The City of Surrey/Surrey Archives is hosting a free virtual talk by Dr. Satwinder Bains.
April is Sikh Heritage Month in Canada. To recognize this and celebrate the history of the local South Asian community, the City of Surrey/Surrey Archives is hosting a free virtual talk by Satwinder Bains.
An associate professor at the South Asian Studies Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley, Bains will discuss the experiences and contributions of the South Asian community in B.C. and the South Asian Canadian Digital Archive. We talked to the professor about the archives and the importance of documenting history.We know what’s there. They hired us two years ago, just before the pandemic. It’s not so much what’s in the archives, but getting people engaged with the archive.
Q: There’s an archival photo of children standing in front of the Vancouver 2nd Avenue Sikh Temple. What’s the significance of the image?That image is really iconic for us. Prior to this photograph, the South Asian migration was mostly of men. A handful of women met the restriction criteria and applied to be let in for humanitarian reasons, but a law prevented women and children from coming to Canada.
Q: We talked about the photo, and how it shows the emergence of South Asian families in Vancouver. What else would you like people to know about the South Asian diaspora?That it has a very old and rich history. We’ve been here over 117 years. Our history is replete not just with challenges but with great successes. We are the beneficiaries of the resilience of our ancestors. We are here to stay and to build the country and, within our communities, a sense of heritage.