“I was born January 14, 1938 in Shadipur, a small village in Punjab, India. I was the third child. I have two older brothers, one younger brother and two younger sisters. I grew up and was educated in the Punjab region. I received my degree from D.S. High School in Nurmahal in March 1956 and went on the receive my teaching credential in 1957. I tried to find a teaching job and registered with the National Employment Service in Punjab to find a job and was unsuccessful. Unemployment was very high in India. During this time, the American Embassy in New Dehli invited 100 immigrants to America on a quota system. My father, Pritam Singh Bains had applied in 1945 and in 1958 his number was chosen. At this time, an American had to sponsor you to enter the United States. My father was sponsored by Tuly Singh Johl from Live Oak, California for permanent residence. The two of them knew one another when they lived in Punjab. My father's journey began and I was able to follow since I was the oldest of the youngest sons. My father was able to invite me to come to America since I was a minor dependent. So my journey began.
America - the land of the free and abundant with opportunity. This was the news we heard in our village of Shadipur in Punjab. The stories of wealth and opportunity provided in America for Sikhs were endless. My father had worked as a financial advisor in a bank in India. His job was secure and he made a decent living but he too was lured by the stories he was hearing about this wonderful country. In 1958 his number was chosen. Our father was going to America in April of 1958! We thought what this would bring for us and our family. He was going on a long journey and said he would have us follow once he was settled. About six months after his arrival, I was invited to join my father and was sponsored by Chanchal Signh Rai in Yuba City. I had never been on an airplane before, let alone stepped foot ou of our small village, and yet here I was getting on an airplane and going to a land I had never seen, except in books. I was excited yet apprehensive. How would these people treat us? Would my entire family get to come? What would I do here once I arrived? I had studied to be a teacher in India and was looking for a teaching position at the time of my travel to America. I thought once I arrived to America, land of opportunity, I would go to school and teach.
I arrived in America traveling from New Dehli to Rome to New York, finally arriving in San Francisco, California on December 16, 1958. Once I arrived, I realized that going to school was very expensive. My dad needed my help, so I pushed my dreams aside and began to work in the fields. I was familiar with this type of work, but had never actually worked in the fields myself. The closest I had ever come to farming was taking care of our farm animals. I was shocked at the back breaking work and long hours. In the beginning, I was not considered to be a very good workers so it was hard for me to find work. Once I was accustomed to farm labor I became a very reliable worker. I traveled up and down the valley working various jobs: irrigating crops and harvesting asparagus, wheat, rice, and barley. I lived in labor camps with other Indian males. At the time there were other Sikhs in Northern California and we would all meet three to four times a year at the Stockton Gurdwara. I remember the excitement when someone new arrived from India. We would drive for miles to hear an update on how everyone back home was doing.
In 1961, my father returned to India and left me behind to work. I worked hard and saved every cent I could. Even though the work was very hard, I still did not want to return to India. At least here in America there were jobs available to work. So my dreams started to change. I wanted to buy my own land and farm, but first I wanted to get married. Tuly Singh Johl and his son arranged my marriage to his niece Balbir Kaur Johl back in India. I knew her brother because we attended the same credential school in India. I travled to India in December 1962, and was married on February 2, 1963 in Jandiala, India.
I decided to settle in Yuba City because the weather reminded me of home. Another reason why I decided to settle in Yuba City was that the Sikhs had a real sense of camaraderie. We worked on each others' farms to help each other and had a real sense of community with one another.
After my wedding, I purchased my first plot of land with a small home on it in April 1963 from Ellwood Buckley in Yuba City. Mr. Buckley was my farming mentor and really took the time to teach me how to farm. Even though I owned my own land I always worked side jobs to make extra money. I did some pruning on other fars, hauled rice, and worked on a rice harvester. I purchased more land and farmed peaches, prunes and walnuts. I became a citizen of the United States on May 1, 1964. My wife and I had four daughters, Kamal, Sarbjit, Jas, and Ravi. I lost my beloved wife to leukemia in February 1983. Over time I have grown to enjoy farming and my hope for my children in America was for them to have the opportunity to be educated, and I am proud to say they have fulfilled this dream of mine.
I have remarried and have had three more children, Sarina, Aman, and Devik.”
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