“A lot of people are very hard working. Quite a few people are in very tough, good positions and contributing a lot to the community.”
- Joginder Singh Rekhi

Individuals both here and overseas have always had an influence across a broad range of disciplines, with both great and small impacts, both within the community and amidst the larger society.

In the field of science, Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany is the widely acknowledged father of fiber optics. As a scientist, inventor and entrepreneur, he holds over 100 patents for his work, has taught at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara and Stanford University, and is an active philanthropist, donating to universities and museums. In the field of agriculture, Didar Singh Bains is California’s “peach king,” farming over 16,000 acres of land, and Harbhajan Singh Samra dominates okra farming. In the field of business, Sikhs serve as CEOs, presidents and vice presidents of major companies ranging from Ford Motor Company to ScotiaBank, and the largest U.S. government security contract is held by Sikh-owned Akal Security, Inc.

In the field of civil rights, Sikhs have been instrumental in the struggle for equality. In 1923, Bhagat Singh Thind challenged the United States, opposing its citizenship policy based on race, fighting all the way to the Supreme Court, and exposing the systematic racism of U.S. law at the time. The first Asian elected to U.S. Congress was Dalip Singh Saund, a Sikh from California elected in 1956. A graduate from UC Berkeley with a doctorate in mathematics, Saund campaigned for the right of people with Asian ancestry to become naturalized citizens. In more recent years, Jaskaran Kaur, through the organization ENSAAF, has fought to end human rights violations in India and bring justice to the people of our world. Young pioneers like Baltej Singh Dhillon, the first turbaned R.C.M.P. officer, Amric Singh, the turbaned Sikh NYPD officer, and Palbinder Kaur Shergill, politician and prominent lawyer in Vancouver, B.C., continue to inspire us as examples of tomorrow’s leaders.

In the field of sports, 94-year-old Fauja Singh holds world marathon records and serves as an Adidas spokesperson. Sikh athletes compete in college basketball, professional boxing, Olympic rowing, and professional football.

Distinctions within the community abound and are ever-growing. Here, we celebrate past accomplishments, recognize leaders, and gain inspiration for future achievements.