WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:41:14.000 [JITESH JAGGI:] This is Jitesh Jaggi for the National Indo-American Museum’s Oral History Project. Today, the interviewer is Amita Banerjee. 00:00:00.001 --> 00:41:14.001 [AMITA BANERJEE]: Can you please tell me your name? 00:00:00.002 --> 00:41:14.002 [GIRIN ROY]: Girin Roy. 00:00:00.003 --> 00:41:14.003 [AB]: Thank-you and how do you spell Girin Roy? 00:00:00.004 --> 00:41:14.004 [GR]: Girin Roy. 00:00:00.005 --> 00:41:14.005 [AB]: How do you spell Girin Roy? 00:00:00.006 --> 00:41:14.006 [MRS. ROY]: Spell. G i r i, like that. 00:00:00.007 --> 00:41:14.007 [AB]: You can answer. 00:00:00.008 --> 00:41:14.008 [GR]: Girin Roy. 00:00:00.009 --> 00:41:14.009 [MR]: No, like spell it. G i r i, like that. 00:00:00.010 --> 00:41:14.010 [GR]: (inaudible) 00:00:00.011 --> 00:41:14.011 [JJ]: You can spell. 00:00:00.012 --> 00:41:14.012 [MR]: G i r i n d r a. Girindra. 00:00:00.013 --> 00:41:14.013 [AB]: Girindra Roy. 00:00:00.014 --> 00:41:14.014 [GR]: Girindra Roy. 00:00:00.015 --> 00:41:14.015 [AB]: R o y? 00:00:00.016 --> 00:41:14.016 [MR]: Middle initial is c, r o y. 00:00:00.017 --> 00:41:14.017 [AB]: And what does c stand for? 00:00:00.018 --> 00:41:14.018 [MR]: C, Chandra. 00:00:00.019 --> 00:41:14.019 [AB]: Chandra, c h a n d r a. Girindra, when and, when were you born? What is your birthdate? 00:00:00.020 --> 00:41:14.020 [MR]: He was born in first October, 1938. 00:00:00.021 --> 00:41:14.021 [AB]: And where were you born? 00:00:00.022 --> 00:41:14.022 [MR]: Dhubri, Assam. 00:00:00.023 --> 00:41:14.023 [GR]: Dhubri, Assam. 00:00:00.024 --> 00:41:14.024 [AB]: In India? 00:00:00.025 --> 00:41:14.025 [MR]: Yeah. 00:00:00.026 --> 00:41:14.026 [AB]: What languages did you speak when you were growing up? 00:00:00.027 --> 00:41:14.027 [MR]: Bengali. 00:00:00.028 --> 00:41:14.028 [AB]: How can you describe your experience growing up in Dhubri. Can you talk about it? 00:00:00.029 --> 00:41:14.029 [MR]: Now, it’s little bit impossible for him to explain, so. 00:00:00.030 --> 00:41:14.030 [GR]: That’s place. 00:00:00.031 --> 00:41:14.031 [MR]: Yeah, just tell how— 00:00:00.032 --> 00:41:14.032 [JJ]: Any memory you have from that place still? From your childhood, any memory you have? 00:00:00.033 --> 00:41:14.033 [GR]: I was born in Assam. That’s many years. I was working engineering everything, you know. 00:00:00.034 --> 00:41:14.034 [JJ]: Was it a happy childhood? Did you have a, was it a happy childhood? Were you a happy child? Were you struggling as a child, in Assam? 00:00:00.035 --> 00:41:14.035 [AB]: In Dhubri, when you were growing up, who were there in your family? Your mother, your father, and? 00:00:00.036 --> 00:41:14.036 [GR]: Yeah. My mother was, I think still— 00:00:00.037 --> 00:41:14.037 [MR]: No. He cannot explain— 00:00:00.038 --> 00:41:14.038 [AB]: I understand. So do you want to talk? 00:00:00.039 --> 00:41:14.039 [JJ]: Amita you could introduce her as well. 00:00:00.040 --> 00:41:14.040 [AB]: Just want to also introduce Gauri Roy, Mr. Girin Roy’s wife. She is also going to be talking to us, in this interview in this conversation. She will answer, she will tell us what she remembers of Mr. Girin Roy’s childhood and background. Any experience that you have heard about, about Mr. Girin Roy? When he was growing up in Dhubri? 00:00:00.041 --> 00:41:14.041 [MR]: His childhood is okay, because his father came from Bangladesh, undivided Bangladesh. He studied there and then for the job, he went to Dhubri, Assam. Then he got married and he was there working as a district accountant. And my husband they were seven brothers and one sister. So, they studied in Dhubri, then they’re all came to study his, he’s the— 00:00:00.042 --> 00:41:14.042 [GR]: Dhubri, I was born. 00:00:00.043 --> 00:41:14.043 [MR]: He’s like six brothers. And they all studied in Dhubri school, then they all came to Calcutta for higher studies. 