Sun., May 29 Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds / 11am - Sunsetfateh.sikhnet.com/sikhnet/register.nsf...2Punjabi-American Festival, 2005 Punjabi-American Festival 20053 Please join us at the

Sun., May 29 • Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds / 11am - Sunset

2 Punjabi-American Festival, 2005 3Punjabi-American Festival 2005

Please join us at the 11th Annual Punjabi-American Festival

On behalf of the Punjabi American

Heritage Society,

I ‘d like to extend an invitation

to all Yuba-Sutter residents

to attend the 11th Annual

Punjabi American Festival.

The Society was founded in

1993 with the purpose of

promoting friendship and

understanding with other

communities and helping

our younger generation

connect with their roots. To

promote these goals, among

other events, the Society

has successfully sponsored

Educational Youth Seminars,

Essay Contests, a weekly

television program, Teacher

Appreciation Programs, and

the annual Punjabi American

Festival.

Punjabi-American

Festival CommitteeVolunteers & Friends

Dr. Narinder S. Bajwa and Mrs. Harjit Bajwa

Mr. Surinder and Mrs. Suky Bains

Mr. Harnek S. Banga and Dr. Rupinder Banga

Dr. Yash Gagan Brar and Mrs. Harpal Brar

Mr. Hitpal Deol and Mrs. Davinder Deol

Mr. Hardeep and Mrs. Jaswinder Dhadli

Dr. Rajpreet Dhesi and Mrs. Anita Dhesi

Dr. Paramjit Everest and Mrs. Surinder Everest

Dr. T.S. Ghuman and Mrs. Matlesh Ghuman

Mr. Kulwant Johl and Mrs. Jaspal Johl

Mr. Sarabjit Johl and Mrs. Prabhjot Johl

Dr. Jasbir Singh Kang and Mrs. Sukhjit Kang

Mr. Jasjit Kang and Mrs. Sandeep Kang

Mrs. Siri Pritam Kaur Khalsa

Mr. Tejinder Maan and Mrs. Maninder Maan

Mr. Harjit Singh and Paramjit Kaur

Dr. Narinder Singh and Mrs. Hardeep Kaur Singh

Mr. and Mrs. Satnam Tatla

Mr. Amrik Dhugga and Mrs. Gurdish Dhugga

Mr. Kuldip Atwal and Mrs. Nina Atwal

Mr. Bhajan Aujla and Mrs. Ravie Aujla

Amarjit and Rani Rai

Executive Board

President: Siri Pritam Kaur Khalsa

Vice President: Hardeep Dhadli

Secretary: Bhajan S. Aujla

Treasurer: Harnek S. Banga

Past President: Hitpal S. Deol

Honorary Members

Dr. Rupinder Singh Brar

Mr. and Mrs. Ranjit Johl

Dr. Gulzar Singh Johl

Mr. Amarjit Singh Dulai

Mr. Lakhbir Singh Bhella

Dr. and Mrs. Gurpreet Dhugga

Mr. and Mrs. Baljit Boparai

Mr and Mrs. Jim Whitaker

Friends of The Society

Mr. and Mrs. Jaswinder Lal Banga

Mr. and Mrs. Rajinder Chohan

Dr. and Mrs. Karanbir Singh Grewal

Navjit Singh Ghuman

Rupaul Singh Ghuman

Asha Sharma

Gurjatinder S. Randhawa

Baljit Lachhar

J.R. Thiara

Mission Statement

Founded in March 1993,

the Society is a non-profit,

non-political, secular organization.

The main objectives of the Society are:

To promote understanding

and friendship

among all residents of the

Yuba-Sutter area.

To pass on our culture and

heritage to our youth.

When you attend the Festival

you will have an opportunity

to get a glimpse into the rich

culture of the Punjab.

