Work
Quickly finding work was the priority for most new arrivals in Derby. Some people travelled from other parts of Britain, as they had heard that work was available in manufacturing industries in the area. Immigration laws permitted people to bring only £3 from home, often making people reliant on others until their first pay packet.
"First day we arrive in Derby our contact tell us “take your turbans off. Cut your hair.”
Me and my friend cried together. We ask him, say “We work with the hands, it has nothing to do with the hair.” He said “In England, you can’t get a job until you cut the hair.”
My friend say “we come to England from India for work. If we can’t get a job, we will have to cut it.”
Archive participant
Regardless of their previous work experience, skill set or qualifications, many found that lower skilled, and lower paid work was the only option available to them. Many worked in local factories, foundries or in transport, such as on the buses or driving taxis. Women managed households and often took piecework in the home, with sewing machines used to clothe growing families and earn an income.
With little protection from exploitation, South Asians in Derby faced low wages, and hard labouring in difficult conditions for which they were ill-prepared - such as working long hours outside in winter. Local industries such as Celanese, Qualcast and Royal Crown Derby all feature in our archive interviews also feature in the Museum of Making collections.
Listen to Mohinder's experience working in a foundry
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“I started in ‘72 at Royal Crown Derby and I worked 20 years there. We were only three Punjabi ladies who worked there. They don’t hire many Punjabi.
This is real gold on the plate, that’s why they’re so expensive. They bring it in a liquid, and you have to paint them by hand. That’s why they’re so expensive."
MandhirOver time entrepreneurial community members developed businesses and community-led organisations grew. Clothing shops, markets and restaurants opened with ingredients, materials and dishes from home, building a community.
The Indian Workers Association existed as early as the late 1930s in Coventry, with branches set up in industrial centres in the 1950s and 1960s. The IWA brought together and and centralised the work of local groups, and aimed to improve working conditions for migrant workers.
The Derby IWA branch still exists to fight for cross-cultural workers’ rights.
Once work had been found, the next step for many South Asians would be to have their portrait taken by the local photography studio. Photos could be sent across the world to show family members that the sitter was doing well.
Find out more about studio portraits
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