You may have heard of him back when MirCorp was big, he was one of the two co-owners. From the Chicago Sun Times:
Fate has either dealt an amusing trick or a unique opportunity. Consider a 38-year-old medical doctor (from Brown) who has matched this with a business career (MBA from Stanford) that has spawned enterprises that today are valued at a combined $1 billion and have been featured in national economic journals. Moreover, he is pledged to spend up to $15 million of his fortune on his campaign. Here is an antidote to dullness. He was born in New Delhi, India, has lived in DuPage since childhood, is a devout Sikh and sports a beard that produces a lean, intense-looking visage. His name is Chirinjeev Kathuria of Oak Brook--not exactly catchy--but his life story spans the launching of Medical Oasis Inc., positioned to become the premier chain of diagnostic imaging centers in the nation, to MirCorp, which became the first company to privately launch and fund space programs (sending the first citizen explorer, Dennis Tito, into space), and which is building the world's first private space station. If elected, Kathuria would possess a monopoly of firsts, including the first U.S. senator to wear a turban.
Note that Kathuria would not be the first Sikh congressman, although he would be the first extenally observant / turbanned and bearded Sikh congressman. The first Sikh congressman, who was also the first Indian-American congressman, was Dalip Singh Saund, who served from 1957 (?)-1962 in California. His story is quite interesting. He got a Ph.D. in Math from Berkely in 1924, one year after the supreme court ruled that a Sikh plaintiff couldn't become a citizen even though South Asians were categorized as Caucasians because they weren't white. [It's a fascinating legal case in which the justices argue that what is important is the common sense notion of who is white rather than the "scientific" (at the time) classification of race] In fact, his wife, a white American, lost her citizenship when she married him. Since the 1920s were a xenophobic time, he couldn't get a job using his math skills, even teaching his school. he became a businessman, and after becoming a citizen in 1949, he became a judge, which served as the stepping stone for national office.
| Sikhs |
Kudos to this guy, and to Sikhs in general for their propensity toward productive assimilation into the American dream. They are proof that despite claims to the contrary from entitlement apologists and advocates for the unwilling, the American dream is attainable to anyone, of any color, religion or origin, willing to get busy and give it a shot.
To date, I have never seen a Sikh - or an Asian - panhandling in the street, sleeping on the sidewalk in a cardboard box, succumbing to drugs, committing violent crimes, marching on city hall demanding welfare rights and government housing, or begging for free jack of any kind.
My grandparents came from Mexico with nothing but dark skin and minimal engligh. They worked, bought a house, and never demanded welfare, housing, food stamps, bilingual ed or anything at all save for excellence from their children. And they got it. They too are proof that even if you're not white and don't speak english, if you're willing to work you can go far in America - farther than in perhaps any society in history. This is why I bum out to see generational welfare dependency bleed the ambition from every group it touches. If you really want to help people, you end welfare dependency and government housing as quickly as people can possibly make the transition. I think Clinton's Welfare Reform Act and Guiliani's welfare-to-work rules have amply demonstrated this fact.
So, Ennis, can all this - and Kathuria's candidacy - get you to vote Republican? You can register in the 312 and vote absentee!
Hi,
I'm working on a book with a Princeton professor about the impact of diversity on our society and spoke with Kathuria. He's quite a Renaissance man. I interviewed other Sikhs in depth: Kanwal Rekhi, Dr. Alluwahlia (astrophysicist) and more. Most of our efforts have been directed toward Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Asian American and Hispanic Christians, groups perceived as outside the mainstream. I was surprised that there are Hindu and Muslim Congressmen. I've spoken to over 200 "elites" in business, government, the arts and the professions. Sikhs, et al have made quite a contribution. The book will be out in a couple of years.
I look forward to reading the book, "mom"
Comment #3 :: link :: May 30, 2003 09:00 AMI've never heard of this case before (the Sikh in the 1920s). Fascinating. And frightening. Thanks for telling us about it. At least it shows how far America has come, even if there's still so much work to be done.
Ironically, I suspect that Sikhs, from the point of view of race theory, are not just caucasian but Aryan.
Michael --
The Bhagat Singh Thind case is fascinating, not the least b/c he got US citizenship *after* his case lost in the supreme court. I also find it interesting that he was a US Army Veteran and that he went on to earn his Ph.D.
A good site to learn about individual Sikh accomplishments is Sikhism.com (Sikhism to open in a new window).
Just remember to go to the 'Feature Stories' section.
Comment #6 :: link :: May 27, 2005 11:21 PMA good site to learn about individual Sikh accomplishments is Sikhism.com (Sikhism to open in a new window).
Just remember to go to the 'Feature Stories' section.
Comment #7 :: link :: May 27, 2005 11:24 PM
