Oral history interview with Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah, conducted by Michelle Caswell and Sharon Sekhon at Dr. Marwah's residence in Malibu. This interview is also part of the South Asian American Digital Archive.
Transcript:
Sharon Sekhon:
So, I usually begin by stating the date and the place that we're at. Today is May 17th, 2017. We're at the home of Dr. Amarjit Marwah in Malibu. And my name is Sharon Sekhon, I'm with Michelle Caswell, and we're conducting an oral history for the South Asian American Digital Archive. I would like to begin by thanking you, first of all, Dr. Marwah, for sharing your history with us, but I also ask people to start by telling us their name, if there's anything significant about their name, and if you are named after someone else.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
My name is Dr. Amarjit, A-M-A-R-J-I-T, Singh, S-I-N-G-H. Marwah, M-A-R-W-A-H.
Sharon Sekhon:
Were you named after anyone else?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
Were you named after someone else? Were you named after your father? Was there anything significant to your name when you were named?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
There's not any significance in my name. The only significance in my name is the middle initial S, because I'm a Sikh by religion, so we have to have a middle name as Singh.
Sharon Sekhon:
So in your name, that's the most important part to you?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes.
Sharon Sekhon:
Wow, that's a great, great definition. What about the doctor?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Doctor's only because I belong to a doctor's family, and we are basically physicians in the family, starting from grandfathers to father. I'm a dentist, that's why I'm a doctor. And my son-in-laws, my grandchildren, they're all physicians.
Sharon Sekhon:
Wow. So tell me about your father, he was a doctor?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
My father was also a physician in 1914. My grandfather, a physician in 1880. I became a dentist in 1947.
Sharon Sekhon:
Those were great years. Where are you from in India?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I'm basically from the state of Punjab, India. We belong to a territory of Punjab, it now is called Pakistan. We moved to the Indian territory the same time with the partition of India in '47.
Sharon Sekhon:
So how old were you in '47?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I was just a young dentist of two months old.
Sharon Sekhon:
A young dentist?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Young dentist, just finished my schooling.
Sharon Sekhon:
So you were really an adult?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I was 21 and a half, 22 just about.
Sharon Sekhon:
That must have been very painful to watch.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It was very painful. We have seen the massacre of 1947 with open eyes, because I've seen my six cousins shot dead in front of me. I was saved somehow in Pakistan.
Sharon Sekhon:
Were they killed because they were Sikh?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Because they were number one, not Sikhs, but they were non-Muslims. Sikhs could be recognized as non-Muslims.
Sharon Sekhon:
My father in his small village, Dhaka, he witnessed genocide of Muslims.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
But we were able to get out at the right time [inaudible 00:03:27].
Sharon Sekhon:
So your family left, and where did you come to from India?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
No, but we had a relation this side of the country, because my grandfather took a job in Feetco State, which was at the border of the country, in 1918, as a director of medical services. My father took the same job in 1914. So we had a small little hold on this side of the country also.
Sharon Sekhon:
Okay. So was that the motivation for leaving in India, was the war, the genocide, the partition, why did you come to the US?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I only came to this country because this country offered one fellowship, Fulbright scholarships under Guggenheim Foundation, they offered one to India in my field, dentistry in 1953. There were 40 candidates in all of India for one fellowship, I won that. I came on their money, their scholarship, to the country.
Sharon Sekhon:
And you came with your wife?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
No, I came alone. My wife was still in India. She joined me later, not at that time, a couple of years later.
Sharon Sekhon:
Did you have children yet?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes, we had two little girls. One was only two years old, other was only one month old.
Sharon Sekhon:
That must've been very scary.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes, but I decided, get the fellowship. It was a honor to win the fellowship.
Sharon Sekhon:
So tell me about your wife, how did you meet her?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
In India, in the olden days, it's the families get together, rather than the children get-together. My father-in-law were Chief Justice of the High Court at Punjab. My father was director of medical services. They both are biggies, so both the families knew each other. So they're suggested. And then the only way you can meet, you can visit the girl's home, have a cup of tea. They put you on a table at different endings, not to each other. You can look at them at eight feet apart, and then you can decide. Basically we look, the families look at education of both children, at the brought-up children, family's background, and the educational background.