From the mesmerizing folk

songs and music to the

rhythmic beat of the “dhol”

a drum-like percussion

instrument that is sure to

make you tap your feet and

snap your fingers in tune with

the beat. For your taste buds,

exotic flavors will be available

in the various food booths.

Fabrics, jewelry and books

are among the other vendor

booths that are scheduled to

be at the Festival.

Cultural awareness in the

form of music, dance, clothing,

food and good time for all is

what is in store at the 11th

annual Punjabi American

Festival. We hope you will

join us there.

Ours is a service

organization, meant to meet

the needs of diverse

communities living side

by side; it is also meant to

serve our youth, for whom

the country of their parents

is sometimes only a few

stories, pictures or a brief

visits to Punjab. We try to

bridge that gap, bringing the

country of their ancestors for

just a day, and making it a lot

of fun!

We know that our future is

our children - their ethics,

their values, their education,

their manners; let us all come

together for a day — a day

of friendship, of open

hearts, as one family, one

community, one country,

as Americans.

Siri Pritam Kaur Khalsa PresidentPunjabi American

Heritage Society, 2005


Lehmber Hussanpuri with Randhir Dhira & Major Mehram

Live Performances by Famous

Recording Artists!

Jassi Sidhu

Performances: • Top U.S. and Canadian Bhangra/Gidha Teams • Many other ethnic dances• Special appearance by Surrey India Arts Club• Comedy Skits and more

Master of Ceremonies: Asha Sharma

Get tickets online at:www.punjabiamericanheritagesociety.orgor at local Punjabi and Indian stores

Booths:Arts & Crafts / ClothingChildren’s GamesMusic / MoviesPunjabi CuisineMehndi Jewelry and much, much more.

Beautiful Bollywood Actress: Kimmi Verma

This year’s festival will highlight performances by inter-

nationally acclaimed artists, singers Jassi Sidhu from UK,

Lehmbhar Singh Hussanpuri from Punjab, India. Punjabi

actress Kimmi Varma will perform a special dance item

at the mela.

The Festival will also feature the award winning documen-

tary “Continuous Journey” by Ali Kazimi from Canada and

the animated film Sahiba-

zadey: A Saga of Valor and

Sacrifice, the first animated

movie about Sikkh/Punjab

history. Produced by Vismaad

Mediatech.

Showtimes:1:00: Sahibazadey2:30: Continuous Journey4:15: Sahibazadey5:30: Continuous Journey


No deed is greater than to help save a life. There

are thousands of People who suffer from diseases treatable with marrow or blood stem cell transplant. Their best hopes for matched donors are those from their commu-nity. You could be a “miracle match” and save a life by reg-istering as a potential donor. The Asian American Donor Program (AADP) is a com-munity non-profit organiza-tion geared towards saving lives. Asians are desperately needed to register as poten-tial marrow/stem cell donors. Many Asian children and adults with life threatening blood diseases need a stem cell transplant in order to survive YOU can give the gift of life! The Asian American Donor Program and the Punjabi American Heritage Society is having a drive to regis-ter MORE ASIANS into the National Registry of poten-tial Marrow/Blood Stem Cell donors. Asian patients with

Videographer/Editor, David Washburn and Photographer Stacey J. Miller with Kulwant S. Johl at an earlier presentation of the display.

Please Register! You may save a life!Leukemia need Asian Blood Stem Cell donors to survive.

To register you need to:• Be between the ages of 18-

60 years old and in good general health

• Give consent to be entered on the NMDP Registry which is searched interna-tionally

• Bring your social secu-rity number and driver’s license number with you

• Provide the names, ad-dresses, and phone num-bers of two close

contacts who do not live with you

• Give a small sample of blood

For more informa-tion please log on to www.aadp.org All it takes is 10 minutes so we hope to see you there!

Punjabi American Heritage Society Scholarship

By Davinder Deol

By definition, a scholarship is a financial aid award for

an individual for the purposes of furthering their educa-tion. A scholarship is gener-ally awarded based on any number of arbitrary criteria, including: * financial need* academic achievement* athletic achievement* public service* nationality or ethnic-ity. The criteria set for appli-cants of the Punjabi American Heritage Society Scholarship include: • Overall high school GPA of

3.0 or higher • Proof of enrollment/

registration at a college or university for the following school year

• Be of Punjabi or Punjabi/American heritage

• Participation in his/her culture/community.

One of the objectives of the Punjabi American Heritage Society is to help our younger generation get connected to their roots. Keeping this objective in mind, the ap-plicants are also required to write an essay about the role their heritage plays in their life while living in America. A three member team con-vened to review/discuss this year’s applicant packets. Keeping the above men-tioned criteria in mind, each student’s application packet was thoroughly discussed / reviewed. Three very strong candi-dates were selected to be the recipients of the first Punjabi American Heritage Society Scholarship. The Punjabi American Heritage Society is pleased to present three, five hundred dollar ($500), scholarships to three students this year. This

year, a $500 scholarship will be awarded to two students at Yuba City High School and one student at Sutter Union High School. The two Yuba City High School scholar-ships will be consequently be divided at such a time when River Valley High hosts its first graduation. The scholarship recipi-ent from Sutter Union High School will be announced at their annual awards night which will be on May 26, 2005. Yuba City High School will host their annual awards night on May 31, 2005 where the two recipients of this scholarship will be an-nounced.

Photography/Video Exhibit at the Punjabi American Festival May 29

“Sikh History and Life in California”The exhibit features black

and white photography ofSikh communities through-out California, with a special emphasis on Yuba City. Over twenty-five prints on display provide insight into the public and privatelife of a community that is often misunderstood. Thephotographer, Stacey J. Miller, has captured images of men and women in prayer, at work, in the home, and at festivals. Her work challenges viewers to re-imagine what “commu-nity” means, particularly in regards to inclusion of diverse religious and culturaltraditions. The exhibit also features video footage from

interviews conducted with longtime members ofCalifornia’s Sikh communities. The interview footage,drawn primarily from men and women living in Yuba City between 1948-1965, focuses on narrators’ experi-ences traveling to the United States, the challenges they (and those who came before them) encountered, and howthey built a familial and social life over thedecades. The video clips are intended to inspireviewers to rethink who is a California “pioneer” andhow to rewrite history to include stories that areoften ignored. Two television-listening stations will

run continuously, featuring approximately thirty-twominutes of footage. The Punjabi American Heri-tage Society (PAHS) of Yuba City is the exhibit sponsor. Funding for the exhibit

was made possible by a grant from The CaliforniaCouncil for the Humanities and matching funds fromPAHS. The Sikh Temple of Sacramento made anadditional contribution.

In January 4, 2002, Karandeep Singh was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (philadelphia chromosome positive) He relapsed Feb 14, 2005, and is in a second remission,but needs a Bone Marrow Transplant soon.For more information write:UCSF Children’s HospitalPediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Program505 Parnassus Ave., Rm M-659San Francisco, CA 94143

Karandeep Singh, 15 years

On this page:

These are but a few of the projects that the Pun-jabi-American Heritage Society members support. To learn more about sponsorships and other activities go to: www.punjabiamericanheritagesociety.org


Scenes From Past Punjabi-American Festivals!

In addition to an array of traditional Punjabi cuisine, you will find colorful demonstrations and informational exhibits, Punjabi dancers, singers and entertainment

Fun In The Sun at The Eleventh Annual Punjabi Festival - Sunday May 29


Apna Punjab TV promotes Punjabi culture teachings of the Sikh Gurus, views of different people regardless of their religion and local events including: The Annual Sikh Parade and the Annual Punjabi Mela. Apna Punjab is produced by the Punjabi-American Society and

has been airing locally since march of 1993. It is hotsted by Jasjit S. Kang.

