From the Komagata Maru to six Sikh MPs in Parliament : factors influencing electoral political participation in the Canadian-Sikh community

In the span of about 100 years Canadian-Sikhs have negotiated the path from political exclusion to political inclusion. This ethno-specific study focuses on the federal and provincial electoral performance of the Canadian-Sikh community and attempts to answer the following research questions. What factors have contributed to these electoral achievements, and what does having representation mean for the Sikh community -- have the results been substantive or symbolic? The research discuses [sic] a range of internal (community specific) and external (structural) factors that have allowed for such electoral success; and utilizes key informant interviews and a political engagement survey to examine community motivations for having elected representation. The study concludes by raising questions about the traditional interpretation around the nature of immigrant integration and political participation. Also highlighted here is the need for further ethnospecific research that recognizes the complexity of the relationship between the factors that influence political participation across different communities.