Sharon Sekhon:
And the temperament, right?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Temperament, you never know. That comes later.
Sharon Sekhon:
So your wife must've been a great adventurer like you?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes. Don't forget it, that we have arranged weddings. The arranged weddings also have some problems sometimes, but it's the families' closeness and families' advice and push keeps them together. Even if there are some disagreements, families butt in, and they always help you out.
Sharon Sekhon:
I noticed that there's this fantastic support system in the extended families in India that gets lost here because of the diaspora.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
There's always support system, because when we even go to school or college, it's support of the family. We have no separate help. If parents cannot afford to push you into schools, you can't do it, you have no side jobs of any type.
Sharon Sekhon:
Was there anything that pleasantly surprised you about your wife? And what is her name, please?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
Would you tell us about anything that pleasantly surprised you about your wife, and would you also tell me her name?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Her name is Kulgit, K-U-L-G-I-T. Her middle name is Kaur, K-A-U-R. Her last name used to be Sodhi, S-O-D-H-I. Now her last name is Marwah.
Sharon Sekhon:
Was there anything that she surprised you with pleasantly, was she a great cook?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It didn't surprise me, because I looked at her, she looked okay.
Sharon Sekhon:
Okay. I just think sometimes my husband surprises me with his sense of humor, his generosity.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
No, but she was a very compromising person, and so we could get along
Sharon Sekhon:
A great support system?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Great support system.
Sharon Sekhon:
And she never worked in life, she only helped the family, and kept the family together.
The glue?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes.
Sharon Sekhon:
The glue of the family. So I want to ask you, what were your first impressions of the US, how did you arrive and where did you arrive at?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
At that time there were no transport system, I came by ship. There were no planes at that time, 1953.
Sharon Sekhon:
How long did it take?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It took me one month to reach this country. It was a small ship from India to Southampton, which took me 21 days. And then I came by a large boat from Southampton to New York, by Queen Mary, which is here now, it took me eight days that time.
Sharon Sekhon:
Wow. I love the Queen Mary even more knowing that you rode it.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes, it took me that much time, a month to reach this country.
Sharon Sekhon:
What was the Queen Mary like? Because I know it had been a warship-
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It's a very [inaudible 00:09:50].
Sharon Sekhon:
... and transport ship.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Passenger ship, Queen Mary.
Sharon Sekhon:
Yeah, but it worked in the war.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It was a 80,000-ton ship, a very huge ship, seven to eight stories [inaudible 00:10:02]. It was first trip for me by boat, no doubt, out of India.
Sharon Sekhon:
Did you go first class?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I came by first class, because for a small boat from India, there were only two classes. First class way down, so I didn't want to come by [inaudible 00:10:24] class.
Sharon Sekhon:
Storage. Yeah, yeah. Did you receive any kind of discrimination though? Was it an English, the Queen Mary then?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
Did you receive any discrimination in your travels?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
No, I didn't have discrimination. Let me explain to you. First, I boarded a small ship called Jaljawahar, because Mr. Nehru, his was name was Jawaharlal Nehru, that ship wasn't his name, a small ship, 12,000 tons only. And on that one, in the first class, there were only children of the British families going back home that time. So there were hardly any Indians in the first class, there were not many Indians traveling at that time. So I had no problem really. Traveling in first class, they thought I was maybe a special person, not anybody else.
Sharon Sekhon:
Well, you are special.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
That's what happened. And I had no discrimination, I was treated well. Even when I came to New York on my fellowship, it was under the Guggenheim Foundation. Guggenheim Foundation had a dental clinic on the East Side of New York on 72nd Street, where we to do our fellowship for one year. And while working on the patients, and there was discrimination, because there were many fellows from many countries doing the fellowship at that time. And I was treated well, I was the only one different-looking person of foreign descent in this country, there were hardly any Indians otherwise. There were not many Indians in '53 in New York, very, very few, total maybe 100 Indians, total in the City of New York, mostly students. So discrimination could be, people were surprised, they would call you Santa while you're walking around, true, I was called... Not Santa, they call you genie.