00:00:00.044 --> 00:41:14.044 [AB]: Do you know which school he attended in Dhubri? 00:00:00.045 --> 00:41:14.045 [MR]: I forgot the name. It’s a Bengali High School. That I know. 00:00:00.046 --> 00:41:14.046 [GR]: In school time was that place, after working different country, different places, Japan, Korea, everything. 00:00:00.047 --> 00:41:14.047 [MR]: So, we are okay, childhood was okay. 00:00:00.048 --> 00:41:14.048 [AB]: In Kolkata, where did he go to university? 00:00:00.049 --> 00:41:14.049 [MR]: University was Bangabasi College. Then he went to B college Shibpur B College. 00:00:00.050 --> 00:41:14.050 [AB]: Bangabasi College and then Shibpur B College, engineering college? 00:00:00.051 --> 00:41:14.051 [MR]: Yeah. 00:00:00.052 --> 00:41:14.052 [AB]: And what kind of engineering did you study? I think there was only one kind of engineering in those days. 00:00:00.053 --> 00:41:14.053 [MR]: Not one kind, but they used to prefer civil engineering. 00:00:00.054 --> 00:41:14.054 [GR]: I was an engineer company. 00:00:00.055 --> 00:41:14.055 [MR]: And he joined, that time, what was the name? 00:00:00.056 --> 00:41:14.056 [GR]: You did not—not married. 00:00:00.057 --> 00:41:14.057 [AB]: Before you were married. 00:00:00.058 --> 00:41:14.058 [MR]: Then he joined Kuljian Corporation. 00:00:00.059 --> 00:41:14.059 [AB]: In Kolkata? 00:00:00.060 --> 00:41:14.060 [MR]: In Kolkata. He worked for eight years, then we came to this country. 00:00:00.061 --> 00:41:14.061 [AB]: Can you tell us something about his parents? His mother, his father, his brothers, sister? Whatever you know. 00:00:00.062 --> 00:41:14.062 [MR]: His eldest brother, he went to (inaudible) University, then— 00:00:00.063 --> 00:41:14.063 [AB]: If you want to talk in Bengali, we can talk in Bengali. 00:00:00.064 --> 00:41:14.064 [MR]: No. (inaudible) University, after that he was working as a Assam Electrical Company, I think. It’s a big company, and he was in a good position. But, at age of 40, he died of cancer. So, that time, he was married, he had a young wife and three daughters. And they used to live in Shillong, so still they have the house is there. But they came, the wife and children are, some of them are in America, one is in Calcutta, and one is still in Shillong. 00:00:00.065 --> 00:41:14.065 [AB]: And his mother, where did she come from? 00:00:00.066 --> 00:41:14.066 [MR]: She came from also Bangladesh, married to my father-in-law, so went to Assam, and she was housewife, and she used to take care of the house and the children. 00:00:00.067 --> 00:41:14.067 [AB]: Seven sons and a daughter, big house. Very big family. 00:00:00.068 --> 00:41:14.068 [MR]: Yeah. 00:00:00.069 --> 00:41:14.069 [AB]: And do you want to say anything more about his brothers and sisters? 00:00:00.070 --> 00:41:14.070 [MR]: One brother, he was electrical engineer, he died, young age. The second brother, he studies, after the studying, so he didn’t want to leave Dhubri, he wanted to take care of his parents, all their, I think they had, all this money matters, everything, business. Finances. So, he stayed there. Then, third brother, he was (inaudible) from Calcutta. He stayed there, and he never got married. He used to take care of everybody, needs and everything. 00:00:00.071 --> 00:41:14.071 [AB]: Sister? 00:00:00.072 --> 00:41:14.072 [MR]: Sister, she married in a young age. She left Assam, her husband was a doctor, he used to practice in Calcutta. So, long, big family, long story. And youngest brother, Girin’s youngest brother, after he did his engineering from Calcutta, Jadavpur University, he came to Champaign-Urbana to study higher study. Now, he’s in Los Angeles with his wife, two children. 