“Coming from the position of a second generation Asian Scot I wanted to start back from the beginning. I wanted to find the experiences and stories of the first generation Asian Scots who arrived on these shores around the 50’s. I wanted to see images of them in their Sunday best.

My research started from the Mitchell Library... there are books on Polish, Irish and Italian immigration; a great read, really emotional and you feel a sense of admiration for those people. For the things they left behind, the sacrifices they made, they became like heroes.

Unfortunately I struggled to find any Asian heroes, couldn’t find anything that was celebratory. No images at all. Somehow it’s as if they don’t exist.”

Very little evidence exists of the South Asian pioneers who made the huge decision to seek a new life in Scotland. This project aims to fill this gap by creating a vibrant archive through community workshops, oral histories, photography and film. It will culminate in an exhibition, an online archive and the production of an oral history book to be gifted to various bodies including the Mitchell Library Glasgow Collection.

To find out more about this project and how you can get involved please contact info@pardesi-heroes.com

www.pardesi-heroes.com