Introduction

Karen Dosanjh is a Canadian-born historian and author of Untold Stories: The South Asian Pioneer Experience in BC which captures a pivotal time in our collective history. Through her extensive research on early Sikh settlers and their families, Karen documented and preserved the forgotten voices of the first wave of migrants from Punjab, India to Canada in the early 1900s.

Her book chronicles the historic milestones for Sikhs in Canada and uncovers dark times such as the racial barriers they faced as they persevered to establish their families in their new homeland. Untold Stories leaves a legacy to educate and inspire future generations about the journey of the Indian diaspora and the significant contributions they made to chart a path to Canada and the US. Karen has worked tirelessly to bring Sikh-centric stories to students who greatly benefit from culturally significant content in their classrooms.

Preserving pioneer history is in her blood as Karen's forefather Gian Singh Johal migrated to Canada in 1906 to establish her paternal family's longstanding roots in Canada. Her husband's paternal grandfather Narain Singh Dosanjh migrated in 1907 and grandmother, Maha Kaur Dosanjh in 1929, becoming one of the first five Sikh families to reside in New Westminster, BC.

Sikhlens is collaborating with Karen on producing a documentary on the same topic as the calendar and which was filmed in British Columbia, Canada. The film will be featured at the Sikhlens: Sikh Arts and Film Festival in November 2022.

On a professional note, Karen has built an esteemed reputation as a trusted professional and expert in marketing, communications & public relations throughout her 25-year career. As Vice-President, Marketing & Communications, Karen leads the global strategy for OSI Digital, a leading provider of business and technology solutions for Fortune 500 companies around the world.

Photograph on the cover: A delegation of prominent BC Sikhs including Arjan Singh Randhawa, Mahinder Singh Beadall, Naginder Singh Gill and Dedar Singh visited the Sikh community in Stockton, California. As officers of the Khalsa Diwan Society, Vancouver, the men joined Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, the Indian national leader and sister of India's then pro-independence activist, Jawaharlal Nehru on May 13, 1945. The group travelled to California to discuss common issues and the racial barriers they were facing as new immigrants to Canada and the United States.