In 1956, Dalip Singh Saund was elected to represent California’s 29th Congressional District, becoming the first Asian American, Indian immigrant, and Sikh in the U.S. Congress. He won in a conservative district in the Imperial Valley. Endorsed by John F. Kennedy, Saund served three terms on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. His historic election was made possible by the Luce-Celler Act of 1946, which finally granted South Asians the right to naturalize and become U.S. citizens after years of being barred by discriminatory laws.










