Recognizing the historical, cultural, and religious significance of the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak and the contributions and sacrifices made by Sikhs of the United States.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 680 Recognizing the historical, cultural, and religious significance of the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak and the contributions and sacrifices made by Sikhs of the United States. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOVEMBER 8, 2019 Mr. PENCE (for himself, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Mr. BANKS, Mrs. BROOKS of Indi- ana, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, and Mr. BAIRD) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform RESOLUTION Recognizing the historical, cultural, and religious significance of the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak and the contribu- tions and sacrifices made by Sikhs of the United States. Whereas Sikhs have been living in the United States for more than 120 years; Whereas, during the early 20th Century, thousands of Sikhs of the United States worked on farms, in lumber mills and mines, and on the Oregon, Pacific, and Eastern Rail- road; Whereas Sikhism is a monotheistic religion and the fifth larg- est religion in the world, with— (1) more than 25,000,000 Sikhs worldwide; and (2) almost 1,000,000 Sikhs in the United States; VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:47 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR680.IH HR680 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 680 IH Whereas 2019 is the year of the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak, the first of 10 gurus and founders of Sikhism; Whereas the Gurpurab of Guru Nanak— (1) is one of the most important dates on the Sikh calendar; and (2) is celebrated across the United States and world- wide; Whereas Vaisakhi, which is one of the most historically sig- nificant days of the year for Sikhs— (1) is celebrated on April 14; and (2) is the day on which Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the 10th Guru of Sikhism, created the Warrior Saint tradi- tion of the volunteer soldier known as ‘‘Khalsa’’; Whereas the Sikh place of worship is known as Gurdwara Sahib, and there are more than 500 Gurdwaras Sahib across the United States; Whereas a hallmark of Sikh values and tradition is the com- munity kitchen in every Gurdwara, known as the ‘‘Langar’’, where food is served, free of charge, to all visi- tors to the Gurdwara regardless of faith, religion, or background; Whereas Sikh men and women have contributed to the soci- ety of the United States since the initial arrival of Sikhs in the United States in the late 1800s; Whereas Sikhs of the United States pursue diverse profes- sions that add to the social, cultural, and economic vi- brancy of the United States, including— (1) by serving as members of the Armed Forces; and (2) by making significant contributions to agri- culture, information technology, other technology, small VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:47 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR680.IH HR680 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 680 IH businesses, the hospitality industry, trucking, and medi- cine; Whereas Sikhs of the United States served in the United States military during the World Wars; Whereas Sikhs stand for— (1) equality of gender; (2) equality of race; and (3) freedom of faith; Whereas Hoosier Sikhs are one of the fastest growing busi- ness communities in Indiana; Whereas Sikhs of the United States distinguish themselves by fostering respect among all people through faith and service; Whereas Sikhism preaches a message of devotion, truthful living, equality of mankind, and social justice; Whereas the House of Representatives is committed to pro- viding education to the people of the United States about— (1) the religions of the world; (2) the value of religious diversity; (3) tolerance grounded in the principles of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; (4) a culture of mutual understanding; and (5) the importance of reducing violence; and Whereas the House of Representatives seeks to further diver- sity in the House of Representatives community and af- ford all people of the United States the opportunity to better understand, recognize, and appreciate the rich his- tory and shared experiences of Sikhs of the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:47 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR680.IH HR680 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 680 IH (1) recognizes— 1 (A) the historical, cultural, and religious 2 significance of the 550th birthday of Guru 3 Nanak; 4 (B) the contributions and sacrifices made 5 by Sikhs of the United States; and 6 (C) the discrimination that Sikhs of the 7 United States have faced in the United States 8 and around the world; and 9 (2) expresses respect for all Sikhs who practice 10 their faith. 11 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:47 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR680.IH HR680 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS