Norma Singh

Every summer the family drove north to Stockton and met with other Sikh farmers and their families. On the way back Mota stopped in Los Angeles to check on his investments, and to soak up the local culture.

Lilia Singh

EMMA: "Dad used to love Chinese food. He loved the theater. He enjoyed movies. This was the golden era of Hollywood. He enjoyed comedies. One of his favorites was Edgar Bergman... Bergen & Charlie McCarthy?... Also in L.A. at the time... it was the last part of vaudeville, I guess, in the Mexican theaters...

NORMA: "I remember how much he enjoyed our showing off when company came... We even pretended to know how to dance Indian folk dances, which we didn't know. We just went with the rhythm of the music. But he liked it and he really encouraged it. Saturdays, they'd all go into town. While Mom and the girls went to the movies, Dad went to the farm implement shop. I think he used to introduce [himself to] new Indians and hope to co-sign for them so they could buy tractors. A decision had been made, long before, I believe, by these men, my father included, that they would stay here. This would be their home, there was no question about that."

Norma showing off

One summer in Mexico