If you miss going to the Festival you can watch it on

Apna Punjab TVThis local-origination television station airs every

Friday from 8-9pm on Channel 18

The Punjabi American Heritage Society Honors These Individuals

Jagjit Singh

On the evening of July 27, Jagit Singh was

sworn into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Depart-ment as a reserves officer. He is the first Sikh ever to be sworn into the depart-ment with full beard and turban. Members of the Los An-geles area Sikh community looked on with pride as

(1949 -September 15, 2001)

Balbir Sodhi was a Phoe-nix gas station owner

who was murdered in the aftermath of the Septem-ber 11 terrorist attacks. He was known by friends and neighbors as a quiet, gentle man. He practiced the Sikh values of earning your living by hard work and sharing your earnings with the needy. Children told reporters how Balbir Singh would let them buy candy from his store, even if they didn’t have enough money. The homeless shed tears as

Richard Wilbur Jr.

The Punjabi community takes great pride in

paying tribute to the late Richard Wilbur Sr. Our community is indebted to the late Mr. Wilbur for providing employment to countless Punjabi farm workers at a time when many of them were de-nied employment. Many members of the Punjabi community remember him fondly as the man who provided them with their first means of employment in the United States. Since his passing, his son, Richard Wilbur Jr., has continued to provide ongoing em-ployment and friendship to the Punjabi community. Thanks to their ongoing support and loyalty, many of the members of our community have become successful business own-ers themselves. We, the Punjabi American Heritage Society, and the Punjabi community, honor the Wilbur family for being an integral part of our com-munity and thank them for continuing to provide employment and friend-ship as we continue to work toward achieving the American Dream.

Mr. John Studdert:

Mr. John Studdert retired form Chico State Uni-

versity. He is an Entomolo-gist. Since his retirement he has devoted his time to teaching citizenship classes under the Literacy Program at Sutter County Library. He teaches students from all different cultural backgrounds at the Sutter County Library, The Mall and at McDonald’s.

He does 10-12 hours of voluntary work daily. He is loved by all his students from different cultures and of different ages. The majority of his students are Punjabis. It is through the dedication of Mr. Studdert that many Punjabis have passed the citizenship test. The Punjabi American Heritage Society honors Mr. Studdert for his selfless service to the Punjabi com-munity.

Jagjit Singh pioneered the way for Sikhs in California and across the nation to begin serving in law en-forcement agencies. Jagjit Singh’s command-ing officers, members of the press, and friends and family all congratulated him on this momentous occasion and appreciated him for his hard work and

Sodi Family, Balbir Singh Sodhi

they recounted tales of his generosity to them. And neighbors came by the hundreds with to honor his noble memory. Tragically another broth-er, Sukhpal Singh Sodhi was also shot down within one year in San Francisco. He was driving his cab.


Zee network has grown to form a fully integrat-ed enterprise forming

the largest bouquet of 24/7 television channels in south Asian languages worldwide. Zee TV is the first choice of 225 million south Asians inover 84 countries across the globe. Since July 15, 1998, when Zee TV started its op-erations in the USA, it has be-come synonymous of southAsian entertainment for over a million viewers in USA, Canada and Caribbean. Sensing the growing demand and taking a bold initiative - Zee Gold ( now Zee Cinema ) is the first 24/7 South Asian movies and mu-sic channel in the USA - was launched on December 15th,

1999. Built around the biggest draw for a south Asian, the movies - Zee Gold brought the largest privately held south Asian movie library from the subcontinent to the living rooms of subscribers in the USA. Mega events like Zee Cine awards, A R Rehman concert and Gurbani is pre-sented differed live fromHarmander Sahib, Amritsar. The programming is con-stantly monitored tocater to our subscriber’s wishes and aspirations and a judicious mix of entertain-ment and education for the expatriate community is the deciding factor. News in three languages is uplinked directly from India to keep our subscribers

updated and in-touch with the happenings and opinions current in the subcontinent. Cricket in brought live on air on a regular basis subject to availability of rights. Zee Cinema, the largest 24/7 Asian movie and music channel is an effort to bring bollywood to your door-

step. Following our motto of Movies, Masti and Magic, Zee cinema draws its program-ming from the largest held library of Indian cinema that ranges from the classics of the yesteryears to the mega-hits of contemporary cinema. Six films a day is peppered with programs that update viewers

