Indians came as students to universities such as the University of California at Berkeley.  The Pacific Coast Khalsa Diwan had purchased a hostel where Indian students could stay rent-free. In 1912, one successful California potato farmer, Jwala Singh, funded the Guru Govind Singh Sahib Educational Scholarship, awarded through a competition held in India. 

The Hindustan Association of America, the national Surat Singh Gill Association for Indian students founded by Bengali activist Tarakhnath Das, had established chapters on a number of major university campuses and published the journal Hindustanee Student.  Stirring rhetoric for idealistic young men looking for a way to serve their country, Har Dayal and the Ghadar Party, soon to be founded, became a significant force in the lives of the Berkeley students.

Links and Resources:
Asian American Studies Collection - UC Berkeley

Echoes of Freedom - UC Berkeley