Sharon Sekhon:
Genie?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Genie, exactly. And I used to walk from my clinic to the bus stand, and take my bus to my apartment. And sure, I was called genie every day. And even the bus fellow looked at me very strange each day I boarded the bus back and forth. I didn't care. I belonged to a very decent, educated family, so I knew that I looked different. It didn't bother me at all, none, but my day came, and I did not know anything about the Santa, ever, I was so ignorant. And Christmas came, I was going from a clinic to my apartment. I saw a man with a white beard sitting on the footpaths. And I looked at the footpaths. I didn't know what was going on. Children having fun, he's having fun. Then a photographer was taking pictures. I just did go and stood right next to him, just to find out. And to my surprise, people took my pictures also. So I didn't know what was happening. Then I knew a little bit that this is Santa's act at the time of Christmas [inaudible 00:14:25]. I went home. I only knew next day when Santa's and my picture came in the New York Times in the morning, and the caption was, "Santa has a son." I had a black beard, Santa has a white beard. And that was my opening to the world.
Sharon Sekhon:
To the US.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
People called me genie. I used to come on the same bus, same driver, I'd say, "Good morning, sir." I was finished. I used to have 100 invitations a day from the people of New York for dinner, "No, Santa is very busy, his son is very busy, have no time." That changed my character completely, my conception of the people towards me changed, and I had no problem.
Sharon Sekhon:
So they recognized you from the photo and said, "Oh, that's Santa Claus"?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
So people recognized you from the-
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Oh, yes, they recognized me for the photos. Definitely, they recognized me-
Sharon Sekhon:
So you became a local celebrity?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
... because there were nobody with turban, nobody.
Sharon Sekhon:
Wow.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I was young, I was 22 years old. And then I was 25 years old at that time.
Sharon Sekhon:
It's so interesting because Christmas is supposed to be about caring and generosity and spirit.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
Christmas is supposed to be about love and sharing and Christ. So it's interesting how that-
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I never had a problem really, I used to travel by subway, people didn't have much knowledge about the different cultures. Sure, they were curious, they would call you a genie or something else, that's okay.
Sharon Sekhon:
I notice when I look at the 1950s, that there is this international spirit, I think that the United Nations created, especially with the Fulbright Scholarship, that people were looking to be citizens of the world. I see it at TradeTech when I look at their old newspapers, that people were looking as though they were interconnected. And I think that was part of World War II as well, that we have to be connected.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
True.
Sharon Sekhon:
I also interviewed a gentleman who came from Mexico in the 1950s to Los Angeles, and he thought it was such a made-up world, because all of these beautiful antiseptic places in comparison to the so-called chaos he had left. How did US society appear to you in terms of its efficiency, its do-good morals, the way it talked about itself?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
About the morals what?
Sharon Sekhon:
How did the US represent itself in its rhetoric in the 1950s? You know how the US represents itself very distinctly now with Donald Trump, in the 1950s, it's a very different kind of idea about America. I mean, we have the Kitchen Debates.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yeah, but don't forget it, the US did not recognize anybody of the world until 1946.
Sharon Sekhon:
Yeah.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Indians came to this country in 1900, they were non-citizens, nonexisting people in the country. They were not given any rights in the country. They couldn't buy land in the country. They couldn't even open accounts in the country. They couldn't own anything in the country of any kind. So even if they're married an American, still they have zero rights.
