Pauline reflects on a fascinating Story Cafe…
This Story Cafe Special was part of Glasgow Women’s Library participation in Open Doors 2024 with the theme of We’re All Here: Diversity and Diaspora. This was a great opportunity to revisit She Settles in the Shields: untold stories of migrant women in Pollokshields, published in 2011 by GWL in conjunction with Pollokshields Development Agency.
Wendy welcomed everyone to this Story Cafe which was being led by Syma with readings by herself and Saadia. There was also an accompanying special exhibition in the library (which is on until the end of October).
Syma explained that early migration into the area had mostly been from Jewish people but from the 1960s onwards it was increasingly people from the Indian subcontinent. Often women’s history is neglected and marginalised, so this oral history project had been so important in highlighting women’s contribution to their communities. The women were apprehensive that their words might be misrepresented so it was vital that they had editorial control over what was published. 10 years later their daughters were also interviewed for International Women’s Day 2022.
The readings were fascinating, showing both the barriers they faced and their enterprise in overcoming them. Speaking a variety of languages including Urdu, Hindi and Pashto, feelings of isolation were common but gradually community groups were set up with learning opportunities, shops opened and from the 1970s onwards, restaurants. The readings sparked questions and a lively discussion around belonging and integration but also the importance of each group meanwhile maintaining their cultural identity while living in harmony in a multi-ethnic area of Glasgow.
We finished by listening to Zaitoon reading her amazing poem The Torn Generation (2nd Generation) which highlighted her generation’s special problems such as having to act as interpreters for their mothers but also the opportunities available to them.
This was a joyful opportunity to celebrate those women who travelled half way round the world to start a new life away from their extended families, their culture and familiar surroundings. They faced a strange environment, a different culture and language, and not least the unpredictable Scottish weather. I have been reading She Settles in the Shields over the past few days and it is a fitting memorial to these brave, resilient women.
She Settles in the Shields is available to borrow from the library
