Z1205/117

Male. Indian immigrant. Asian translator for London Brick Co. b. 02.09.1943 Side A (00 mins)Born in the Punjab, northern India on 2nd. September 1943. Five children. Father moved to Kenya, East Africa. Family joined 5 years later. Grandparents lived in same house. Mother encouraged his learning. As elder son, made to feel responsible, in absence of father. (05 mins)Children made their own games. Walked 2 miles to school. Food. The colours and tastes of childhood. (10 mins)Mother working hard to maintain family. Strong maternal influence. Life-long impact of sense of insecurity. (15 mins)Sense of responsibility. Good at school. Befriended older and more educated people. Father worked in building industry in Kenya. Grandfather retired aged 45, when grandson was 6. (20 mins)Pride and independence of grandfather. Lack of success of father in Eat Africa. (25 mins)Move from India to Kenya. Apartheid of Whites, Asians and African in Nairobi. Separate toilets and schools. Asians kept themselves away from politics. (32 mins)End of Side A Side B (00 mins)Move to England for "A" Level study. Joined relatives in Bedford. Arrived 14.12.1961 (05 mins)Parents' religious beliefs. Own private scepticism. (10 mins)Didn't want to be drain on father's ailing business, so decided to postpone full-time education. Sought work. Wearing a turban marked him out as different and he found it impossible to get either office work or factory work. (15 mins)Rather than continue to humiliate himself, decided to apply for job more likely to get. Joined London Brick at Stewartby brickyard. Various jobs then asked by firm to act as interpreter with Asian workers. (20 mins)Reward of helping workmen with their problems. International community at brickworks. (25 mins)Worked there for 2 ½ years Hours were made flexible to allow him to attend Mander (Bedford) College to do part-time studies. Asians enjoyed meeting at Peacocks' Saturday auctions, near embankment (now site of Salvation Army building). (30 mins)Asians meeting also in parks. No formal place to socialise, except home. (32 mins)End of Side B Continued on 117C2 Side A (00 mins)Indian immigrant workers working as much overtime as possible in order to pay back loans which had enabled them to come to England or to support families back home. The intention was to stay for just 3 or 4 years then return to India to buy farms and so on. The reality was that they stayed, brought over their families and grew distant from their roots. Racist attitudes pervaded both work and life outside. Discrimination shown when attempting to rent rooms or visit public houses. (05 mins)Formation of a Young Indian Association in late 1960s & an Indian Workers' Association to seek improvement in treatment of Asians in Bedford. Example of Asian workers being taken advantage of in a Bedford engineering firm and practices only changed when Asian workers refused to work overtime. (10 mins)"Them and us" situation between native British and immigrant workers. Lack of interplay between them. (15 mins)Strategies for countering prejudice. Reflection on changes over time. Fear over increasing number of single-faith schools. (20 mins)Thoughts on the role of religion in individual lives. Gained his technical qualifications to degree level through part-time study at Bedford College. Changes in Bedfordshire over his lifetime: loss of jobs in brick industry; less pollution. Impact on Bangladeshi community - they could work in brick industry without English language skills but once made redundant found it hard to get other work. (25 mins)East-African Asians contribution to British society through their input of business skills. Thinks Bedford is a very attractive town to live in. Reflections on how it has missed out compared with other towns such as Northampton and Milton Keynes. (30 mins)Voluntary work with Community Relations Council, later Race Equality Council and other committees, such as the Board of Governors of Bedford College.(32 mins)End of Side A Side B (00 mins)Voluntary work on Prince's Trust youth work, Board of Prison Visitors, etc. Diploma in Management Studies. Joined Texas Instruments, Bedford. (05 mins)Working for an American company in research and development. Helped design the first full semi-conductor colour television. Extensive travel in Europe, marketing the components. After 15 years, moved to Granada, Bedford, which bought televisions for rental. Travelled to sell in the Far East. Took early retirement after 15 years, at the age of 50. (10 mins)Did more social work in retirement. Set up a social club called Bedford International Club. Now looks forward to true retirement. Hard to get out of committees, etc. Reflections on changes in his outlook, coming from a slightly privileged background with servants in Kenya to working with labourers at Stewartby brickworks. Developed his humility. (17 mins)End of Side B End of Interview. Original Interview 110mins

4 April 2002

From: 1940 To: 2002

item

London Brick Company,
Texas Instruments Limited,
Granada T.V. Rentals

Asians, translator, immigration, CHILDREN, games, food, schools, EDUCATION, FAMILY, building trade, race issues, toilets, POLITICS, NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGION, clothing, brick worker, Bedford Mander College, specific aucton sales, parks, LEISURE ACTIVITIES, family/personal financial affairs, farms, public houses, lodging houses, Indians, pollution, Bangladeshi, unemployment, business, Race Equality Council, Community Relations Council, Bedford Prison, manager, Americans, television, marketing manager, social workers, servants, Punjab (India), Kenya, Africa, Nairobi, STEWARTBY, Europe