Sorry I don't know the clip. But it brings back a lot of memories from the 1970's. I remember the first asian family moving into our road. We didn't have much to do with them but I remember how different they seemed to everyone else. I also remember the first asian classmate joining my school, also in the mid 1970's. Back then we had a primary, middle and high school so it was a little different to today. I still remember his name and, I'm glad to say, he was mostly welcomed and I played with him a lot. But he did also get picked on by the school bullies, as did I. I now know he was Sikh but back then I had no idea about the differences between different asian cultures. I would love to find him now and see whether his recollection is similar to mine. I've no doubt looking back that it would have been quite hard for him and I didn't appreciate that at the time. I remember the teachers being quite hard on him.I obviously have better memories of the time than I suspect he does.
It's interesting in the clip that the father couldn't speak English or "write his mark" which I assume means he couldn't write in any language(?). My wife's mother, who only died last year and came to this country in 1972/3, was unable to understand any written English, most spoken English and could not write in her own language either. It wasn't uncommon and she relied on her children to help with any translation or filling in forms. Sadly her husband (my wife's father) died of a heart attack a few years after moving here which was a massive blow to the family.
Thanks for the reply - would you say that it was 70's then, rather than 60's?
Yes that's true, I don't think you do quite appreciate the struggles of others when you're a child and that's especially understandable for something as big as having new and different people integrate into your society without any real understanding of their behaviours or attitudes.
I think RE classes in school really helped future generations on both sides of the situation.
Just to clarify the clip, his son said that his dad can't even write his "sign" meaning simply that he is unable to write his name, and yes can be interpreted as unable to write at all. Very common for most males who were not clerks or officers, and the norm for females.
When my grandparents came over my grandad was already fluent in the main languages of India (read & write) as well as English - he was quite high in the military and, according to him, their star hockey player
, but my grandma could not. When it came to integration it was fine for my grandad, all the locals called him Arthur and he made his way driving busses and taxis, then he bought a shop for my grandma to sell material for Indian clothes, that's when her comprehension of English improved however integration was hard for her as a woman, socially she only had the Gudwara.
Times have changed so much and there is a cosmopolitan bubble now which destigmatises integration for both parties and has allowed those who originally had less "right" to experience a fuller life. Very positive
If my grandad and grandma came over today I feel my grandma would be fluent in english after a couple years as there are so many other environments for her to socialise instead of the Temple.
I wonder, from a native perspective, have you noticed similar from modern immigrants compared with back in the day?