Simreet Sandhu

Indebted: The Untold Story of Sikhs in Ontario (1960-1999) - The Documentary

Indebted, the documentary, serves as an extension to the book. Upon completing base research of the topic, individuals who were involved in these historical ventures were contacted and interviewed, providing insight on firsthand experiences they faced when they settled onto this land. The early Sikhs in Ontario truly paved a path which made it easier for future Sikh generations to maintain their identity.In this documentary, you will hear from Sikhs who migrated during different time periods and under different circumstances. However, they all had one thing in common — they longed for a better future. While some migrated in the early 60s and 70s, others migrated after the 1984 Sikh genocide, seeking refuge. Some worked various jobs, and others began their own businesses. You will also hear from Sikh youth born and raised in Ontario during the 1980s and learn about how they dealt with being a visible minority.

“Indebted highlights the successes, challenges and overall process of how Sikhs in Ontario settled between the mass immigration years of 1960 and 1999. As a child of an immigrant who worked extremely hard to earn a living, I was able to learn about the hardships and successes immigrants went through in the process of migrating from a country that oppresses minorities, to a country that — at the time — alienated minorities. Unfortunately, not everybody gets the opportunity to learn about these stories, which results in issues such as misrepresentation, racism and ungratefulness. To tackle this concern and shed light on the stories of diligent immigrants, I pursued the topic of Ontario’s Sikh history as my thesis topic in my Graphic Design capstone course at OCADU.”