00:00:00.073 --> 00:41:14.073 [AB]: When did you come to the United States? 00:00:00.074 --> 00:41:14.074 [GR]: Long time. 00:00:00.075 --> 00:41:14.075 [MR]: He came. First time, he came from his company sent him for experience in company. They had another parent’s company in Philadelphia, so they sent him there. So, that time, he went to Pittsburgh. And their company asked my husband, Do you like to work for us here in America? So he said, I don't have anything, so yes I can work for you. So, they prepared his visa and everything. Then he got married, then we came. 00:00:00.076 --> 00:41:14.076 [AB]: And what was the name of that company? primary education is starting from Montessori to first standard, we had several vernacular groups, classes, in between. So, for four years after Montessori, I was at a local Gujarati school, local Parsi school, primarily for girls. And, so they would that take boys until they were about 8 or 9 years of age and then we moved on to a boy’s school. And so, I was there at the Parsi school, our community school, close to where we lived, for four years till I was age of 8 or so. And then moved on to another same kind of school, missionary school, called the Don Bosco High School. St. John Don Bosco. And they had a school that was newly opened, when I first started there. And that's where I graduated from high school, we call that secondary school certificate, SSC, at that time. So, that is my earlier scholastic life. inaudible 00:00:00.077 --> 00:41:14.077 [MR]: I forgot. It’s a long time. 00:00:00.078 --> 00:41:14.078 [JJ]: Do you remember the year? Approximate. 00:00:00.079 --> 00:41:14.079 [MR]: Year. When he first came in 1964, for that company in Pittsburgh, it’s a suburb of Pittsburgh, very—that time he went to their company to work. So, those people liked him. So, he offered a job. 00:00:00.080 --> 00:41:14.080 [AB]: So, were you sent by your Kolkata company, Kuljian? 00:00:00.081 --> 00:41:14.081 [MR]: Yeah. 00:00:00.082 --> 00:41:14.082 [AB]: The first time? 00:00:00.083 --> 00:41:14.083 [MR]: Yeah. 00:00:00.084 --> 00:41:14.084 [AB]: Kuljian was a famous company, in India. 00:00:00.085 --> 00:41:14.085 [GR]: Many years. 00:00:00.086 --> 00:41:14.086 [MR]: And the parent’s company is, it was in Philadelphia. Mr. Kuljian, he used to love like his son, so. 00:00:00.087 --> 00:41:14.087 [GR]: What is the subject that people might not like to know. But it’s the thing they want to know. 00:00:00.088 --> 00:41:14.088 [AB]: About your life. Experience. Your professional experience, your family. And, your life here. And in India. That’s what we want to know. know some information when you came to the country you 00:00:00.089 --> 00:41:14.089 [GR]: So what this information is— 00:00:00.090 --> 00:41:14.090 [AB]: So, when you came to the country, you were not married first time? 00:00:00.091 --> 00:41:14.091 [MR]: No, first time, no. 00:00:00.092 --> 00:41:14.092 [AB]: And then he went back and got married. And then he brought you. 00:00:00.093 --> 00:41:14.093 [MR]: Yeah. 00:00:00.094 --> 00:41:14.094 [AB]: Were there any expectations when you came to this country? Were there any expectations that you had about America? 00:00:00.095 --> 00:41:14.095 [MR]: Actually, he wanted to study here more. So, he was applying to universities. That time, the Kuljian offered him to go here for experiencing some job in America, so that time, he gave up going to university. But, after coming Chicago, he went to, he did his master’s here, in IIT, Chicago. 00:00:00.096 --> 00:41:14.096 [AB]: So you went back to school to do your Master’s. So, the first time you came to America, how long did you stay? 00:00:00.097 --> 00:41:14.097 [MR]: I think six months. 