They later went on to settle in the UK and contributed to industrial development. Over the last 100 years, they have flourished. Today, Sikhs can be found all over the world and in all spheres of society, From medicine, business and politics, to music, art and culture.
In this project we explored the journey from being humble migrants to becoming successful, active participants and contributors in the UK. The project engaged first and second generation Sikh migrants to record their life stories and lessons learnt. We asked about their childhoods, their journeys and the struggles they experienced on arrival into the UK. We explored their motivations, strengths, values and how they established themselves in a new country. Using additional research, we charted: how the community established roots within Britain; integrated as active members of society; overcame discrimination; and formally protected the Sikh identity.
Migration is an important theme for Sikhs. We believe that we are all spiritual migrants on this planet. Having travelled through a cycle of many births and deaths, we are navigating ourselves back home to our Creator. This project was helpful in allowing us to ponder on these reflections, and appreciate how to respect the challenges, struggles and sacrifices that form part of this journey.
This project has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. We are indebted to them for allowing us this opportunity to explore, and permanently record our heritage. We also acknowledge the extensive contributions of our volunteers, without whom we could not have achieved so much in such little time. Our volunteers and contributors have added value and expertise to this project, that would not have been possible with the funding alone.