Rina’s Family History
Rina Gill is third generation Canadian from her maternal side of the family. Rina’s Grandma was born in Vancouver, BC on June 16th, 1928. Rina takes great pride in sharing her family roots and heritage from India to Canada. She has organized special family reunions with the most recent one being a celebration of 100+ years in Canada.
Rina’s ancestors (the Hundal Family) are featured in the book “Becoming Canadians - Pioneer Sikhs In Their Own Words"
Hakim Singh Hundal was Rina’s Great Great Grandfather. He originally came to Canada during with the first wave of Sikh immigrants (all male) between 1904-1908.
He returned to India in 1910, promising to come back to Canada with his family.
“They left India with their families a year later in 1911. When they landed in Hong Kong, the men were allowed to go on to Canada but their families were detained in Hong Kong by the Canadian Immigration Office. Hakim's mother, Bishan Kaur, and his four sons (Atma, Iqbal, Teja and Jermeja - Hakim was a widower/wife passed away) - spent 2 years living in the Hong Kong Sikh Temple awaiting immigration clearance to land in Canada. All three families eventually arrived in Canada in 1913 after a barrage of appeals to all levels of government.”
— Page 30, Becoming Canadians - Pioneer Sikhs In Their Own Words
The Hundal Family in Becoming Canadians - Pioneer Sikhs In Their Own Words from National Sikh Archives
“Despite many obstacles, some Sikhs went to great lengths to further their education. The Hundal boys who arrived in Canada in 1913 were excellent students. They lived in Point Grey and went to Queen Mary Elementary and Prince of Wales High School, then onto UBC. Iqbal Hundal earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from University of Washington in 1925 and went on to be an aeronautical engineer in the United States. Jermeja attended UBC and then Oregon State College, and he worked for the Indian Consulate's office in Los Angeles.
Throughout their lives, the Hundal boys made every effort to fit in with the dominant culture. They were always well-dressed and in style, and they socialized with all groups and joined clubs and teams. But they still encountered discrimination in the job market, and so they both found employment outside of the province of BC.”
— Page 91, Becoming Canadians - Pioneer Sikhs In Their Own Words