00:00:00.098 --> 00:41:14.098 [AB]: And what was that experience like? Difficult to say? 00:00:00.099 --> 00:41:14.099 [GR]: I’m 80 years. 00:00:00.100 --> 00:41:14.100 [MR]: He came with another two, three friends. They Mr. Kuljian, he took them everywhere. Getting all kind of experiences. Then, I think they loved it. So, that’s why the other company offered him a job. He said, Okay, I’ll come. 00:00:00.101 --> 00:41:14.101 [GR]: Can I ask a question? What is this? You wanted to know all these things. What is this— 00:00:00.102 --> 00:41:14.102 [AB]: We are going to, we are recording it. And we will put it in our archives. Future generations, when they want to know about the pioneers, Indian pioneers who came to America, when they do research, they will listen to this, your experience. And they will get their research material. This is for future research. 00:00:00.103 --> 00:41:14.103 [GR]: Let me, you know, the information that you know now, what is we are doing, what would you wanted all this detail? 00:00:00.104 --> 00:41:14.104 [AB]: Because we want to archive it. We should stop. 00:00:00.105 --> 00:41:14.105 [JJ]: We can pause. 00:00:00.106 --> 00:41:14.106 [AB]: --your challenges, any challenges when you first came. When you first came into the country, to work, did you face any challenges? 00:00:00.107 --> 00:41:14.107 [GR]: Many years. 00:00:00.108 --> 00:41:14.108 [MR]: They had to prove themselves. But, when we came to Chicago, hewanted to go to big city, not Pittsburgh, he wanted to come Chicago. So, he joined a company, Sargent & Lundy, that was a big company that time. So, they welcomed all the Indians because they're all educated, they know how, speak English, so they have no problem. But, they had to challenge everything. They had to prove themselves. So, that way. 00:00:00.109 --> 00:41:14.109 [AB]: Did you ever face any challenges or discrimination at work? 00:00:00.110 --> 00:41:14.110 [GR]: I did work every time different countries, Japan, India. 00:00:00.111 --> 00:41:14.111 [MR]: No, no. This country. 00:00:00.112 --> 00:41:14.112 [GR]: No, no. 00:00:00.113 --> 00:41:14.113 [MR]: They had to, discrimination, so previously they are, not all of them but few of them they couldn’t get in higher position. But, I think all Indians they did pretty good. 00:00:00.114 --> 00:41:14.114 [AB]: Did Mr. Roy face any discrimination in reaching a higher position? 00:00:00.115 --> 00:41:14.115 [GR]: Long time. 00:00:00.116 --> 00:41:14.116 [MR]: Little bit. Little bit when he supposed to to get the promotion, somebody else's got the promotion. But anyway, he was doing okay. 00:00:00.117 --> 00:41:14.117 [AB]: Part of the challenge. How did you make friends when you came here? 00:00:00.118 --> 00:41:14.118 [MR]: Friends. When, in Pittsburgh, all the Americans they were very good and the company he joined, they were very nice. They said, Oh you are homesick, so they invited us Thanksgiving dinner. They used to take him to the basketball game, ice hockey, everywhere they used to take him. And they used to invite us, we used to invite them. And that time, gradually, that small city has also few Indian, like a Punjabi, South Indian, only of course, we are only Bengali there. But, we had a very good friendship, then we came to Chicago. We knew one person from India. He died recently, few years back. My husband called him that, I wanted to come Chicago. 00:00:00.119 --> 00:41:14.119 [AB]: Which year was this? 00:00:00.120 --> 00:41:14.120 [MR]: It’s in 1969. Then we reached here 1970, yeah. The day the astronaut went to— 00:00:00.121 --> 00:41:14.121 [JJ]: The moon landing. 00:00:00.122 --> 00:41:14.122 [MR]: Moon landed. That same day we came to Chicago. 00:00:00.123 --> 00:41:14.123 [AB]: That is auspicious. 