California: On 25th October, the City Council of Union City, in the Bay Area of Northern California, recognized October as “Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month” and expressly celebrated “the cultural, historical and economic contributions of Hindu Americans to Union City and nation”.
A special meet was chaired by the city’s mayor, Carol Dutra-Vernaci. The local Indian community enthusiastically participated in it. At the request of the mayor, a signed proclamation issued by the City Council was read out by Kalyanaraman Balakrishnan, who worked with Ramya Ramakrishnan, Community Outreach Director of HAF (Hindu American Foundation).
The HAF, an American Hindu Advocacy Group, has led efforts for official recognition of “Hindu Awareness and Appreciation month” in various cities in California. Prominent among them are Santa Clara, Mountain View, Sacramento, Foster City, Bakersfield, Fremont, Pleasanton, Dublin and Mountain House. In 2022, across the US, about 80 cities in 12 states have issued such proclamations. The salient point is that the contributions of Hindu Americans have garnered appreciation from both Conservative and Liberal states.
Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month resolutions seek to bring awareness, official recognition and appreciative gestures towards rich contributions made by Hindu Americans across the US.HAF supports the global “Hindu Heritage Month” movement as a partner organization.
In a wide ranged conversation, Rajeev Singh of HAF elaborates that “non-violence and services” are central tenets of the proclamation. He points out a growing understanding of American institutions that Hindu American population represents diverse ethnic backgrounds, including individuals of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Malaysian, Indonesian, Afghani, Nepali, Bhutanese, Sri Lankan, Fijian, Caribbean, and European descent.
He emphasizes the global power of one billion Hindus, rising awareness of inclusive and global character of Hinduism, the historical influence of Vedanta philosophy on American luminaries like President John Adams, Henry David Thoreau, Aldous Huxley and others, and growing appreciation in American society and political establishment towards consistently constructive contributions of Hindu Americans.
Historically, in 2013, California Assemblymember Ash Kalra and HAF collaborated to introduce the first state-wide resolution recognizing ‘Hindu Awareness and Appreciation Month”. Since then, the resolution has been reintroduced almost annually.
Even other states have come forward to appreciate the contributions of Hindu Americans. Virginia has become the first state in the US to recognize October as Hindu Heritage Month in perpetuity.
In 2021, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (Democrat-Illinois) recognized October as “Hindu Heritage Month”. In his speech in the US Congress, he underscored the timeliness of the acknowledgement amid rising “Hinduphobia” and “hateful speech and violent acts against Indian Americans” in recent years.
Congresswoman Lori Trahan (Democrat -MA) also acknowledged “tremendous contributions Hindus have made for our communities” and condemned the Hinduphobia across the country.
The proclamation across the US shows appreciation for Hindu Americans, Hinduism, Hindu philosophy and its cultural traits, traditions, tendencies, and temperament, which are so relevant for any society in the modern world.