Zee TV: Grand Sponsoron ‘most-recent’ in bollywood. Zee TV and Zee Cinema sum up to be a cost effective, balanced and wholesome source of information and entertainment and staying ‘in-touch’. Zee TV can be seen on the

local ComCast.

Mike Singh: Valley Development Co., Inc.: Platinum Sponsor

Mike Singh, President, Valley Development Co., Inc., has been in business in the Yuba Sutter area for over 15 years building Residential, Commercial and Industrial properties. There are

hundreds of satisfied customers living in their quality homes. Currently their residential project Westbrook is sold out and the Sundance and Garden Gateprojects are under construction. Town and Countryour current commercial project is scheduled for completion around November 2005. We have just completed our 80,000 square foot industrial project: Highway 20 Self Storage, which is now open for business. Valley Development Co., Inc. continues to be a leader and an innovator in the Yuba Sutter communities.

8 Punjabi-American Festival, 2005

Our sincere thanks to our many friends in the community who, by their gracious donations of mon-ey and in-kind products or services, are helping to spread our messages of understanding.

Thank You Sponsors

Grand

Zee TV-ComcastPlatinum

Valley Development-Mike SinghGold

Days Inn, South 99 Hwy(Rashpal S. Hundal, Joga S. Mann, Naunihal S. Hundal), Gold Line Express(John & Mike Singh), Nationwide Mortgage(Kamaljit Takher, Mandeep Johl,

Tirath Chima), Pumjabi Waves

SilverAppeal Democrat, Bombay Garden, Jaswinder Lal Banga, Gold Country Bank, Fast Choice Markets LLC,

MoneyGram, Narinder & Lila Bidwal, Raja Sweet Indian Cuisine, Rajinder S. Chohan,Randhir S. Kang Attorney, Sukhwinder S Cheema of Natomas Golf center Sacramento, Swagat Restaurant,

Sunsweet Growers, Tri-County Bank, Washington Mutual, Wells Fargo Bank

BronzeButte Community Bank, Century 21 Select Real Estate, Food Maxx, Gingery & Derdowsky, Gurmej Kaur & (late)Sardar Gurdawar Singh Dhillon, Harbans Kaur & Santokh Singh Gill, IBS Tax Service, Johal and Dulai Wendy’s, John Taylor Fertilizer, Lakeview Petroleum, Live Oak Pharmacy(Ranjit & Reena Singh), Paul & Ranjit Singh Rai, Raven Corp Security, Sacramento Valley Farm Credit, Sierra Injury & Sport Rehab, Sutter Foods, Sierra Valley Insurance Service, Surj Mahal(Mahal Co.), Sierra Pacific Management, Takhar Development-Crowne Communities, Umpqua Bank, United Party rentals, Valley Truck & Tractor, V. J. Real Estate, Vraitch & Sohal Quiznos, Walgreen

FriendsApna Punjab(San Jose), Brian Badertscher, Elegant Events, Fast Choice Market, Feather River Plastic Surgery-Dr Skiles,

Inderjit S. Bajwa-Capital Financial, India Post, Joginder S. Pardesi, Punjab Cultural Society, Sangeet Khazana, The Musical Touch, Satbir Kaur Kahlon DDS (San Jose), TS Liquer & Food Mart(Tarsem Singh)

Sun., May 29 Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds / 11am - Sunsetfateh.sikhnet.com/sikhnet/register.nsf...2Punjabi-American Festival, 2005 Punjabi-American Festival 20053 Please join us at the

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