00:00:00.124 --> 00:41:14.124 [MR]: Yeah. So, my husband was asking, nobody’s, everybody’s in work, there is no holiday because it’s a big day. The guy, he said, No, in America, they don't care. They have to do their job, no vacation. 00:00:00.125 --> 00:41:14.125 [AB]: For moon landing. 00:00:00.126 --> 00:41:14.126 [MR]: Moon landing. 00:00:00.127 --> 00:41:14.127 [GR]: Let me ask, you came here to find out what we have— (interruption in audio recording) 00:00:00.128 --> 00:41:14.128 [AB]: In Chicago, how did you make friends, was it difficult? 00:00:00.129 --> 00:41:14.129 [MR]: No. Because only one guy we used to know, his name was Prabashnak, he came before us in this country. And, the office people they used to invite us, like a get-together. One day maybe they used to come to our house, other time we used to go their house, all the Americans. Then, gradually, we knew all these old Bengalis. Then, ‘70s all from India, they’re opening up immigration. So, that time, so many Bengalis came here, all Indians. And somehow, they used to know Girin, maybe from their friends or relatives. So, we used to bring them from airport to our house. Then we let them find the home, then job, to tell them where to find the job, which company they should go. That way, started— 00:00:00.130 --> 00:41:14.130 [AB]: A community. 00:00:00.131 --> 00:41:14.131 [MR]: Community growing up, then we had, we are thinking that time that we should have something for our own. Like, we are missing everybody. And we became like a relatives. Like a brothers and sisters, like that. Then, in ’70, 1970, so my husband said, let’s do the durga puja. So, he made the idol— 00:00:00.132 --> 00:41:14.132 [AB]: Pratima. 00:00:00.133 --> 00:41:14.133 [MR]: Pratima with the mud and everything. So, then we did worship that idol. So, before that, Indian student in University of Chicago, they used to do Saraswati Puja, the goddess of learning. So, after that, we were getting bigger gathering from other state also. Bengalis used to come here to see the Durga Puja. Then, after that next year, the New York started having Durga Puja. 00:00:00.134 --> 00:41:14.134 [AB]: Were you homesick? What did you miss? 00:00:00.135 --> 00:41:14.135 [MR]: Used to miss our relatives. All the foods. (interruption in audio recording) 00:00:00.136 --> 00:41:14.136 [AB]: So, what did you miss the most? What were you homesick about? 00:00:00.137 --> 00:41:14.137 [MR]: Of course relatives, parents, and that time, we didn't have the phone, use a phone like this. We had to telegram them that we are coming to this country. The telegram used to reach there after we reached there. So that was the--then the food of course. We used to go to the grocery store, started reading all the labels, which food we can use like Indian food. So, that way, so then we used like discover new things. Cooking the new things everyday. We used to share, everybody used to share each other the recipes and everything that way. We didn’t have Indian grocery store. We had to go to the Italian market to buy all these— 00:00:00.138 --> 00:41:14.138 [JJ]: Pulses? 00:00:00.139 --> 00:41:14.139 [MR]: Pulses. 00:00:00.140 --> 00:41:14.140 [AB]: Daal. 00:00:00.141 --> 00:41:14.141 [MR]: Daal. Rice, of course, we used to get it here. That way, gradually, we blend with this culture and we started mixing with the also Americans. And all the Bengalis we became like a relatives. Still, we are all the old Bengalis, still like lives like relatives. If we want help from somebody, they will come after us and help us. 00:00:00.142 --> 00:41:14.142 [AB]: So you formed a very strong community— 00:00:00.143 --> 00:41:14.143 [MR]: Community and in Chicago, we had the Bengali Association. It’s the only one association still there. Not like other state. 