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Houston: Manpreet Monica Singh, an Indian-American, has been sworn in as a Harris County judge, making her the first female Sikh judge in the United States.
Ms. Singh currently resides in Bellaire with her husband and two children. She was born and raised in Houston.
She was officially sworn in as a judge of the Civil Court at Law No. 4 on Friday in Texas.
In the early 1970s, Ms. Singh's father immigrated to the United States.
She has been a trial lawyer for 20 years and has been involved in numerous local, state, and national civil rights organizations.
She stated during the oath ceremony, "It means a lot to me because I represent H-town (a nickname for Houston) the most, so for it to be us, I'm happy for it."
The ceremony, which took place in a packed courtroom, was presided over by Indian-American Judge Ravi Sandill, who was also the first South Asian judge in the state.
Mr. Sandill stated, "It's a really big moment for the Sikh community."
"They know that there is a possibility for them whenever they see someone different or of color. "Not only is Manpreet a spokesperson for Sikhs, but she is also a spokesperson for all women of color," he said.
There are about 20,000 Sikhs living in the Houston area, out of an estimated 500,000 Sikhs in the US.
Sylvester Turner, the mayor of Houston, said: It was a day of pride for the Sikh community, but it was also a day of pride for all people of color who were able to see the diversity of the court as well as the diversity of the city of Houston.
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