Kartar (Kar) Dhillon, 1915-2008, was one of the first South Asian American children born on the West Coast. Her Punjabi Sikh family’s history in the U.S. dates back to 1899. She was born into activism through her family’s involvement with the Gadar Party and the fight for India’s independence from Britain. Kar was a life-long activist and one of the earliest South Asian American writers.