Watch: The Punjabi-Mexicans of California represent the unlikely union of two communities

In a twist of immigration law fate, men who’d emigrated from the Punjab region of India and Mexican women who had immigrated after the Mexican revolution found each other as the most suitable mates in California of the early 20th century. As a result, a unique culture of Punjabi-Mexican families was born there. Curry enchiladas and a fascinating blend of Catholic and Sikh religious heritage ensued. Scholar Karen Isaksen Leonard, author of Making Ethnic Choices: California’s Punjabi Mexican Americans, counted roughly 250 couples in the Sacramento Valley, and another 50 in the Central Valley. She describes how many of the Indian men adapted their identities to the prevailing Mexican culture of other immigrants, changing their names from Magyar to Miguel, or Mondo from Mohammed. Changes in immigration law meant the phenomenon didn’t last more than a generation, but many, like dancer and choreographer Joti Singh, have explored Punjabi-Mexican history in works of art to keep this immigration story alive.

This video is part of a series produced in partnership with the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA).