Video

Creator: Brar, Gurdev

Video footage from various scenes of South Asian Canadian daily life. Video includes shots of people gathering in parks, South Asian grocery stores and other business, as well as scenes of South Asian owned farms. Gurdev Brar is featured in the footage as he describes the farm he owns and operates.

Creator: Ratzlaff, Ben

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Ben Ratzlaff about his work with Sunder Singh's dairy farm. Ben and his family moved to British Columbia because of the promising future. He started to work at Sunder Singh's dairy farm where he and his family were given a place to live. He held high opinions of Sunder Singh. Ben knew about farming since he was raised on a farm. Ben describes how he got to know many of the South Asian works, and often invited some for tea and snacks. He also describes how he had once helped a man by the name of Jassa Singh, to hide from the government by sending him to Saskatchewan. Ben quit his job with Sunder Singh in the late 1940s. This interview was conducted by Nirakshik Chand on August 26, 1996.

Creator: Rai, Gian

Interview with Gian Rai about his immigration to Canada. Gian Rai's grandfather came to Yuba, California where his brother Dalip worked. His father came to the US with a student visa, but started to work. He fled the US after the government was told about him violating the visa terms. Gian Rai was one of the only educated ones in his village, and he became the Sarpanch at the age of 24, making him the youngest Sarpanch in the village. After leaving his village with his siblings and moving to America where they met their father, they took a bus to cross the border to Canada. After arriving, he did not attend university and started to work in a mill despite his student visa. When the government found out about the violation of his visa, his father found a family that helped to find a girl for Gian Rai to get married to, making him a Canadian citizen. Gian Rai describes how he regrets not finishing his studies at the University of British Columbia. This is a full-length interview conducted on June 24,1996.

Creator: Power, Gurdial Singh

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Gurdial Singh Power. Before coming to Canada, Mr. Gurdial Singh Powar had a central government job. All of his brothers came to Canada after he settled down. He came to Canada for a better life, but he misses his job in India. Gurdial Singh describes how he was very comfortable with reading, writing, and talking in English. When he first arrive, he started by working as a helper in the garage. After he got his work permit, he started working in the garage full-time. When he went to the immigration office for an interview, he was asked questions related to the mechanical line after he told them what he was doing in Canada for a living. His paperwork was passed quickly. This is a full length interview conducted on June 10, 1996 by Nirakshik Chand.

Creator: Hara, Tina

Interview with Tina Hara about her experiences growing up in Canada. Tina Hara was born on April 27th, 1975 in Victoria, BC. Her parents had immigrated to Canada on October 6, 1972, from Punjab, India. Tina describes how she always felt she was different from other kids at her school. Many kids called out to her and said racist things in elementary school. She thinks that if she was born in India, her life would have been different. This is a full-length interview conducted on July 4th, 1996.

Creator: Hara, Balraj Singh

Creator: Hara, Daljeet Kaur

Creator: Hara, Tina

Interview with Balraj and Daljeet Hara. Mrs. Daljeet Kaur Hara came to Canada on October 6, 1972 to visit her brother and with the thought of settling down in the country. She describes how the biggest struggle for her was talking in English. Her first job was as a maid in a hotel. She felt a culture shock when she went to the Gurdwara and no one would cover their heads. She found it hard to wear dresses and skirts. She also describes how they had to go to Vancouver to get spices and clothes. Mr. Hara came to Canada in 1974 on a marriage basis. When he came, he did not like the food and could not speak English. Mr. Hara came to Canada because of economic and employment reasons. They bought a restaurant, but due to racism, no one would come. After some time, their business finally took off and was successful. This is a full-length interview conducted on July 4, 1996.

Creator: Gill, Sewa Singh

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Sewa Singh about his move to Canada as well as his father's story of working in Canada in the early 1900s. Sewa Singh spent his childhood tutoring and helping out at school, as well as working on his 15-acre family farm. His father came to Canada in 1906, to work on the railroad, while sending money frequently to his family in India. After losing his job, he went to the United States and worked as a farm labourer and lived in a barn. He returned to India to attend to his family in 1932. He returned to Canada in 1935. When he came back, Sewa Singh was with him. Sewa Singh and his father stayed in San Francisco for two months before they finally reached Canada. Sewa Singh found a job as a janitor in a sawmill in North Vancouver. Both of them lived in the bunkhouses with 12 others and one cook. Sewa then got another job at the mill and a raise of 5 cents. Sewa Singh always kept short hair and was clean shaven. Sewa married a Canadian woman and settled down. This is a full-length interview recorded on June 27, 1996 conducted by Nirakshik Chand in Abbotsford, BC.

Creator: Gill, Indar Singh

Interview with Indar Singh Gill about his move from India to Canada. Indar Singh Gill was born on 5th April 1913 In Punjab. He came to Canada on December 12th, 1930 via a steamer ship called "Empress of Japan" with his two brothers. His uncle was already a resident in Canada therefore, he sponsored them here and helped them in their initial days. According to Mr. Gill, farming in India was tough in those days as there was a lack of resources and technologies. Because of these situations, seventeen-year-old Indar Singh decided to move abroad in search of a financially stable life. This is a full-length interview recorded on August 27, 1996.

Creator: Gill, Najar

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Mr. Najar Singh Gill was thirty years old when he moved to Canada in 1963 from Punjab. He was a farmer in India and also the first member of his family to come to Canada. Mr. Najar's wife was a Canadian citizen and she sponsored him. He then moved to Canada with his daughter who was only one and a half years old at that time. Further, Mr. Gill knew several friends and acquaintances in Canada who were from the same village, all of whom helped him to start his new life. He first started to work in Mission in a mill and then came to Abbotsford.This is a full-length interview recorded on June 4, 1996, conducted by Nirakshik Chand at Mr. Fateh Chand's residence in Abbotsford.

Creator: Gill, Nash

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Nash Gill about his life growing up in Canada. Nash Gill's family immigrated in 1949. Nash's father, Indar Singh Gill, was already a Canadian resident therefore, Nash got his citizenship directly. Gill was only one and a half years old when he moved from Punjab to Canada with his mother. He grew up in Mission and his family used to visit the gurdwara in Abbotsford weekly. He was one of the few South Asian Canadians in his school. In high school, during graduation, he was the only South Asian Canadian in his class. He spent his summers berry picking. Nash Gill describes how during the Great Depression, his father started working for Kapoor Lumber, and later on, he built his own mill, calling it Fraser Valley Sawmill. This is a full-length interview recorded on August 30th, 1996 conducted by Nirakshik Chand at Mr. Gill's law office in Abbotsford.