
Preface
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Chapter One - The Sikhs
Chapter Two - Brief History of Punjab
Chapter Three - Sikh-Punjabi Migration to the United States
Chapter Four - The Garden State Sikh Association [GSSA]
Chapter Five - Gurdwara Building Purchase (1979)
Chapter Six - Khalsa School
Chapter Seven - Management Committees from 1981-2018
Chapter Eight - Community Outreach
Chapter Nine - Senior Programs
Chapter Ten - Sikh Women
Chapter Eleven - Dignitaries
Chapter Twelve - Sikh Gurdwaras & Organizations
Chapter Thirteen - Sikh Diaspora in North America and New Jersey
Epilogue
Glossary
Notes
Index
Endorsements
“As one of the matriarchs of the Sikhs of New Jersey, Surinder Kaur Puar has been an eyewitness to its growth from a fledgling community to one of the most significant centers of Sikh leadership in the diaspora. This is an important work which documents the story of a group of very successful immigrant pioneers in America.”– Sarbpreet Singh, author of The Camel Merchant of Philadelphia and writer/narrator of "The Story of the Sikhs" podcast
“I have known Surinder Kaur Puar since early 1970s. She had been active, not just raising three kids of her own, but very active in the Sikh Community and its children as the Sikh Community was growing rapidly in New Jersey. Surinder was one of the three ladies from the community who took the responsibility to start the Sunday School. They together provided a good springboard to move forward in a big way. During later years, Surinderdeveloped her own hidden talent to write books. With this background, I have full confidence that Surinder has given an accurate history starting about 1970 of the Sikh Community in New Jersey. I highly recommend its reading.” – Harbhajan Singh Nayar, Ph.D.
“Sikhs of New Jersey: The Pioneers from Punjab is a story authored by Surinder Kaur Puar whose time has come; else, it will be lost forever. GSSA is a microcosm of success, struggles and hopes of people who strive to give their best and at the same time preserve the best of their past for future generations.” – CJ Singh, GSSA Sangat Member
“History of New Jersey Sikh immigrants and their first Gurdwara in the service of the Greater New Jersey and Tri-State Sikh community immortalizes the struggle and the triumphs of the Sikh diaspora in all North America. The book will fascinate all readers but particularly the Sikh millennials. They will not only find a valuable biography of a nation in the new land but the endurance and imagination that their ancestors so frequently exhibited first to survive and then to excel.”– Harbans Lal, Ph.D.; D.Litt. (Honors)
Emeritus Professor and Chairman, Dept of Pharmacology & Neuroscience
U. North Texas Health Science Center
“The author Surinder Kaur Puar of Sikhs of New Jersey: The Pioneers from Punjab raises some crucial and valued thought provoking points for the Sikh community and leadership to focus on in three Sikhi spirited areas. First, the involvement of progressive-minded, energetic and educated younger generation to manage their institutions; second, outreach to Interfaith communities; and third, in addition to feeding the Sangat, take Langar Sewa out of the Gurdwaras to feed the homeless America. This book is must read for every Sikh and non-Sikh.” – Bachittar Singh Head Granthi at GSSA since 1996
Specifications
Format: 6" x 9" paperback printed on permanent acid-free paper
Pages:208, including Preface, Foreward, Introduction, Acknowledgments, Thirteen Chapters, Epilogue, Glossary, Notes and Index. Includes illustrations of relevant people, locations and documents.
ISBN 10: 1-939995-32-9
ISBN 13: 978-1939995-32-2
LCCN: 2019011537
Price: $21.95 (Bulk order rates are available upon request)
About the Author
Surinder Kaur Puar A graduate of Punjab University, Surinder emigrated to the United States in 1966 in order to join her husband, Dr. Mohindar Singh Puar. She is one of the founding families of the Garden State Sikh Association, the first Sikh Gurdwara in Bridgewater, New Jersey. She cofounded the Khalsa School at the Gurdwara Sahib in 1974. Her passion for language learning and teaching connected her with the non-profit educational organization Literacy Volunteers of America, and eventually at Sant Baba Bhag Singh University at Jallandhar, Punjab, India where she spends a couple of months each year training teachers and inspiring students.
She spent most of her career years working for the Resource Center for Women and Their Families, an organization dedicated to educating and preventing domestic violence amongst families. The last decade of her life has been spent writing in order to preserve the past for posterity, among many of her other pursuits.
This product was added to our catalog on Tuesday 27 August, 2019.
