Madison square at Manhattan in New York is abuzz with activity. What sets apart the Baisakhi Nagar Kirtan parade, held this weekend, is that it has started drawing a multi-ethnic crowd apart from Punjabis and Hindus.

Necks turn as Jamaica-based Nigel, a nurse by profession, converses in chaste Punjabi. A Jamaican woman from New York, who goes by the name of Kamaljeet Kaur, too, mingles in the crowd chatting in Punjabi. This leaves many from the third generation of Punjabi diaspora wonderstruck as most children born and raised here struggle with their mother tongue.

“Langar and Sewa” is what has attracted from other ethnic groups most to Sikhism. So much so that Vancouver-based Pat Singh Cheung, born and raised in Hong Kong, embraced Sikh religion after his chance discovery of “Free Community Kitchen” in the name of 10th Guru of Sikhs - Guru Gobind Singh, while strolling through Vancouver 's Chinatown on a sunny spring day.

Life changed thereafter. The Vancouver resident is among a small group of people of Chinese-descent the world over who are Sikhs.

“I saw a large gathering, lined up for meals at the corner of Main and Hastings streets, outside the Carnegie Community Centre. On inquiring I found the Sikh-faith led volunteer organization has been serving free meals on the Downtown Eastside since 2007,” says Cheung, “Quite Incredible.”

Cheung, an avid photographer and marathon runner, has adopted several tenets of Sikhism.

As a sign of the faith, Cheung now has unshorn hair, wears a turban and a Kara (Sikh article of faith).

He starts every day at 3:30 am, which is called “amrit vela” or the time for daily mediation and prayer, followed by a run along the Yaletown seawall.

Cheung says his goal is to become a baptized Sikh. "I would also like to learn Punjabi a little bit better so that I can understand the scriptures." He has written and published a pamphlet called "3 Facts about Sikhi" in Cantonese to help the people of Chinese-descent understand the religion when they come to Guru Nanak's Free Kitchen on Sundays.

"I feel good inside because I know I'm doing the right thing," said Cheung.

However, as enticing it may sound, cross-culturalism does stir up hornets nest sometimes between the young and the old guard. Gurmeet Gill from Ludhiana has been ostracized by his family members for almost 10 years for marrying a white Christian woman.

His wife Laurie Williams is more forthcoming. “I have been in a relationship with the Punjabi Sikh man for good three years. We have raised our children in the Punjabi culture and within the Sikh faith. We are all loved equally by God. I have a Christian background, I believe he and I pray to the same God. I feel strongly about wanting to learn Punjabi as its important for our future within his family and our potential one. I know we can share a wonderful life together. I have great respect and love for his family that I've never met, because they have raised a great man. I wish to soften their hearts.”

Gill is all smiles, as he observes his wife talking with unflinching faith in relations and religion.

