Becoming Canadians: Pioneer Sikhs in Their Own Words - Tapa dura

Becoming Canadians is the story of the Canadian Sikh community, told in the words of thirty-six pioneers who left behind everything they knew to build new lives in a new land. For the first Sikhs who came to Canada, this meant a long train journey to Calcutta, then an ocean voyage to Hong Kong to board an ocean liner to Vancouver. Once in this country, they struggled to learn English - and to fit their religion and lifestyle into a culture that was alien and even hostile to them.

The voices in Becoming Canadians share the same memories - from the tragic Komagata Maru incident and the frustration at being refused service and jobs, to joyful reminisces about times together in the gurdwara, to the open hearts and hands that were offered to newcomers in the community, and the triumph of the franchise in 1947.