Episode 2 - Roots and Race Relations in Uganda

This episode focuses on the historical roots of Ugandan Asian refugees and race relations in Uganda. South Asians as well as Arabs have a long history in East Africa which dates as far back as the ninth century. While the vast majority of migration did not pick up until European colonial rule, there are some Ugandan Asian families that can trace their ancestry in East Africa over several generations. In the episode you'll hear about the childhoods of Ugandan Asian refugees and life before Idi Amin’s rise to power along with hearing from participants about the interactions between colonialists, Ugandan Asians, and Ugandan Africans. Scholars have referred to race relations in East Africa as a colonial sandwich that often placed white colonialists at the top, brown South Asians in the middle, and black Africans at the bottom.You can learn more by visiting the⁠ Uganda Collection Website⁠ or reading a copy of ⁠Gifts From Amin: Ugandan Asian Refugees in Canada⁠.