Angel Island Profile: Dalip Singh Samra

Born in 1896, Dalip Singh Samra immigrated to the U.S. from his native village of Sidhwan in Punjab, India, in 1910. Although his grandfather told him he'd live to regret leaving India, he was determined to travel to this new land. Mr. Samra spent twelve days on Angel Island before being released to live in California. He was able to find work on farms in the Sacramento River Delta.
Although unable to own land due to the Alien Land Law, he developed a successful farm in the Sacramento River Delta, near the town of Hood. Samra developed a friendship with Bill Mosher, who allowed Samra to rent farmland from him and they established a strong working relationship. Despite facing discrimination such as having his crops set on fire, he persevered. He grew tomatoes, barley, wheat and at one time was the world's largest celery grower. Other laws prevented Samra from bringing his wife Swaran to the United States, until changes in the law allowed this to happen in 1946. They started a family and had four children, and he became a naturalized citizen in 1961. Samra worked to help new immigrants settle in this country until his death in 1968.
Follow the Samra family's journey as they learn more about Mr. Samra's story; exploring documents with Marisa Louie at the National Archives and Records Administration's San Francisco facility in San Bruno. Videographer Jeffrey Gee Chin has directed a seven-minute video for AIISF telling the story of this true pioneer.

[@pallsingh2627]

Hi i am a Samra living in Canada my parents were also from Sidhwan Punjab my dad was a pioneer to England after the second world war. They raised me and my sisters in England and i remember my dad Rattan Samra telling me the hardships they faced leaving punjab. I loved seeing the video on youtube about Dalip Singh Samra.