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Lesson Plan, Video :

Lesson Plan, Video Sikhs in the Borderlands

  • Grade Level 9th-12th Grade
  • Time Period Early 1900s
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Introduction

Just as Sikh immigrants were beginning to find success as farmers in California’s Imperial Valley (an area bordering between California and Mexico), a series of anti-Asian laws shifted their trajectory. In this lesson, students will trace the history and impacts of the Supreme Court case United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind (1923) and of California’s land laws which prevented noncitizens or more specifically, immigrants of color who were denied citizenship, from owning land. Students will also learn how Sikh immigrants resourcefully responded to these legal challenges and built new communities.

Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to:

  • Describe the experiences of Sikh immigrants in the borderlands in the 1900s
  • Identify the impact of various anti-Asian legislation that affected Sikh immigrants
  • Explain how Sikh immigrants circumvented discriminatory policies and practices

Essential Questions

  • What were the experiences of Sikh immigrants in the borderlands?

  • What work did the Sikh immigrants find and why were they suited for such work?

  • What was the impact of United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind on Sikh farmers in the Imperial Valley?

  • What was the impact of California’s Alien Land Laws on Sikh farmers in the Imperial Valley?

  • In what ways are United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind and California’s Alien Land Laws anti-Asian?

  • What factors led to the establishment of the Punjabi-Mexican American community in the borderlands?

  • What factors led to the opening of the El Centro Gurdwara?

  • What is the significance of places like the Hindu Colony and the El Centro Gurdwara?

  • What are some challenges of living in borderlands and how were Sikh immigrants prepared for these challenges?

  • How did the Sikh farmers circumvent anti-Asian laws?