Sharon Sekhon:
And the American could lose her rights too.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
They go over the border, they can't come back, that was the conditions. So 1946, luckily Congress were able to recognize that all the people who have been living here for a long time as non-immigrants in the country, married to even Americans in the country, must be given at least the proper rights of stay. That's in '46. In two months time, I think, they gave recognition and permanent status to the people of the world, including Indians, in 1946. But there was one more example, there's one gentleman who came to this country in 1914, Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind, as a student to Berkeley. When the First World War started, he joined the US Army at a Sikh-looking Sikh In 1916. He was relieved an honorable GI after the end of the war in 1918, he applied for citizenship or immigration to the country, he was refused, although he was good enough to kill himself, but not good enough to be immigrant in the country. He fought in the Supreme Court until 1935, he was refused, but in 1936, Congress passed a law that all the honorable GIs of World War I must be given the immigration. He was also given the immigration in 1936. He was the only Indian who became immigrant in the country in 1936, rest of them in 1946.
Sharon Sekhon:
And you knew him, correct?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Huh?
Sharon Sekhon:
You knew him, is that correct?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I knew him very well. I did his funeral in '67. I did a eulogy in '67, myself, he was a very great friend of mine.
Sharon Sekhon:
One of the things that you mentioned is that he never lost his faith, he never lost his connection to Sikhism.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes.
Sharon Sekhon:
Is that the reason why he fought so hard for himself?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Dr. Thind stayed as a Sikh all his life. He did his PhD in theology in this country, lecture all over the country, very popular man. You asked me other question also.
Sharon Sekhon:
Do you think that's what gave him his moral backbone, gave him the confidence to go after his rights for citizenship? Was it the military experience that gave him his confidence to say, "I deserve citizenship," or was it his sense of self-righteousness because he's Sikh and he knew his rights as a human being?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
No, but see, if you are in a country, you're part of the country, you want to be one with everybody else. And becoming a citizen of the country becomes your normal right, because you are a part of the country, and you want to be as one person, although from different countries, no doubt, but you have adapted to this country now. And to become a citizen helps you to a normal person, you can vote and exercise your rights.
Sharon Sekhon:
But I think that there are many people who come to this country who don't have that sense of self that he had to fight for his rights, sometimes they don't feel they have enough power to do that. Do you know where he got that sense of power?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
No, but-
Sharon Sekhon:
Some people say it comes from military, the military experience makes people demand citizenship because they put their lives on the line. We see that a lot with Mexican Americans, they come back and they won't tolerate segregation after World War II. What do you think pushed him, apart from the natural wanting to be a part of the rights of citizenship?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
But if you come to the country in the proper way, you have the right to become a citizen. But if you come to the country illegally, then I don't think you have any right to become a citizen of the country.
Sharon Sekhon:
I agree. I think what I'm asking you, I'm not stating it well, is that, and I guess this is the question I'm asking you, there were so many signs that said, "You are not welcome here." Even though other signs said, "Come on over." There were so many signs that said this is a violent place for people who are different. And it took him 30 years or 20 years to get the recognition that he should have gotten immediately after serving.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I had no problem.
Sharon Sekhon:
Yeah.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I said I had no problem of any kind.
Sharon Sekhon:
I guess that part of it is-
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Even this country sent me, I had no problem, I never spent $1 for education. I did my masters and my doctorate in this country, university gave me this fellowship again. They sent me to India in '59 as exchange professor in this country, to Bombay University. They paid for it, my whole family went back, we went by ship, and came back again. I had no problem.
Sharon Sekhon:
Yeah, my father has a similar experience, because-
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes, I had no problem of any type.
Sharon Sekhon:
... he was treated very, very well by this country.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes, yes. And I don't think this country will give you any trouble now if you come legally and properly to the country, they'll accept you. But if you come illegally and different ways, then definitely this country has the right to do anything they want.
Sharon Sekhon:
Well, I agree that in theory that's very true, but we also see the hate crimes against people who are supposedly not American because they wear turbans. So we have an education system that doesn't teach about tolerance and that we have all contributed to this nation, some more than others. So to me, as a teacher, I want to figure out how to fix it. I want to ask Michelle if she has questions because I'm talking too much.
Michelle Caswell:
No, you're not talking too much. How did you meet Bhagat Singh Thind?
Sharon Sekhon:
Who?
