Transcript for: Cultural traditions

Interviewee: Karam Hussain

Subject: Culture

How import is culture and education for you in your own family?

I think the people who don?t respect those, will lack of those things. I feel very strongly that education is very important, because I started my education after the 1980's, going back to college and studying. That is because I felt very strongly that I needed and education, with regard to the culture. Culture is actually a part of life, and culture is changing. Since I was born, I can see that culture is changing everywhere. If you look at here in the UK when I came, there were hardly any Asian females, mostly the males, working class. People were working 7 days a week, they had one or two pairs of trousers and that was enough for them. After the 1980's, living standard changed, culture changed, everything started changing, in both communities, English and Asian. Same over there in Kashmir and Pakistan, the culture has changed very fast. To me it is very important to keep tradition, such as sitting at home, wearing Salwar Kameez, having Asian food at home. Well, obviously now English people are eating Asian food. And sitting with family and friends, that's part of the culture, sharing with each other. There are a lot of issues coming; people can start writing books on these things. I am a bit concerned with regard to certain individuals; those who are not entrusted with keeping traditions and cultures. I think that they are losing their track. I didn't, my family didn't, even my son didn't, and they are all very close to their friends and families and the culture, they maintain the culture. Say, for example, if you go to Asian weddings you will find many people, say up to a thousand people or more than that, and that's the culture and tradition as well. Same as if somebody has died, with people going to pay respect to the family. If you look at the wider society, in many ways the Asians aren't much different. But I'm sure that this culture will remain with us. So sometimes I do feel concerned, that I do have some sort of question as well, with regard to the young generation. That they might be thinking of the ways that they don't want to be mixed, and that is to me something that we should treat wisely, and look at. Life is not only for yourself, life means a lot of other things as well. I believe that I am an example of that.