In this article Bahadur researches her own great-grandmother, Sujaira’s history. Some solid documents and records presented that she departed to Guiana from Calcutta as an indented labourer at 27 years age. The name of her father, her native village and even a burn mark on her left leg were recorded. But the record lacked clarity as her own statement was absent. Who was she ? What circumstanctes led her to leave India and migrate to a foreign land? These unanswerable questions were yet to discover. While searching for the proper documents Bahadur realized, the tales of Coolie women were never weaved. The existing archives had biases towards these voiceless womans. While digging deep into the history she found a rich paper trail in India Office and Colonial offices in London, stastical reports, diaries by captains, surgeons and more people who transported such indentured woman. These archives did not contain their stories rather it’s the way various white man, sexist individuals, plantation officials viewed these voiceless woman. As a result, Bahadur began to search her great-grandmother’s history in non-offcial sources. She looked for clues in visual traces and the oral tradition, folk songs, oral histories, photographs and much more. Later, she turned to her own voyage and experience of visiting India to find the identity of her great-grandmother. Bahadur’s deep interest to unwind this mystery, her journalist mind coincided with an immigrant’s child quieries of what’s his/her true identity. If I were to construct an archive of my own family, I would first look for the family albums, listen to stories from my parent’s and look for written documents. I would even ask the locals and the family of those people who were acquainted with our family.
The interviewee I watched is from the South Asian Oral history project is Dr Najma Rizvi. She was born in Bangladesh in 1938. She was raised in the capital city Dhaka and completed her Master’s degree in Geography. She tells in her interview that she was the first child to her parents and their parent’s marriage was not an arranged one. She also talks about her interest in Geography and also did her Master’s in Geography. She came to the United States with her husband in 1959 to further her studies and further returned to Bangladesh to teach. Dr Rizvi completed her Phd in Anthropology from the University of California and she completed Master’s from two other renowned Universities. She has extensive research experience which focuses on hunger, malnutrition and infectious disease. Moreover, she talks about the welcoming nature of NY people and much more. I enjoyed the interview and the way she talked about her childhood, interests and abroad life.
Hey Shehnila, I agree with you on your conclusion of the treatment of Coolie women and their unheard stories in Bahadur’s article. As I concluded, Bahadur’s grandmother’s real side of the story was not regarded in the records. That left out who she truly was, which automatically gave the outsiders the power to perceive her anyway they want. It is unfair because she went through a lot but the records only characterize her through bias statements as a “coolie” woman.
You’re both making important points here, Alexis and Shehnila, about who is represented in the archive and what kinds of archives we need to create to be able to represent the histories of those with less social power.
I like the interviewer that you chose Shehnila, it seems she did everything she can to have a better life and get a good education. I am also glad that her husband agree with her dream and are happily married in New York City.
Hey Shehnila,
The person you chosen is really interesting, she strive to following her dream and succeed. I like how she included about her life after moving to abroad. You know more about her before and after.