Michelle Caswell:
Bhagat Singh Thind, how did you meet him?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I used to come here to fight the election for Dalip Singh Saund in 1956. I used to be in Chicago, I spent three months in California for his election. But Dalip Singh Saund, I never saw him in India, but our families knew each other very well, this is why I could help him out a little bit. The first time I met Bhagat Singh Thind also was 1956. And then we knew each other, every year we used to meet. And '62 I moved to Los Angeles permanently. And then we became very, very close. We used to meet just about every month for dinner or something. And then I used to have one get-together for all the Indians in my home from '62 to '69, first Sunday of the month for lunch. And he was always a special person to come down to lunch with many Indians and lecture to them. So then I was [inaudible 00:26:12].
Sharon Sekhon:
He lived in Southern California?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
In '67, to Jersey also. That's how it went.
Michelle Caswell:
And why did you move to Los Angeles?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Huh?
Michelle Caswell:
Why did you move to Los Angeles?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I didn't want to come to Los Angeles, I didn't know one soul in Los Angeles. We came back after my assignment as exchange professor to India in '61. My family actually went on strike. They said, "We don't want to live in Chicago." I was well-settled in Chicago, I was associate professor at University of Illinois, I had a practice in Chicago, and I knew Chicago very well, and some people in Chicago, my practice was well. But when they decided they didn't want to live there, so I had to make a move to a better climate. And that made me move. I couldn't move here until I had the boards of California, I didn't have the boards. So I flew in '62 to take the boards at USC. And there were no foreigners of any type from any country at that time in my profession, none, I'm the only one.When I took the board at USC, our board was five-day exam. And those examiners never seen a person of my looks, ever.
So they really got surprised at who am I. They knew my background, I was associate professor, and many publications. I had two DDSs, one master's, and I did well in my exam. And while taking the exam, one examiner came and looked at me, he says, "Are you really a dentist?" That bothered me. I said, "Sir, you've never seen one like this?" He said, "No." And I go, "But this man will say in your state, you can't flunk me." I did so well, he couldn't touch me. So I had other colleagues of mine who came from Chicago, Americans, to take a board, they said, "He'll flunk you." I go, "No, he can't touch me." When I took the board, results came, my friends all failed, I passed. That's what made me [inaudible 00:28:33]. So I had no problem, because USC offered me a job while taking the exam, they knew me a little bit. So I didn't know one person in Los Angeles. Total number of Indians in Los Angeles was less than 20 boys going to school [inaudible 00:28:52] that time.
Michelle Caswell:
Were there more Indians in Chicago?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Michelle Caswell:
Were there more Indians in Chicago?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Maybe about 40 to 50 Indians in Chicago, that's all. In my medical center there were none, I was the only one.
Michelle Caswell:
Oh. So can you tell me about working on the Dalip Singh Saund campaign?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes. Dalip Singh Saund came as a student to Berkeley, did his PhD in mathematics. In those days, a PhD in mathematics of Indian origin, could never get a job anywhere in the country. He married his wife, an American who was a school teacher. And the only thing they could do is to work somewhere. So they both moved from Los Angeles, in San Francisco [inaudible 00:29:47] to a small place called Westmorland in Imperial Valley near Brawley, and they start farming. He got a little land on his wife's name, became a farmer. So in '46 he became immigrant to the country. So '49, he became a citizen of the country, being married an America. So he wanted to fight the election.
At that time, this country did not give any ticket to a minority of any type in the country to the Congress of this country. He said he wanted to fight the election, we had no money, Indians had no money. In '56 I was an instructor at University of Illinois getting $6,000 a year salary. The farmers here also had little money, Indian farmers, there were not many. Imperial Valley, there were 20 families, all married to Mexicans of Indian origin. So then if he apply even for a ticket, he wouldn't get in. To his luck, the governor came to know that PhD living in a small town, Westmorland, the total population about 28 families of Mexican origin, they were living in that town. The governor appointed him as honorary judge of the town, with no salary. So his name changed from Dalip Singh Saund to with Judge D.S. Saund.
