Saund, Dalip Singh, 1899-1973

Dalip Singh Saund (September 20, 1899 – April 22, 1973) was an American politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented the 29th congressional district of California from January 3, 1957 to January 3, 1963. He was the first Asian American, the first Indian American and the first member of a non-Abrahamic faith to be elected to the United States Congress.

Born in Chhajulwadi, Amritsar district, Punjab Province, British India (now Chhajjalwaddi, Punjab, India), to an Indian Punjabi Sikh family, he received his bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Punjab in 1919. He immigrated to the United States to study at the University of California, Berkeley. While there, he obtained a master's degree (1922) and a PhD (1924), both in mathematics. After he finished his studies, Saund’s family informed him that the Indian government had been keeping tabs on his “anti-British utterances in America.” Saund decided to stay in California and later authored My Mother India, a book about his experiences at home and a critique of British imperialism. He moved south to California’s Imperial Valley, where a number of other Indians had settled. Saund saved money and quickly went into the business of growing lettuce. After 20 years of farming, Saund opened his own fertilizer business around 1953. Saund was elected to the Imperial County Democratic Central Committee in the summer of 1950 and ran for a judgeship in November. He won, but a higher court vacated his election after it became clear that Saund had not been a U.S. citizen for a full year at the time of his victory. In 1952, Saund ran again, narrowly winning. In 1956, Saund was elected to the House of Representatives, taking office just over seven years after becoming an American citizen.

In Congress, Saund supported civil rights legislation and voted in favor of pensions, health insurance for senior citizens, and insurance for the unemployed. On an international scale, Saund wanted to spend less money on military aid and more on cultural exchanges and infrastructure projects in the developing world. In the 87th Congress (1961-1963), Saund defied the Kennedy administration, pushing Congress to more closely monitor its foreign investments, ensuring that whatever money America gave to the world actually made it to the farmers and rural villagers who needed it the most. On May 1, 1962, Saund suffered a severe stroke on an airplane flight which left him unable to speak or walk without assistance. Though unable to campaign, he won the June Democratic primary (running in the newly numbered 38th district) but was defeated for reelection in the November general election by Republican Patrick M. Martin by a 56% to 44% margin. Following his defeat, his condition slightly improved allowing him to be moved from a hospital in Bethesda, Maryland to California. He had a second stroke and died on April 22, 1973 at his Hollywood home.