Yuba City Swears In First Female Sikh Mayor
YUBA CITY (CBS13) - A local city is celebrating and making history with the swearing-in of its new mayor.
A Sacramento State graduate and former vice mayor, Preet Didbal is being elevated to a top position - one that's making history.
Tuesday evening started with the first-ever Girl Scout color guard, part of a night of firsts.
There was standing room only inside, with an overflowing crowd outside, as the new mayor of Yuba City was sworn in.
"Thank you for letting me be mayor. I am grateful, absolutely grateful to represent our city," Dibal said.
Earlier in the day, Didball spoke about how she was feeling before her historic swearing-in ceremony.
"I'm still blown away by what's happening," Didbal said.
She says she's honored to be the first Sikh woman elected mayor of a U.S. city. But this isn't new territory for her. She was the first Sikh woman elected to a U.S. city council here in 2014.
"I'm paving the way, but there are women in front of me who paved the way as well," Didbal said.
Yuba City has one of the largest Sikh populations in the country. Founded in India's Punjab region, Didbal says that "service" is an important part of the Sikh religion. Her parents came to Yuba City from India working as farm laborers. She was born here in a local hospital.
"That was the whole point to emigrate from India to here to have a better life," Didbal said.
She says this new position goes along with her continued effort to give back to a community which has given her and her family that better life.
"If you look around our society, there's crazy stuff going on, so I want to reflect the positivity, the hand of kindness, and get rid of hate."
