In 1920, Saund immigrated to the United States using money from his brother to study food preservation at the University of California, Berkeley and arrived on September 27.[3][4][5] He did not return to India until 1957.[6] He graduated with a Master of Arts in 1922, and Ph.D. in 1924. He married Marian Z. Kosa, with whom he had three children, on July 21, 1928.[4][5]
Saund became a farmer in the Imperial Valley in 1925. His book My Mother India, a response to Katherine Mayo's Mother India, was published by Stockton, California's Sikh temple in 1930. He organized the Indian Association of America and served as its first president in 1942. He and the organization lobbied for legislation to allow Indians to be eligible for naturalization. The Luce–Celler Act was passed in 1946, and Saund gained American citizenship on December 16, 1949.[7][8][4]
Saund ran for Justice of the Peace in the 1950 election, but was not allowed to take the position as he had not been a citizen for long enough.[11] In 1951, Saund attempted to be appointed by the Imperial County Board of Supervisors, but they selected Frank Lyall instead. Saund defeated Lyall in the 1952 election to become Justice of the Peace of Westmoreland.[3][12][2] He claimed to be the only native Indian holding office in the United States at the time.[13]
Following his election to the United States House of Representatives, Saund stated that he wanted a seat on the House Interior Committee to make sure that his district received a fair share of the Colorado River's water.[26] In 1957, he was appointed to serve on a sub-committee in the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs.[27]
Saund was hospitalized at UCLA Medical Center in 1963 following a stroke he suffered while flying to Washington, D.C.[32] He died on April 22, 1973, following a second stroke in Hollywood, California.[33] Twenty-four members of the United States House of Representatives paid tribute to Saund on the House floor and a memorial service was held.[34]
Political positions
In 1957, Saund criticized the United States for its policy of "buying kings and protecting oil" in the Middle East while ignoring the people. He stated that the British had done a similar policy in India and were "tossed out of India". He stated that the same thing would happen to the United States if it continued the policy.[35] He praised President Dwight D. Eisenhower for his stand against the United Kingdom, France, and Israel during the Suez Crisis.[36] He criticized the United States Department of State for giving a more elaborate welcome to Queen Elizabeth II than any Asian leader.[37] He defended the United States during the Little Rock Crisis while on tour in Japan stating that in "thirty-five out of the forty-eight states of the Union there was no discrimination against Negroes in schools or public places".[9]
Electoral history
1956 United States House of Representatives California's 29th congressional district election[38]