Film Number

7470

Title

THE STRUGGLE OF BLACK WORKERS; THE ASIAN EXPERIENCE WITH MOSHIN ZULFIQAR

Producer

WFA

Date

1982

Gauge

U-matic LB

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Running Time

61 mins 12 secs

Description

At a meeting in Manchester, Mohsin Zulfiqar speaks about the importance of knowing history as a way to understand the present and the future. Describes the non-homogeneous Asian community in Greater Manchester, where they have come from on the Indian sub-continent, and why they have come - economic reasons, traditional, partition of India, etc. Racism was the main problem they faced here. Couldn't get jobs so had to create jobs - started own businesses, market stalls. Describes the way people were forced to live. Like Afro-Caribbeans, they couldn't get housing. Mosques in those days were more like a community centre. There were over 12 mosques in the early days, representing different groupings. Often hundreds of people associated with same village, as they would encourage one another to settle. Connection with mother country would remain strong and all political parties have branches in Manchester. Discussion opened to floor after 25 minutes. Talk about the relationship between Asians and Afro-Caribbeans. Why Asians are most subject to racial attacks. Mechanisms of divide and rule, need for unity, and role about Labour Party in these struggles.

[Catalogued as part of 'Revitalising the Regions' a Screen Heritage UK project, 2011]