Sharon Sekhon:
Which governor was this?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Huh?
Sharon Sekhon:
Which governor?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Which?
Sharon Sekhon:
Governor?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
At that time, '56-
Sharon Sekhon:
Is it Pat Brown?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
'56 was, I think this-
Sharon Sekhon:
I can double check.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Not the Brown's father. I don't think so.
Sharon Sekhon:
No? I'll look it up.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yeah, before that. Brown's father came later. So when he was called Judge Saund, so he became a popular figure. He was a clean-shaven Sikh, but a fair color, could pass as an American, little tanned. So we tried to apply his ticket in '56 as Judge D.S. Saund, wife Marian, both Americans. And somehow the Democrats didn't know, they gave us ticket. And when we got ticket, we were surprised ourself, we had no money. I used to hide myself the turban, there were nobody wearing turban. I didn't want anybody to see that he's foreigner, but he was a very good auditor, excellent speaker. He went to every home, every place to pay his respects, the army man would do something for you. And we couldn't even go on the television, we couldn't go on the radio, we had no money. But we put billboards all over our precinct, all the way from Imperial Valley to Riverside, 100 miles. And when our elections came, we fought very hard. He won by 300 votes against a very filthy rich woman from Palm Springs.
Sharon Sekhon:
Who flew, correct? Didn't she use an airplane to-
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
Didn't she use an airplane?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yeah, something. Yes, very rich.
Sharon Sekhon:
That's crazy.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
And then what happened was, then I took him to Washington DC, to the Capitol Steps, and we announced his name, Dr. Dalip Singh Saund. Federal government shook up, country shook up, how a minority can be councilman of the country. First minority councilman, of any type, but it was a nice good era. [inaudible 00:34:00]. Were coming up at that time, they were not present in the country, but coming up. So he felt very comfortable. Then '58, we had no problem. '60, we had no problem, he'll win outright, was a excellent speaker, intelligent fellow, but '62, had a stroke. Then we didn't fight for the election in '62. He died in '73, I did his funeral also in '73, right in Los Angeles.
Michelle Caswell:
So he had the stroke in '63, but he didn't pass away from-
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
He did from '56 to '62.
Michelle Caswell:
Right. So then did you become more politically involved?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Michelle Caswell:
Did you become more involved in politics because of-
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yeah, I was involved in politics way back with these people. And when I came back to Los Angeles in '62, sure I involved myself with the local government.
Michelle Caswell:
And how did you meet Tom Bradley?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Tom Bradley I met the first time he won the election as a councilman. I built my first firm in Baldwin Hills. At that time that was 100% Jewish area, no minorities would come in at that time, in Baldwin Hills. And when he won the election, at that I was in the City Hall Sister City Program, because Mayor Yorty appointed me as the chairman of Bombay-Los Angeles Sister City in 1968. So I was very much involved. So that time Tom was a councilman of City of Los Angeles. So I liked him, we became friends. So in 1969, he fought the first election against Yorty, and I helped him. And Yorty was mad with me because he knew that I'm helping him. He lost against Yorty, but '70 he fought again, and he had much more help, much more following. He won the election. This is how I met Tom Bradley.
Sharon Sekhon:
Historians have said that the Yorty election was very racist.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
That when Yorty ran against Bradley the first time, it was a vicious, vicious fight.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It was vicious fight because it was actually a racial fight, that's why. Yorty openly said that he belong to a Black race, he should never be here. He was the first Black mayor of Los Angeles. It was a big fight.
Sharon Sekhon:
Why did you love Tom Bradley? Because I love him for a lot of reasons. Why did you get along with him?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
No, no, I liked Tom Bradley, he was a very straight man, you talk to him, he was genuine, he was concerned about things, he was intelligent, he has a law degree. He was an officer in the police, an honorary man in the police. And then, he was a genuine man. If you talk to him, you feel this man is genuine. Once he promises you, it's done. He was not like other politicians, that's all. So we got along very well. He took me in on many of the boards to start with. Then he put me as a commissioner in 1980, and they kept me there on the same seat for 15 years.
