Community
City of KERMAN K
erman was originally built as a railroad station called Collis back in the late 1800’s. It was renamed Kerman after two gentlemen, William Kerckhoff and Jacob Mansar, purchased about 3000 acres. They subdivided the land and eventually, others started settling there. Today, the city has about 15,000 residents and continues to grow. Over the last two decades, hundreds of Punjabi families have moved to Kerman. They’ve made their homes next door to Mexicans and work alongside them in fields, either farming or driving trucks to haul produce. The small city has great schools, parks and excellent recreational programs for the youth and seniors. Kerman and the City Council have planned, financed and developed the necessary support infrastructure to properly accommodate this growth. A local Punjabi, Bill Nijjer, holds a seat in the city council. The city is proud that it has one of the lowest crime rates in the Fresno County. They have a harvest festival in the fall and an excellent Christmas parade during the winter. One of the best things about Kerman is its diversity. Close to 12 percent of the population is Punjabi. They have the largest Punjabi section of any public library in the USA. You can walk down the aisles and find a book in English or Punjabi on almost every topic related to Punjabi culture, history, arts, and much more. Fourteen years ago, the Indian community lobbied to have Punjabi taught as a foreign language at the high school level and became one of only a few California school districts to offer the courses as an elective approved by the University of California system. The small town is full of many businesses owned by Punjabis, such as Lucero’s Market, JS Auto Sales, Guru Commercial Auto Brokers, U-Save Liquor, Handy Stop Liquor, Kerman U Save, 7 Star Market, and Fastrip . Kerman places great emphasis on quality of life, while still keeping a small-town flavor. This beautiful town has rich, flat farmland and reminds many of the natural beauty of northwest India’s Punjab. 20 Desi Lifestyle 2015
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