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Summary of Question:	Second Generation Sikhs
Category:	Sikh Practices
Date Posted:	Monday, 1/29/2001 8:56 AM MST

Dear Khalsa ji.

I am a sikh born and brought up in the UK. Obviously my parents are from India, and i would say that they have a done a very good job in bringing me up in terms of keeping my in touch with my roots and culture. They have done this by making sure that i made regular visites to India as a child, as well as attending guru kurr as often as possible. In saying this, the fact that i have lived in Southall all my life (London) - an area with nobody but Sikhs and Indians has probably been the main influence towards the fact that i feel more a punjabi Sikh than a British Sikh. I hope you understand where i'm coming from.

One day i would like to move to the USA, where there obviuosly are not as many Sikhs as there are here. I would like to bring up my kids as sikhs - but i'm not guaranteed that they will become sikhs because of the lack of indians being in America. There will not be a community of indians or sikhs like there was here for me.

What can be done about this? Do i keep my children at home 24/7 making sure they don't play with white kids to adopt their culture (never do that), or do i move to such a place where ther are sikhs so that they do not feel obscure?
Or do i just stay in Southall which shall literally guarantee that my my children will one day become amritdhari sikhs.

I could have easily become a gora, and not a singh, but it was easy for me, because i had no gora freinds. Everyone i knew here was Indian and Sikh. But if my Kids are brought up with gorey, and one day turn to me and say "dad i have never had any sikh society, so you can't blame me", i don't think i can argue with them.

What can be done do prevent this, because slowly slowly we are losing our parents from india, and are coming to second generations Sikhs. All theresposibilty lies with them.

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Reply
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Greetings to you in the Name of God the light of every soul and in the Name of Guru the life of every Sikh.

Dear one, you are very blessed. However the future lies within the power of the Siri Guru Granth and the prophecy of Guru Gobind Singh.

You are right to value how the parents and generations before us have carried the Guru lovingly to us all here in the West. However, you need not live in fear and isolation to fulfill yourself and your future. The recitation and daily practice of your bani's is itself transforming and empowering.

The USA is not a fearful place. Our Dharmic communities are thriving and growing as you can see in this website, which is entirely generated in the USA. You can come visit us in Espanola, New Mexico. You can check out our activities on Sikhnet and on 3ho.org. We have summer camps for our families, children and women. We have our School in Amritsar, Miri Piri Academy.

Wherever you choose to live, always be sure that you are near the Sadh Sangat. Find the company of the one's who look to the support and guidence of the Guru. And you yourself can start building your base on your relationship and understanding of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib.

You can begin with a daily recitation of "Jap Ji Sahib" in English found at: http://www.sikhnet.com/s/gurugranthsahib under English translation. Read it OUT LOUD to yourself daily for the next 40 days. Become absorbed in the sound of your voice and go deeply into its meaning. Find your strength here and see how it can guide your life.

In the Name of the Cosmos which prevails through everyBody and the Holy Naam which holds the world.

Humbly yours, SKKK