About
Our Roots, Our Journey, Our City
Through oral histories of Sunderland’s Bangladeshi community, Our Roots, Our Journey, Our City tells the story of the community’s beginnings in Bangladesh, how they came to the UK, why they chose to settle in Sunderland, and their experiences along the way. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the project aims to create an inter-generational understanding of the community’s roots, culture and history, while also providing the wider population of Sunderland with an opportunity to learn more about the community.
To undertake this project, 22 volunteers from a variety of cultural backgrounds were recruited. Interviews with members of the Bangladeshi community have been recorded on video and audio, photographs and ephemera collected, and the everyday lives of the community visually documented. From this material, a DVD and book are being produced, along with an exhibition that will detail a timeline of the community’s heritage, evidenced through sound, words and visuals. While helping people to learn about the history of the Bangladeshi community, the project also provides material to assist with the care of people with dementia, through documenting common experiences, stories and reminisces.
With the majority of the community hailing from Saidpur and other areas within the Sylhet district, stories of their lives in Bangladesh provide stark contrast with their current lives in Sunderland. Though there have been many challenges to overcome – differences in language, culture, religion and everyday life – the project also reveals the common humanity that has enabled the community to live and prosper in Sunderland.
However, there remain challenges to overcome. Racist incidents, barriers to employment and equal opportunities, and cultural differences have been reported during interviews. Our Roots, Our Journey, Our City aims to identify why these problems exist, and asks how life could be improved for the Bangladeshi community in Sunderland.
STAFF
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
STEERING GROUP
Janette Hilton
Rehena Sultana
Martin Booth
Abu Shama
Lesley Etherington
Syed Khalid Miah
Dave Kane
Luke Armstrong
Kamareswaradas Ramanathas
VOLUNTEERS
Samouka Dore
Nahida Akthar
Rehena Sultana
Dave Kane
Angela Kane
Luz Alejandra Llano Veliz
Hollie Dearing
Abu Shama
PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR
Luke Armstrong
INTERVIEWEES
Sheikh Siddiq Miah
Syed Faruk Ahmed
Abdur Rouf
Women of the World
Dr Rick Bowler
Abdul Amin
Abdul Rofiq (Ashiq Miah)
Syed Abu Shama
Uttara Ghosh
Tafazzal Hussain
Margaret Melling
Steve Woodward
Syed Shohirul Bari
Grant Shearer
Joyce Worley
Carole Cotton
Syeda Khaled
Rehena Sultana
Carole Elliot
Sadik Miah
Syed Monir Ahmed
Habiba Choudhury
Mark Leadbeater
Mohammed Abdul Rofil
Syed Abdus Salam
Syed Jamal Miah
Abdul Latif
Syed Moklis Miah
Rohimunessa Khatun
Syed Khalid Miah Olid
Aklu Miah
Syed Tussadik Ahmed
Syed Afruz Hussain
Syeda Mohibun Nessa
Mohammed Abdul Rokib Sikdel
HERITAGE SUPPORT
Janette Hilton
Terry Hilton
Living History North East
Martin Booth
Abu Shama
WITH THANKS TO
Young Asian Voices
Sylheti Translation and Research
Sunderland Winter Gardens Museum
FUNDERS
Heritage Lottery Fund