Michelle Caswell:
Wow. So tell me about your role as commissioner.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Michelle Caswell:
What were you commissioner of? Tell me about your role.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I chaired Cultural Heritage Commission. I chaired the Cultural Affairs Commission. I chaired the Hollywood Art Commission. I chaired the Kennedy Assassination Commission, Robert Kennedy Assassin.
Sharon Sekhon:
Oh my god.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yeah, I chaired many commissions. And luckily I was already chairman of the commission, or a member of the commission, because I was Bradley's boy maybe. All the chairman are always mayor's boys, because he can talk to them straight. I'm very frank.
Sharon Sekhon:
So the Robert Kennedy Assassination Commission?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes, because Robert Kennedy was killed in Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel, his record was sealed by city.
Sharon Sekhon:
Yeah, I've seen it.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
They were-
Sharon Sekhon:
It's in the cabinet
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
... not exposed historians at all. So with the cry of these citizens and these historians, Bradley agreed to put his records in the repository in Sacramento. So he had to put a special commission to interview all the people, took us four years to interview everybody. I was on the commissioner at that time only, and I was chairing the Cultural Heritage Commission of Los Angeles at that time. I chaired both commissions same time. Again, I was there because the heritage of Los Angeles. Other people who were on the commission were much different than me. They were retired justices, or person of certain universities, others.
Sharon Sekhon:
That's still a political hot potato.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes.
Sharon Sekhon:
They keep it locked up, what happened.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
[inaudible 00:39:49]. With everybody.
Sharon Sekhon:
That must have been very painful too, to deal with that.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It was very painful because we seven took a vow that we'll not tell anybody what we read, what we heard. And we haven't told anybody. Out of seven, five have died already, two are living, me and one more. So we haven't told anybody, but if you're not in the record, I can tell you something.
Sharon Sekhon:
We'll ask you after.
Michelle Caswell:
I'll ask you after.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
Yeah, we'll ask you after.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
We're going to turn it off after, and then we'll ask you.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Then I can tell you.
Sharon Sekhon:
Okay. Wow, thank you. I also want to ask you about the Watts riots. Where were you during the Watts riots?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Watts riot, I was in Baldwin Hills-
Sharon Sekhon:
Oh wow.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
... In 1967. The Watts riots was in '67, I think.
Sharon Sekhon:
'65.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
'65?
Sharon Sekhon:
Yeah.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I was in Baldwin Hills, in my home. I could see the riots pretty well. My office was in on Crenshaw and Stocker Street, in medical center. That was the only medical center in whole of City of Los Angeles when I came to the city [inaudible 00:40:57] building. There were no other medical center in whole of Los Angeles. There were no Beverly Hills, nowhere. And my office was there. I never moved from the office. I stayed there 50 years, same office, same building, while this area changed.
Sharon Sekhon:
Were you a part of Neighborhood Partners in the Crenshaw area?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Hm?
Sharon Sekhon:
Were you a part of that organization called Neighborhood Partners?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
That was later on, lot later, Neighborhood Partner. But at that time it was a secluded area of Los Angeles, shopping center was secluded, no minorities would come in, people used to come from all over. Crenshaw Shopping Center were the first shopping center in the City of Los Angeles.
Sharon Sekhon:
Wow.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
There were nowhere else, nowhere. All the people in Beverly Hill, Hollywood, every week they come there for shopping
Sharon Sekhon:
And that became incredibly multiracial.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
It became Japanese American as well.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
That came in early '70s, late '60s it started.
Sharon Sekhon:
Actually, the Japanese population starts there in the '50s.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
No, Japanese are close by, don't forget it, two blocks away was Japanese neighborhood on Crenshaw, and very close to this Crenshaw Shopping Center. There was Japanese there for a long time, they were there already.
Michelle Caswell:
So were you a practicing dentist the whole time that you were in the Bradley administration?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes.
Michelle Caswell:
Oh.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I practiced for over 48 years in the same building.