00:00:00.144 --> 00:41:14.144 [AB]: Yes. It is not broken, it is not divided. And we are proud of that. 00:00:00.145 --> 00:41:14.145 [MR]: Oh yes. And one singer, Kanika Banerjee, she first time she came here, said, Oh, you had a good community and you don’t fight each other? We said, No, we are like a brothers and sisters, we are relatives. Then, few years later, she came again, she says, still you are together? You didn’t have two, three association? We said, No, we still one. And we are still one association. 00:00:00.146 --> 00:41:14.146 [AB]: And we are really proud of that, and we love it. 00:00:00.147 --> 00:41:14.147 [MR]: Thank-you. 00:00:00.148 --> 00:41:14.148 [AB]: This is all true. 00:00:00.149 --> 00:41:14.149 [JJ]: Did you two have a part in finding, like were you the founders of that organization? Were you involved from the start? 00:00:00.150 --> 00:41:14.150 [MR]: Actually, my husband said, Let’s do this Durga Puja, and this picnic, and that. So, first of all he didn’t want to make association, he was afraid of that maybe it will be like people will be divided by three, four parties. Then realized that we have to have a association, so we can have all the necessary things like taxes and everything which would need a name of the association. So, officially we did it in, I think in ‘72 or ’73. 00:00:00.151 --> 00:41:14.151 [AB]: ’72. 00:00:00.152 --> 00:41:14.152 [MR]: ’72. So that time. Actually, we never fought for who will be the president. So, we had to request, please become president, like that way. 00:00:00.153 --> 00:41:14.153 [AB]: And, it is all volunteer driven. 00:00:00.154 --> 00:41:14.154 [MR]: Yes, it’s all voluntary, we never pay anybody for doing any work, anything. We are free of charge doing everything. 00:00:00.155 --> 00:41:14.155 [AB]: Why is Durga Pujo, worshipping goddess Durga, important to Girindra and you? 00:00:00.156 --> 00:41:14.156 [MR]: First of all, we thought that we came here, we have to do like a bring all the community people together. And it’s our very important in our life. Durga Puja is very important in our life. Like, here in Christmas. So, we thought we should do like that. So, we started doing that. 00:00:00.157 --> 00:41:14.157 [AB]: So, you practice—do you practice Hinduism at home? What religion do you practice at home? 00:00:00.158 --> 00:41:14.158 [MR]: We are Hindu, but we are not very conservative like that way. If somebody, our neighbor used to invited in church for the Christmas carol, we used to go there. The neighborhood, we used to do all the Christmas carol. All the food sharing, this and that. We did everything. And my daughters, our daughters, they used to say, Okay Christmas, we need the new things, new dresses, new things. So, when Durga Puja comes, they said, Oh, we need new things. We says, No, you had in Christmas. No, Durga Puja is another occasion, so we have to celebrate. So, that way they grew up. (audio interruption) 00:00:00.159 --> 00:41:14.159 [AB]: So, how do you stay in touch with the community? In your case, I would say the Bengali community. 00:00:00.160 --> 00:41:14.160 [MR]: We just invite people, we call them, other day we went to somebody's house, almost 40 people were there. So Krishna Didi, Pankar, everybody was there. So, we knew all the, we are like relatives, so if they want to know how we are doing, so they will call us. In the covid time also, they all used to do the phone and zoom call all those, because we couldn't see each other. Always we are doing zooming. So, that way, we kept touch with each other. 00:00:00.161 --> 00:41:14.161 [AB]: Do you have a temple? Does the Bengali community have a temple? 00:00:00.162 --> 00:41:14.162 [MR]: No. 00:00:00.163 --> 00:41:14.163 [AB]: Do you have a community center? 