themselves from both Hindus and Muslims. Weekly rituals will include a
reading of a portion of the Guru ̄ Granth Sa ̄hiband the community meal
(lan.gar). Among the festivals taken most seriously by the community is the
birthday of Guru ̄ Na ̄nak (celebrated at the Dı ̄vali New Moon of October–
November) which includes a reading of the Guru ̄ Granth Sa ̄hibover a period
of two days; and the anniversary of the formation of the Sikh brother-
hood (kha ̄ lsa) by Guru ̄ Gobind Singh (observed in December–January). The
gurdwa ̄ra ̄ also sponsors a regional conference in September for Sikh youth
living in the eastern United States.
In a similar fashion, Muslims of South Asian descent have built their own
masjidand maintain their own traditions within it. In the 1970s South Asian
Muslim immigrants were meeting in the simple cultural center in the
university district (Oakland) shared by all the Muslims in the city. Yet as
their numbers grew and with it the perception that the Oakland “mosque”
was being run by students and other short-term visitors from the Middle
East, the “South Asian” families determined to have their own center closer
to where they lived and more representative of their own more “liberal”
points of view. Accordingly, a house was purchased in an eastern suburb
(Monroeville, where most of the other religious edifices serving South Asian
settlers are to be found). This house served as a cultural center until the
early 1990s when construction was started on an authentic masjid. A social
hall was completed first and on May 13, 1995 the completed mosque was
dedicated.
It is here that families gather for most social, cultural, and religious events.
On Sundays, classes are offered in Arabic and in the interpretation of the
Qu‘ra ̄n run by lay participants. Open discussions are held on various issues
arising in the community: should American Muslims be free to eat meat
prepared by Jews and Christians even though these may not be strictly h.ala ̄l
(the consensus was yes)? Which religious days should be observed? (Most
of the participants are of Sunnı ̄ background, so Shı ̄a observances are gen-
erally ignored). Other elements of the Sunday agenda are a time for public
prayers (nama ̄z) and a common meal. The masjidis also open for prayer daily
for the handful who can attend and on Friday noon when all those of the
community who can will participate.
Themasjidwas established primarily for South Asian emigrés and at least
three-quarters of its constituency of some 150 families are South Asian,
whether Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi. They have been joined by persons
of other national origins – Indonesian, Malaysian, Egyptian, even Euro-
Americans who have married into the community. The South Asians share
a common language, Urdu ̄ , but insist their primary identities are “American
Muslim.” Yet at mealtime, in patterns of dress, and in accent, such sub-
identities as Panja ̄bı ̄, Hyderabadı ̄, or Benga ̄lı ̄ became apparent.
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