The Fourth of July in Visalia, California was almost ruined, until a group of legal immigrants stepped in to ensure Independence Day was celebrated perfectly for all Americans.
Due to financial concerns, the city was expected to cancel their fireworks display, but a Sikh community chipped in a generous $10,000 to make sure the display would go on.
Visalia Mayor Warren Gubler mentioned the financial struggle to a Sikh businessman, who jumped at the opportunity to display his national pride and show Americans that “Sikh values are American values.”
Gubler expressed the gratitude of the entire community in a statement, saying, “Visalia considers this to be very generous and helpful. We appreciate their show of patriotic support, as one of our newer groups of American citizens.”
“Our core central beliefs are profoundly American: Racial equality; gender equality; religious tolerance,” said Gurwin Ahuja, a Sikh involved in a campaign to educate Americans about the religion.
The national campaign launched earlier this year and has already invested $1 million in advertising.
The Sikh religion originated in India, and is the world’s fifth largest religion. Many Sikhs immigrated to the United States in the 1960s, and are frequently mistaken as Muslims due to their turbans.
In reality, 99% of turban wearers in America are Sikhs.
Since the September 11th terror attacks, Sikhs have been subject to multiple hate crimes, one of the reasons behind the campaign to spread information about the religion.
The donation to celebrate American independence is further proof that Sikh immigrants and their children share core American values and are committed to making a positive impact on America.
-The Horn editorial team