00:00:00.164 --> 00:41:14.164 [MR]: One we made few years back, we called it Banga Bhavan and when we bring the idol Durga, now we keep in that house, Banga Bhavan. Sometimes small puja we do there. But we don’t call it temple, it’s a Banga Bhavan. We go there, meet once in a while, once a month we used to have gathering for lunch. So, that way, we get together there— 00:00:00.165 --> 00:41:14.165 [AB]: It’s a community. 00:00:00.166 --> 00:41:14.166 [MR]: Community house. 00:00:00.167 --> 00:41:14.167 [AB]: And we have small programs there too. 00:00:00.168 --> 00:41:14.168 [MR]: Yeah, we do. 00:00:00.169 --> 00:41:14.169 [AB]: Some cultural programs. 00:00:00.170 --> 00:41:14.170 [MR]: Long time back, from India, some artist wanted to come. We had no like a hall, big hall, and we don't have a big gathering, so, we cannot give them too much money to the artist. So, we used to rent a clubhouse, like a village clubhouse, so our house basement, all the artists used to come. We used to like pay few dollars each of us, so whatever we can put together, we used to give them. So, they knew that they cannot get too much money. So, whatever we can gather from our friends, that we used to give them. 00:00:00.171 --> 00:41:14.171 [AB]: And, was the food important? Potluck? 00:00:00.172 --> 00:41:14.172 [MR]: Oh yeah, of course. Bengali—we never, Bengalis they don’t like potluck— (interruption in audio recording) 00:00:00.173 --> 00:41:14.173 [JJ]: And maybe leisure, whatever you want to ask. 00:00:00.174 --> 00:41:14.174 [AB]: What do you do when you have free time? 00:00:00.175 --> 00:41:14.175 [MR]: You know, I’m really, really housewife. Because when we came here, and I thought I’ll go to University of Chicago to study, then it was impossible staying in suburb going to the university. Mostly in the winter time is hard. Then, I have two daughters and with all the Bengalis, the Bengali Association, all the artists used to come, stay with us, and we used to cook, we used to stitch the dresses for the drama and everything. So, that way, I got busy and the two daughters and he never got time to see them. He was busy with the association. And I thought, Okay, I give up. So, I gave up— 00:00:00.176 --> 00:41:14.176 [AB]: Tell me about your children. 00:00:00.177 --> 00:41:14.177 [MR]: Oh, they born here, both of them. One in ’73, one in ’75. Then we thought, I thought, I used to love dance and music. So one lady used to teach classical dance, no, classical music. I put them there. And Hema was there that time. And my daughter only that time, 3 and half years old, so I asked Hema, Please take her because she likes to dance. When the ladies they rehearse for the Bengali Association, she used to dance with them. Hema said, No, she’s too young. I said, Please take her, otherwise she will forget. So that time, she was almost going to 4 years old. So, she's the second batch of the Hema’s group. 00:00:00.178 --> 00:41:14.178 [JJ]: Hema is the dance teacher? 00:00:00.179 --> 00:41:14.179 [MR]: Yeah. And he is the best dance teacher. 00:00:00.180 --> 00:41:14.180 [AB]: Natya is still, has a lot of tradition. 00:00:00.181 --> 00:41:14.181 [MR]: Yeah. So, I wanted to keep that tradition of our culture, that’s why. 00:00:00.182 --> 00:41:14.182 [AB]: And your second daughter took music lessons? 00:00:00.183 --> 00:41:14.183 [MR]: She started, but she was not that interested. She took the ballet dance. Hema tried to teach her Bharatanatyam, she said, No. So, she took ballet dance, piano, all this. And violin. (interruption in audio recording) Both of us dedicated to the BAGC. So, we thought that it’s our thing. And whatever they needed, we helped them. So, that’s it. 00:00:00.184 --> 00:41:14.184 [AB]: Thank-you, both from the National Indo-American Museum and from the community. What you have dedicated your lives to, your professional lives to, thank-you so much. 00:00:00.185 --> 00:41:14.185 [MR]: You’re most welcome.