Donate

Pioneering Punjabis Digital Archive Project

A New Resource Documenting the History of South Asian Pioneers in California

Our Mission is to increase the broader American public’s understanding of the historical importance of South Asian pioneers in California’s history and to inform young Punjabi Americans about their rich heritage in a multi-media, interactive digital archive that can be accessed by researchers and the public worldwide.

Help us preserve & celebrate the hidden history of the South Asian Pioneers in California, 1899-Present

The UC Davis Pioneering Punjabis Digital Archive Project tells the story of the people who have immigrated from the Punjab region in north India to California since the turn of the twentieth century. Through over 700 video interviews, speeches, diaries, articles, and photographs, Punjabi Americans share their life stories and contributions to California over the last hundred and twenty years.

Attracted to the land that reminded them of the fertile, flat fields of the Punjab, the Punjabis first came to the Sacramento Valley to better their economic condition. Without this archive, many of the precious historical materials would be lost, until now kept by the families of the South Asian pioneers of California.

That’s why UC Davis partnered with the Punjabi American Heritage Society to create the first digital archive dedicated to preserving the history of the Punjabi American community in California. The quality of our digital images exceeds the Library of Congress standards, thus ensuring their long-term preservation value. The wide array of video, audio and print materials can be searched and accessed from anywhere in the world. We are also partnering with the California Social Sciences/History Project to train teachers to use this innovative digital resource in their California history and social sciences courses at the K-12 levels.

Please Join Us

Your support can help us continue to build this critical resource for documenting the lives and contributions of Punjabi Americans in our region. Together we will create a unique and invaluable resource to educate the public, further historical research and inspire young Punjabis to take pride in their heritage.

Share your memories, photographs, & other documents to help us expand the Archive.

We are also seeking philanthropic support for the Archive. No matter how large or small, each gifts helps us move the project forward to completion over the next 18 months. Please consider making a gift today.

Giving Opportunities

Contact

For more information on making a gift, please contact
Nicole Ranganath, Ph.D., Curator & Historian
Pioneering Punjabis Digital Archive Project
Middle East/South Asia Studies, University of California, Davis
Email: pioneeringpunjabis@ucdavis.edu
Phone: (530) 754-4926

EXPLORE THE ARCHIVE @
pioneeringpunjabis.ucdavis.edu

The archive is a collaboration between UC Davis, Yuba City’s Punjabi American Heritage Society, Mrs Manjeet Sibia, & the broader South Asian American community.