British Columbia's connection to the Pacific brought many of the province's early pioneers from Asia.
The Sikhs were one such group. They mostly came from the northern provinces of India and immigrated to B.C. for economic opportunity. They hoped to send money back to their families in India and save enough to someday return home and buy land.
With a distinctive appearance and language, immigrants from India stood out among the mostly white immigrants of small town British Columbia. Many British Columbians feared these differences and saw Sikh immigrants as a threat to the job security of the average white worker.
