Dalip singh saund children

American politician (–)

Dalip Singh Saund
D. S. Saund, c.&#;
In office January 3, &#;– January 3,
Preceded by	John J. Phillips
Succeeded by	Patrick M. Martin (redistricting)
Born	()September 20, Chhajulwadi, Amritsar district, Punjab Province, British India (present-day Punjab, India)
Died	April 22, () (aged&#;73) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Citizenship	British India (–) India (–) United States (–)
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Marian Kosa
Relatives	Daleep Singh(Great-grandnephew)
Education	University of the Punjab (BS) University of California, Berkeley (MA, PhD)

Dalip Singh Saund (September 20, – April 22, ) was an Indian-born American farmer, lobbyist, judicial officer, academic, and Democratic Party politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from to He was the first Sikh, first Indian American, and first Asian American elected to the United States Congress.

As a resident of Westmoreland, California, Saund represented California's 29th congressional district, which at the time consisted of Imperial and Riverside counties.

Born in Chhajulwadi, British India, Saund studied at Prince of Wales College and University of the Punjab, where he was active in the Indian independence movement.

In , he immigrated to the United States to continue his studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a Master of Arts and Ph.D. After marrying and settling in California's Imperial Valley as a farmer, he continued his activism for Indian independence and established the Indian Association of America, lobbying for the eligibility of Indians for naturalization, which was permitted under the Luce–Celler Act of He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in

As a long-time supporter of President Franklin D.

Roosevelt, Saund became active in local Democratic Party politics, winning a local election for a justice of the peace in Despite the area's strong Republican tendency at the time, Saund was elected to an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in As a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, he was a critic of United States foreign policy in the Middle East and conducted a tour of Asia where he met with David Ben-Gurion, Sukarno, and Jawaharlal Nehru.

He won election to three terms before he was hospitalized for a debilitating stroke in and defeated by Republican Patrick M. Martin.

Dalip singh saund biography Congress, yet few know his name. Prior to his tenure in Congress, he was active in local politics in Imperial County, California. Born on September 20, , in Chhajulwadi, British India, to Natha Singh and Jeoni Kaur, Saund's journey from a modest village upbringing in Punjab to the hallowed halls of Congress is a testament to resilience and determination. Inspired by the ideals espoused by luminaries like Woodrow Wilson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, Saund embarked on a transformative voyage to America in , fueled by a fervent desire to pursue education. Armed with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Punjab, he set foot on American soil, initially aiming to study food preservation at the University of California, Berkeley.

He died after a second stroke in

Early life

Dalip Singh Saund was born in Chhajulwadi, British India, on September 20, , to Natha Singh and Jeoni Kaur. His father died when he was ten years old. He attended Prince of Wales College.^[2] Saund supported the Indian independence movement while studying at the University of the Punjab.

In , he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Punjab.^[3][4]

In , Saund immigrated to the United States using money from his brother to study food preservation at the University of California, Berkeley and arrived on September ^[3][4] He did not return to India until ^[6] He graduated with a Master of Arts in , and Ph.D.

in He married Marian Z. Kosa, with whom he had three children, on July 21, ^[4]

Saund became a farmer in the Imperial Valley in His book My Mother India, a response to Katherine Mayo's Mother India, was published by Stockton, California's Sikh temple in He organized the Indian Association of America and served as its first president in He and the organization lobbied for legislation to allow Indians to be eligible for naturalization.

The Luce–Celler Act was passed in , and Saund gained American citizenship on December 16, ^[8][4]

Career

Early politics

Saund supported Franklin D. Roosevelt during the presidential election. He worked for Glen Killingsworth, the Justice of the Peace of Westmoreland in Imperial County.

Saund was elected to the Imperial County Democratic Central Committee without opposition in , with the aid of Killingsworth, who died shortly afterwards. He was later elected as head of the committee in ^[4] He served as a delegate to the , , and Democratic National Conventions.^[10]

Saund ran for Justice of the Peace in the election, but was not allowed to take the position as he had not been a U.S.

citizen for long enough.^[11] In , Saund attempted to be appointed by the Imperial County Board of Supervisors, but they selected Frank Lyall instead. Saund defeated Lyall in the election to become Justice of the Peace of Westmoreland.^[3][12][2] He claimed to be the only native Indian holding office in the United States at the time.^[13]

United States House of Representatives

Elections

During the election, Saund ran to replace John R.

Phillips, who was retiring, as the United States representative from California's 29th congressional district.^[14] On April 16, a legal challenge was filed against Saund claiming that he had not been a U.S. citizen long enough to run in the election, but the challenge was dismissed by the 4th District California Court of Appeal.^[15][16] He won the Democratic nomination and later defeated Republican nominee Jacqueline Cochran in the general election despite Dwight D.

Eisenhower winning the area in the presidential election.^[17][18][2] He became the first and only Sikh elected to the United States Congress as well as the first Indian and Asian American elected to Congress.^[3][19]

Saund defeated John Babbage, a former member of the California State Legislature, in the election and Charles H.

Jameson in the election.^[2] He won renomination against Rya E. Hiller during the election, despite being hospitalized for a stroke he had on May 1, but was defeated by Republican nominee Patrick M. Martin after being hospitalized at the National Naval Medical Center for the entire campaign.^[22][23][24]

Tenure

Following his election to the United States House of Representatives, Saund stated that he wanted a seat on the House Interior Committee to make sure that his district received a fair share of the Colorado River's water.^[26] In , he was appointed to serve on a sub-committee in the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs.^[27]

Saund stated during the election that he would travel to Asia if elected.

He conducted a tour of multiple eastern Asian countries which included visits to Japan, Taiwan, British Hong Kong, the Philippines, South Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, India, and Pakistan in He also visited Israel, where he met with Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, on his way returning to the United States.^[28][29] In Indonesia he met with President Sukarno and in India he met with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.^[30][31]Singh voted in favor of both the Civil Rights Act of ^[32] and the Civil Rights Act of ^[33]

Death

Saund was moved to be hospitalized at UCLA Medical Center in January following the earlier stroke he had suffered in May while flying to Washington, D.C.^[34] He died on April 22, , following a second stroke in Hollywood, California.^[35] Twenty-four members of the United States House of Representatives paid tribute to Saund on the House floor and a memorial service was held.^[36]

Political positions

In , Saund criticized the United States for its policy of "buying kings and protecting oil" in the Middle East while ignoring the people.

He stated that the British had done a similar policy in India and were "tossed out of India".

Dalip singh saund jr Dalip Singh Saund September 20, — April 22, was an Indian-born American farmer, lobbyist, judicial officer , academic, and Democratic Party politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from to As a resident of Westmoreland, California , Saund represented California's 29th congressional district , which at the time consisted of Imperial and Riverside counties. In , he immigrated to the United States to continue his studies at the University of California, Berkeley , where he earned a Master of Arts and Ph. After marrying and settling in California's Imperial Valley as a farmer, he continued his activism for Indian independence and established the Indian Association of America, lobbying for the eligibility of Indians for naturalization, which was permitted under the Luce—Celler Act of He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in

He stated that the same thing would happen to the United States if it continued the policy.^[37] He praised President Dwight D. Eisenhower for his stand against the United Kingdom, France, and Israel during the Suez Crisis.^[38] He criticized the United States Department of State for giving a more elaborate welcome to Queen Elizabeth II than any Asian leader.^[39] He defended the United States during the Little Rock Crisis while on tour in Japan stating that in "thirty-five out of the forty-eight states of the Union there was no discrimination against Negroes in schools or public places".

Electoral history

See also

References

Works cited

External links