As students study the impact of immigrants and the development of the United States, regionally and as a whole, early South Asian immigration should be discussed. Early South Asian immigrants played a significant role in the nation’s economic and agricultural development, especially in California. Early South Asian immigrants formed their own communities and created unique communities with other marginalized communities around them, such as Black, Mexican, and Puerto Rican communities. This lesson focuses on the experiences and impact of these early South Asian Americans.

Students will be able to:

This lesson can be completed in one instructional session or over a period of 1-2 weeks. Here are options for lesson implementation:

From 1899 to 1913, almost 7,000 immigrants from South Asia came to the United States. Many of these early South Asian immigrants came from Punjab. Punjab is the northern region of South Asia. Most of these Punjabi immigrants were Sikh. They belonged to peasant families. They had little education. They spoke little English. So, they had limited work opportunities. Many worked in the lumber mills in British Columbia and Washington. Others helped build railroads and worked on farms in California’s Central Valley.

South Asian immigrants excelled as laborers and farmers. Soon after they arrived, they were seen as an economic threat. They were accused of taking away jobs from white men. As such, they faced hate and violence. For example, in Washington, the Bellingham riots of 1907 took place. A mob of 400-500 white men attacked the South Asians living in Bellingham. They drove South Asian immigrants out of town.

South Asian immigrants faced much discrimination. But they found ways to overcome it. They built community for safety and for power. Pushed out of Washington state, many South Asian immigrants worked on farms in California’s Central Valley. In 1915, South Asian leaders built a Sikh Gurdwara, or temple, in Stockton, California.

The Stockton Gurdwara was the first Sikh temple in the United States. It was hugely important to the South Asian immigrant community in California. It was more than a church. It was a meeting place. It was a dining hall. It was a political center. It provided support and services. It also nurtured South Asian political leaders that made an impact on American politics. For example, Dalip Singh Saund was the Secretary of the Stockton Gurdwara. He then was elected as the first Sikh and Asian American U.S. Congressman in 1957.

In 1947, South Asian American immigrant leaders in California’s Imperial Valley built the second gurdwara in the United States. (Today, there are over 50 gurdwaras in California.) South Asian immigrants were recruited to develop the Imperial Valley. They were expert farmers in India. They applied their knowledge to California. For example, they used water from the Colorado River to irrigate California’s desert lands. They improved other farming techniques. They helped make California fertile.

South Asian immigrant farmers were doing well. But, racist laws banned them from owning land. So, South Asian immigrants had to find ways to transfer their property to others. Some made deals with white farmers, bankers, and lawyers who held land in their names. Some fought for their rights in courts.

Racist laws also banned South Asian immigrants from marrying white women. At the same time, racist laws banned South Asians from immigrating. Unable to bring wives from India, some South Asian immigrants in California married Mexican women and had children. There were many benefits to such marriages. First, their children could legally own land. Second, they created a distinct Punjabi-Mexican culture. For example, these families tended to speak Spanish. But, they ate South Asian foods. Descendants of these Punjabi-Mexican marriages are still thriving today.

To get around the immigration ban, South Asian leaders from Stockton helped South Asians enter the United States through Mexico. They created special maps that showed safe travel routes. The maps also showed networks and resources.

Other South Asians came to the U.S. through British ships they worked on. They would leave the ship when it got to the U.S. and live in that city or move to a different city. These men were Muslim peddlers from the Bengali area of South Asia. They sold “exotic” items that were popular at the time. They lived with other non-white communities in cities like Detroit, New Orleans, and New York City. These men also could not bring wives from South Asia or marry white women. So, they married and created families with Puerto Rican women or Black women. These South Asians also helped other South Asians who entered the United States. There are still many South Asians in these cities today.

South Asian immigrants overcame discrimination and contributed greatly to U.S. culture, politics, and economy, especially through their success in farming. Today, Punjabi American-owned farms produce over half of the country’s raisins and almonds. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture, the United States is the world’s largest producer of almonds, 80 percent share of world almond production and nearly 90 percent share of trade. The U.S. exported $4.7 billion of almonds in 2020.

Students will be introduced to South Asia and South Asian Americans. The second part of the activity will begin to introduce the history of South Asian farmers in California.

Students will learn about the challenges early South Asian immigrants faced and how they overcame those challenges through community power and support using the example of South Asians in Stockton.

This activity offers two options for teachers to use to have students further build their knowledge and grow their understanding of the lasting and ongoing impact of South Asian Americans.

Teachers can choose one or more of the following options:

This activity offers two options for assessing students’ comprehension of the significance of South Asian immigrants’ experiences and contributions.

Teachers can choose one or more of the following options: