CITY OF FRESNO
Office of Mayor Jerry Dyer
_________________________________ ________________________________ JERRY DYER, Honorable Mayor NELSON ESPARZA, Council President
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ESMERALDA SORIA, Councilmember District 1 MIKE KARBASSI, Councilmember District 2
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MIGUEL ARIAS, Councilmember District 3 TYLER MAXWELL, Council Vice President
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LUIS CHAVEZ, Councilmember District 5 GARRY BREDEFELD, Council District 6
WHEREAS, there are an estimated one billion Hindus worldwide, with approximately 3.4 million Hindu Americans living in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Hindu Americans in Fresno represent diverse ethnic backgrounds, including individuals of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Malaysian, Indonesian Afghani, Nepali, Bhutanese, Sri Lankan, Fijian, Caribbean, and European descent; and
WHEREAS, the year 2022 marks the 129th anniversary of Hinduism’s official introduction in the United States by Swami Vivekananda at the 1893 World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago, and the 122nd anniversary of his founding of the Vedanta Society in San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, most Hindu immigrants have come to the United States as students, in search of better economic opportunities, or to unite with family members, while others have arrived in this country after facing religious persecution in their countries of origin; and
WHEREAS, the first Hindu temple in the United States was built in San Francisco, and during its 1906 dedication was proclaimed to be the “First Hindu Temple in the Whole Western World;” and
WHEREAS , Hindu Americans throughout Fresno celebrate numerous holidays and festivals, such as Diwali, which celebrates the victory of good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that we, Mayor Jerry Dyer and the Fresno City Council, do hereby proclaim October to be:
“Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month”
In the City of Fresno.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands and
affixed the seal of the City of Fresno, California, this 13th day of October 2022.
Hindu American Awareness and
Appreciation Month