Yasmin talking with Pushpa Rai Part 1
Recording for Asian Connections Project, Total length 1 hour, 42 secondsTrack 1 Came from India in 1971 aged 18. Could not speak English. Big Indian community in Wolverhampton. Lived with her husband’s family. She had six brothers and two sisters (2.53). Dad a farmer in Punjab, in a village near Lubina. Grew mangos, bananas, peanuts, melons (4.47) Four bedroom house, all the children slept in one room. (5.29) Discussion about school in India (7.33) Discussion about weddings in India. Pushpa came to England for arranged marriage. She was shown a photo of her fiancé. Stayed with in laws before wedding as she did not know anyone else in England. (11.54) Easy, happy life in India. Father and brothers worked hard in fields. (15.43) Pushpa never touched housework could not cook when she married. (17.12) Had to learn to use gas cooker. Her in-laws ate meat, she had been vegetarian. At first her mother-in-law would wash the meat for her. Took long time to get used to. (19.08) Pushpa was anaemic when pregnant. Advised to start eating meat. In India her mum didn’t cook or eat meat. Her dad would cook meat if he wanted it. Dad strict with his boys but not his girls. Never saw her mum angry. She sewed, knitted, was a midwife and gave herbal medicine to people in the village. Discussion of some of the people she helped. Her mum died 20 years ago in India. (27.28) Pushpa passed an answer to a boy in an exam. Teacher hit her hand with a stick. Next day her dad ran to school and told teacher never to hit his daughter again. (30.00) Never in any other trouble. She was always top of class. (30.42) Changes to village since she left. After her parents died her family moved into town. Pushpa used to write to mum. Pushpa had two children. (35.00) Discussion about her wedding in England. (37.48) Life in England. Was excited not scared to see so many white people. (39.22) So many Asians in Wolverhampton no-one stared at her. (40.00) After children started nursery Pushpa went to college for three months to learn English. In-laws family not strict she did not need their permission. Moved to Edinburgh around 1986 (44.25) husband bought off-licence in Leith lands at bottom of Leith Walk. Very nice people there. When the shop closed in 1994 Pushpa worked as a dining room supervisor at a nursery. (48.10) Got job as school crèche worker. (50.00) Worked there for 10 years on a temporary contract. (52.00) Work as sales assistant. Work in nursery in Fettes College. (54.00) Moved to Fife two years ago. (56.00) Fewer Asians in Leith than in Wolverhampton. (57.00) Discussion about her son and daughter’s further education. Important to let children do what they want to do.
