Rathna Begum DB 1

From the article about Bahadur’s grandmother, it is clear that as a woman of South Asian descent back then it was not easy traveling to a new country by herself. Not only did she have to deal with racist and sexist situations, but she left her abusive husband behind while being four months pregnant. The term “Coolie” has been mentioned several times in the article and it is a derogatory statement referred to people of Asian descent especially south Asians at the time because they were more commonly migrating, partly because of the aftermath of British colonialism. If I were to construct data of my own family history I would ask my parents about their parents and continue from there because I don’t know much about my ancestors.

In the oral history of Asian Americans, the South Asian oral history project by the University of Washington emphasizes the importance and history of South Asian Americans who have migrated to the United States in hopes of a better life. One narrator named Zakir Parpia speaks about how he was born in Bombay, India and he left the country at twenty seven years old and got married. He then quit his job because it was not doing well in the market, so he started his own building company called, “Himalaya Homes”. He was part of an association called Spokane and was elected to become the president in 1982. The different stories of South Asians are interesting because it tells the life of someone who struggled to succeed and provide a better life for themselves and their families. Although they did not go in depth with their histories, it gives a perspective of how immigrants continue to work to shape a brighter future throughout the years.