I feel as it's our home here...
Banu
An Interview with Banu
Interviewed by Sharon
Banu and her family came to Lancaster from India almost 30 years ago when she was 14. She talks about the importance of having family members around, of living in a close community and about her feelings of belonging.
[I came from] India. I came when I was 14 and my dad was here previously 5 years before us. All of us lived here. And then we got married, we bought this house, and so we didn't go out of Blades Street... I like Lancaster. I mean, I feel as it's our home here, you know. So do my daughters; they were born and brought up in Lancaster. So I don't feel, you know, that I'm a stranger round here. I used to work at Lakeland [Laundry]. I worked there for eleven years and when I first started working there my English wasn't that good and so I was really shy. I was the only Asian in there and all the people were really friendly and I think that brought me out. So yeah, there's no story but I've never had any bad experience from any English people, you know.
[The family] it's very important because now, my mum and dad, their health is not so good. Me dad's 72 and me mum's 62. It's good that they're near so I can pop down anytime. So do my brother and sister-in-law, they live here. And my other brother lives here. So it is important to us; families close by, yeah.
everybody knows everybody
The people I know, they feel quite happy, you know. It's only a small community in Lancaster so everybody knows everybody, Asian people as well. Especially round Blades Street, you know the English families as well.
I think for some women,you know, who can't speak English when they come here, if there is a sort of translator in hospital or in GPs, that would be more helpful for them. They don't [have them]in Lancaster. They do in other towns but they don't in Lancaster. I do as a volunteer, you know, I go with friends. Not for my family. Luckily, it's only my mum who doesn't speak English; the rest of the family speaks English. But I do go with friends and other women. But it's difficult, you know, because I'm a housewife. I also work part-time so it's difficult to keep the time, you know. I wish I could help them all the time, you know. But it would be helpful.
My dad came over to make a better life for us. So he came here, he worked for five years himself, he bought a house and then he called my mum and us. We were there with my mum, we stayed with my mum's mum and dad before we we joined me dad. And obviously, nobody wants to separate from their family. And it was a hard five years that he spent here. I'm sure nobody wants that. If they have a choice I don't think they will come.
this is where I belong....
I mean like, we all work here, we all pay taxes and everything, and we make our home here. I don't think we would like to go back. Obviously we go back every year, 'cause my husband's half of the family's back home. And we go every year but when I go to India I feel as I don't belong there. It's alright for the holiday, you only go for like 3 or 4 weeks maximum, but when I come back here, you know, this is my home, this is where I belong.
So I'm sure if they have a choice, nobody wants to move. For me it's hard enough moving house, you know, never mind migrating from one country to another.
Yeah, everybody will have different stories why they come here but obviously they must have a good reason, you know. There are 7 of us [brothers and sisters] and we all work here. Obviously my younger brothers and sisters did well 'cause two of them were born here and they were educated here from the beginning. One of my brothers is an IT consultant, he works in Manchester; one of my sisters is an area manager; and the other sister, she's done a degree in criminology and she works in Preston College.
Audio transcripts
Banu
Transcript of interview with Banu, 25th Mar 2008
Interviewer: Sharon Lambert
SL: Do you mind me asking how old you are before we start?
No not at all: 42.
SL: Have you always lived in Lancaster?
No, 30 years.
SL: Where did you come from?
India. I came when I was 14 and my dad was here previously 5 years before us. All of us lived here at number 46. And then we got married, we bought this house, and so we didn't go out of Blades Street.
SL: How do you feel in Lancaster? Do you feel like you belong in Lancaster?
I do, I do. I like Lancaster. I mean, I feel as it's our home here, you know. So do my daughters; they were born and brought up in Lancaster. So I don't feel, you know, that I'm a stranger round here.
SL: I'm just trying to think, if you've got any little stories about...anything that makes you feel like you belong, you know, anything that's ever happened...
There's no particular story but, you know, people round Lancaster is friendly. They are easy to get on with - the people round Blades Street as well.
I used to work at Lakeland [Laundry]. I worked there for eleven years and when I first started working there my English wasn't that good and so I was really shy. I was the only Asian in there and all the people were really friendly and I think that brought me out.
So yeah, there's no story but I've never had any bad experience from any English people, you know.
SL: I love the way that you've all got family round you here on Blades Street, haven't you. Is it important to you to have your family near?
It is, it's very important because now my mum and dad, their health is not so good. Me dad's 72 and me mum's 62. It's good that they're near so I can pop down anytime. So do my brother and sister-in-law, they live here. And my other brother lives here. So it is important to us; families close by, yeah.
SL: You've said you feel welcome, which is great. Is there anything you think that would make you feel more at home in Lancaster? Or Asian people in general, do you think...
I can only think off the top of my head at the moment. The people I know, they feel quite happy, you know. It's only a small community In Lancaster so everybody knows everybody, Asian people as well. Especially round Blades Street, you know the English families as well.
I think for some women,you know, who can't speak English when they come here, if there is a sort of translator in hospital or in GPs, that would be more helpful for them.
SL: Do they not have them?
No, they don't in Lancaster. They do in other towns but they don't in lancaster. I do as a volunteer, you know, I go with friends. Not for my family. Luckily, it's only my mum who doesn't speak English; the rest of the family speaks English. But I do go with friends and other women.
But it's difficult, you know, because I'm a housewife. I also work part-time so it's difficult to keep the time, you know. I wish I could help them all the time, you know. But it would be helpful.
My dad came over to make a better life for us. So he came here, he worked for five years himself, he bought a house and then he called my mum and us. We were there with my mum, we stayed with my mum's mum and dad before we we joined me dad. And obviously, nobody wants to separate from their family. And it was a hard 5 years that he spent here. I'm sure nobody wants that. If they have a choice I don't think they will come.
I mean like, we all work here, we all pay taxes and everything, and we make our home here. I don't think we would like to go back. Obviously we go back every year, 'cause my husband's half of the family's back home. And we go every year but when I go to India i feel as I don't belong there. It's alright for the holiday, you only go for like 3 or 4 weeks maximum, but when I come back here, you know, this is my home, this is where I belong.
So I'm sure if they have a choice, nobody wants to move. For me it's hard enough moving house, you know, never mind migrating from one country to another.
Yeah, everybody will have different stories why they come here but obviously they must have a good reason, you know.
There are 7 of us [brothers and sisters] and we all work here. Obviously my younger brothers and sisters did well 'cause two of them were born here and they were educated here from the beginning. One of my brothers is an IT consultant, he works in Manchester; one of my sisters is an area manager; and the other sister, she's done a degree in criminology and she works in Preston College.
SL: Brilliant. Thank you so much.