Breaking Bread at “Langar on the Hill”
SikhLEAD’s 2nd annual “Langar on the Hill” highlights many diverse communities on Capitol Hill
Last night, hundreds showed up for the 2nd annual Langar on the Hill, an event organized by SikhLead, an initiative of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF).
Langar is the Sikh tradition of bringing diverse communities together for a meal. Langar is meant to uphold the principle of equality of all people, regardless of someone’s race, religion, gender, social status or caste.
SALDEF held the first Langer on the Hill last year. The group hopes the event raises awareness among members of Congress, policymakers and all Americans about Sikh Americans and their many contributions to the history of the United States.
“The reason…that we’re holding this [langar] is not because there’s a misconception about Sikhism in the United States but because there’s a non-conception,” former SikhLEAD intern Gurchit Singh Chatha, told Roll Call last year. “People just don’t know who we are. And so that’s a big issue that we’re trying to address.”
Many members of Congress came out to show support for the event and the Sikh community. Rep. Judy Chu (Calif.) commented that Langar on the Hill showcases the great diversity of people working on the Hill.
Rep. Mark Takano (Calif.) gave a shout out to Dalip Singh Saund, a Sikh American who was the first Asian American to serve in the United States Congress.
In addition to Reps. Chu and Takano, members of Congress who attended included: Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (Calif.), Rep. Mike Honda (Calif.), Rep. Grace Meng (N.Y.), Rep. Mark Takano (Calif.), Rep. Chaka Fattah (Pa.), Rep. Paul Ryan (Wisc.), Rep. Hank Johnson (Ga.), Rep. Judy Chu (Calif.), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), Rep. John Garamendi (Calif.), Rep. Ami Bera (Calif.), Rep. Ted Poe (Texas), Rep. Yvette Clarke (N.Y.), Rep. Jim McDermott (Wash.), Rep. Joseph Crowley (N.Y.), Rep. Tom McClintock (Calif.) and Rep. Sanford Bishop (Ga).
Thank you to SALDEF for bringing us together for a great evening!
