Bachan Kaur Alamwala

A family picture of the Alamwala family, which include (from left to right) Surinder Kaur, Bachan Kaur, Jasvir Singh, and Sarwan Singh. Surinder Kaur has her black hair in two braids, hoop earrings, and wearing a patterned shirt. Bachan Kaur is wearing a set of earrings and a necklace. Jasvir Singh's hair is in a joora, and he is sitting on his mother's lap. Sarwan Singh has a white… more

Photograph taken in a photography studio of four people. From left to right: Daljit Singh Alamwala, Sarwan Singh Alamwala, Nsibe Kaur Puri, and Bhajan Singh Puri. The men are formally dressed, while Nsibe Kaur is wearing a light-coloured, formal two-piece suit with her head covered.

This is a picture of the Alamwala family: Sarwan Singh, Bachan Kaur, Surinder Kaur, Jasvir Singh, Avtar Singh, and Jagtar Singh. The family is seated on a sofa together. Bachan Kaur and Surinder Kaur are wearing dresses. Sarwan Singh is wearing a dark-coloured suit. The photograph's estimated date is during the 1960s in British Columbia, Canada. more

Photograph showing an unidentified bride and groom surrounded by at least three generations of the Alamwala family. Both bride and groom have haars on. The bride is wearing a beaded Indian salwar suit, while the groom has a light-coloured turban and a dark-coloured suit. Sarwan Singh is standing, last-right, wearing a dark-coloured suit with a flower pinned to his suit. Bachan Kaur is sitting… more

A solo picture possibly of a young Daljit Singh[?]. He is wearing a dark-coloured, striped suit, white dress shirt, tie, and dark dress shoes. The background is a light curtain. This photo was taken at Yucho Chow's photography studio in Vancouver's Chinatown, a studio which was known to photograph many marginalized communities. more

Photograph of an unidentified man taken by the Government of the Dominion of Canada. He is wearing a light-coloured turban, a dark-coloured suit, and boutonnière on his collar.

Photograph of an unidentified woman. She is shown with her head covered by her chunni and is wearing a dark fur coat.

This is an unknown South Asian man's studio portrait. He's dressed in a light-coloured suit with a striped tie. more

Document describing the life of Bachan Kaur Alamwala for the 'Where Are the Women' SASI collection. It documents her birth on July 7, 1928, in Chuppkiti, near District Moga, to her arrival in Canada in 1960. The document contains also contains several pictures of the Alamwala family. more

This is the combined interview between Bachan Kaur Alamwala and Kusum Soni, the coordinator for the South Asian Studies Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley. The interview is set in Bachan Kaur's house, with Bachan Kaur sitting in an armchair with a blanket covering her lap. She has a scarf covering her head and is wearing a multi-coloured shirt. The interview was for the '… more

Photograph taken in a studio of the Alamwala family. From left to right: the youngest son, Kuldip Singh, is sitting on Daljit Singh's lap. Next, is Kulwant (Kelly) Kaur sitting on her mother's lap, Jasmer Kaur. Harminder (Harvey) Singh, the oldest son, is next to Jasmer Kaur. Standing in the front is Sukminder (Jinder) Singh, the second oldest son. Jasmer Kaur is wearing a patterned… more

Bachan Kaur is sitting on an armchair in her home near a window. Her head is covered and she is wrapped in a blanket.

This is a brief biography of Bachan Kaur from her childhood in Punjab, India, to her marriage and eventual motherhood, and finally, her immigration to Canada. Bachan Kaur first came to Cowichan, where her husband worked at the Honeymoon Bay mill. Later the family went to Abbotsford, where they had a 10-acre farm in 1968. In Abbotsford, Bachan Kaur worked at a cannery and cared for her children.… more