Source: The New York Times

On April 29, 2001, The New York Times reported that the Korean Presbyterian Church, the Jain Society of America and the North Shore Hebrew Academy "have each applied to the [Village of Lake Success in New York] to erect houses of worship and educational centers on the north service road of the Long Island Expressway...The buildings would be next door to one another...Officials viewed the applications as an affirmation of the Island's diversity."

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On April 14, 2001, The Houston Chronicle reported that this year 1,000 Sikhs are expected to gather at the Sikh Center in northwest Houston for observances of the 302-year-old harvest festival of Vaisakhi. The event also commemorates the formation of an order of Sikhs called the Khalsa, who are "regarded as the army of God for the protection of the downtrodden." The order formed against the backdrop of conflict between Muslims and Hindus in India. About 5,000 Sikhs are estimated to live in the Houston area.

Source: New York Daily News

On April 8, 2001, the New York Daily News reported on St. Benedict Joseph Labre School in Richmond Hill, in Queens. It is a Catholic school, but "about 20% of the students are Sikhs, 20% are Hindus and 5% are Muslim." Many of the Hindu and Sikh mothers "said they like the structure, morality and emphasis on education at St. Benedict Joseph Labre." Administrators and students report that everyone at the school respects differences in religion or racial background.

Source: The Tennessean

http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/01/04/03814884.shtml?Element_ID=3814884

On April 1, 2001, The Tennessean reported that the Bible Belt is now home to "Six Buddhist communities. Five Jewish congregations. Five Islamic mosques. A Baha'i center. A Hindu temple and a Hindu ashram, or teaching abode. Plus assorted Sikhs and Jains...Others exist, too." Tom Russell, a...

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/03/26

On March 26, 2001, The San Francisco Chronicle reported that "results of the 2000 U.S. Census will begin revealing the impact of two of the most powerful forces of demographic change in the Bay Area -- technology and Asian immigration -- on southern Alameda and northern Santa Clara counties...Asian students make up 40 percent of...

Source: The Dallas Morning News

On March 24, 2001, The Dallas Morning News reported on the Sikh ceremony called the Akhand Path, which is a is a continuous reading of the 1,430 pages of the Sikh sacred book, the Sri Guru Granth. The ceremony, born in India two centuries ago as a reaction to persecution, has become a mark of the faith's identity in 21st-century America." The ceremony can be done to celebrate miny special occasions.

Source: The New York Times

On March 11, 2001, The New York Times reported on the Sikh Cultural Center in Richmond Hill, Queens, "one of the oldest and largest Sikh temples...on the East Coast." Besides being a place of worship, it provides immigrants with food, shelter, and English classes, and it teaches youth about their faith and culture. More than 1,000 Sikhs usually show up for Sunday services.

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On February 16, 2001, The Columbus Dispatch reported on the Interfaith Association of Central Ohio, which has 350 members from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Baha'ism, Islam and Judaism. All are volunteers. "The missions of the association...are to educate its members and the public about customs of different faiths and to provide interfaith public worship and ceremonies related to local and global concerns." The association's projects, which range from peace-training programs in public schools to the creation of...

Source: The Boston Herald

On February 8, 2001, The Boston Herald reported that "the local Indian community plans to adopt families, villages and schools in the earthquake-ravaged Gujarat region and target donations and long-term support...The groups decided to pool their efforts in order to get the most for each dollar raised...The meeting of 22 Indian social organizations in Cambridge Sunday brought together Hindus, Moslems, Jains and Sikhs, and people from diverse Indian regions and ethnic groups." One local group, Hindu Swayansewak Sangh, has raised...

Source: Los Angeles Times

On November 20, 2000, the Los Angeles Times reported that "the Indian Medical Assn. of Southern California is proposing to open a free medical clinic at the Sikh Center in Santa Ana. The Sikh Center is offering the group of doctors free use of a house on its campus for the clinic. The two groups are negotiating over hours and how much space the clinic would need. The plan is to help not only center members, but also those in the surrounding community who can't afford health care, said Dr. Sudeep Kukreja, president of the 600-member...

Source: Los Angeles Times

On November 11, 2000, the Los Angeles Times reported that "Southern California Sikhs on Sunday will celebrate the 531st birthday of Guru Nanak, founder of what is now the fifth largest religion in the world. Guru Nanak was born in 1469 in the small village of Talwandi in what is today Pakistan. The son of Hindus, he is said to have received a call from God while bathing in the Bein River. Emerging three days later, followers say, he declared, 'There is no Hindu or Muslim,' and founded a religion based on the unity, equality and...

Source: The Washington Post

On November 9, 2000,the Washington Post reported that "after two years of waiting, and over the continuing objections of concerned neighbors, a local Sikh religious community got the go-ahead last week from the Montgomery County Planning Commission to build a temple just outside Laytonsville. Called a Gurdwara, or 'door to the master,' the two-story, 35-foot-tall building is to be constructed on a six-acre lot at Woodfield and Warfield roads, along with a 75-space parking lot...The roughly 700 Sikhs to be served by the Gurdwara,...

Source: New York Daily News

On September 15, 2000, the Daily News (New York) reported that, "Hofstra Puts Sikh Studies on the Agenda."

Source: Los Angeles Times

On August 26, 2000, the Los Angeles Times reported on the Sikh community of Los Angeles. While Sikhism might at times seem exotic to some, "the values and beliefs of Sikhism--which is monotheistic and puts great emphasis on family, education and charity--do not seem far removed from the mainstream." On a typical Sunday morning at the Sikh Gurdwara of Los Angeles, "approximately 150 Sikhs attending the 10:30 a.m. service sit cross-legged and barefoot on the carpeted floor of the immaculately clean auditorium, while service leaders...

Source: Patriot-Ledger

On August 19, 2000 the Patriot-Ledger reported, "If you want to learn about a community, visit the place where people worship. But most of us don't do that. We feel like an intrusive outsider and don't understand the religious service unless we're accompanied by a congregation member. So it's a treat to find a new exhibit that introduces us to Buddhists and their temple in Quincy, as well as to five other religious groups in the Boston area. 'Faithful Boston: The Religion of Boston Immigrants' is on view in the changing gallery of...