The Yuba City is home to one of the largest Sikh communities in the US.
Indian American Preet Didbal has been named the first Sikh mayor of Yuba City in California, reported kcra.com. She is the first Sikh woman to become the mayor of a city in the US.
According to media reports, she will be sworn in on December 5. Didbal is currently serving as the vice mayor of Yuba City.
Recently Ravi Bhalla, another Sikh, was elected as mayor in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Didbal’s parents immigrated from India to the US in 1968. Born and brought up in Yuba City, Didbal was elected to Yuba City Council in 2014.
“I’m a single mom and for my daughter, it’s to show her and be an example and let her embark on her own journey but let her know the sky is the limit,” Didbal was quoted as saying by abc10.com.
“Seeing someone that looks like you, that comes from the same faith as you, to be elected in a public office in this country is inspiring and exciting. And it’s definitely moving,” Jaydeep Singh with the Sikh Coalition said.
“When Ravi Bhalla was elected in New Jersey, that was the first time I saw someone who looked like me, who was in a public office in the United States of America,” he added.
The Yuba City is home to one of the largest Sikh communities in the US.
Didbal told kcra.com that youth education, homelessness, completing the Fifth Street Bridge project and bridging the gap between the region’s growth and economic development will be her priorities as mayor.