Sharon Sekhon:
I have to ask you about the Baldwin Hills Dam, the reservoir breaking. Were you there when the reservoir broke in '63?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I was there, '63, in the reservoir.
Sharon Sekhon:
Right, Cloverfield.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
My home was right next to the reservoir. Nothing happened to me. I could see everything going down, that was it, right next to.
Sharon Sekhon:
So did your children go to Crenshaw or Dorsey?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Huh?
Sharon Sekhon:
Where did your children go to high school?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
My children went to high school... Let me tell you, my children were small. First they went to Catholic little school. In Crenshaw area we had a Catholic church, that's where they went to school. There were no other Indian children, nor minority children also. Then in the school, there used to be one place called Lutheran High School, it was the only one in the city. No, I think Lutheran High School is the only Lutheran high school in the City of Los Angeles, my children did go to the school.
Sharon Sekhon:
Did they ever tell you about having a hard time?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
No. Let me tell you, when they started going to school, when they're little children of six, eight years old, in Catholic school, the nun told me that she wanted them to wear their dress, because it's a special dress. I only want them to keep my culture, I want them to wear my dress school color. The nun didn't degree, and I'm getting up the chair talking to her. She said, "Sit down." We compared religion, everything else. So in a Catholic school, my children wore their dress, school color. And when they went to Lutheran High, they wore same, Indian dress, there were no color there, they wore Indian dress completely. They went to college, they wore Indian dress. There were no Indian children. My girls, when they went even college, they were no Indian children, went to high school, there were no Indian children, only two. They had no problem, but they were luckily good girls, they did well, and they were models for the school. They won all the citations, good grade.
Sharon Sekhon:
I imagine that you're a pretty tough father.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Hm?
Sharon Sekhon:
I imagine they didn't really have a choice.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
I imagine that being their-
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yeah, I could afford to send them anyway.
Sharon Sekhon:
Of course, but they were also a chip off the old block.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Then, I had a different living, I had a chauffeur for 24 years full-time. My chauffeur will drive them to school, bring them back. My chauffer will drive them to college, bring them back. My children did not get a car until they got married, in this country. My first daughter got married in this country in 1974, right here in Malibu.
Sharon Sekhon:
Wow.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
And then they could have a car. And they also had arranged weddings, they couldn't go out. They could not go out anywhere. They were not deprived of anything, my wife will take them anywhere they want to go. [inaudible 00:46:20]. All the places, anywhere, but she has to be chaperoned. They want to go to a movie? My wife will go. They want to bring their friends? My wife will pick up the tickets, there's no problem. But they're not allowed to go to any pajama parties anywhere, but they were not deprived. They were showed everything. And the teenage children do retaliate, but they were comfortable at certain time. I'll give you one example. In 1967, we had three girls, the youngest girl was one year old, they wanted to go to Hawaii. And I came back from the office in July, the 4th of July weekend, for the weekend they want to go to Hawaii. I go, "How can you go to Hawaii? You can't get a ticket, you can't get a reservation in the hotels." "So if we get it, can we go?" "Maybe yes." They tried all over, they couldn't get anywhere, but they get first class. They said, "This is available." No question asked, we go first class.
Sharon Sekhon:
Oh wow.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yeah. At that time, the hotel room used to cost $40 a day, Hilton Hotel. They couldn't get that one, even one room. We need a couple of rooms. They could get only residential suites in Hawaii Tower, that was $400 a day, a suite with few bedrooms. They said, "This available." No questions asked, we just go, for four days.
Sharon Sekhon:
Wow.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I try to do everything for them. They must understand that we will do everything to keep my culture and stay within limits. So my daughters couldn't go on a date one day anywhere until they got married.
Sharon Sekhon:
So how did you integrate horses?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Hm?
Sharon Sekhon:
What about the horses?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Horses, because my father was a very good polo player in India. We used to ride our horses in India. So when I came here, I wanted to get some horses. I bought two mares, Arabian horses. Then I found a place, I was keeping in the city first little bit somewhere for six months, then I bought this ranch in '68. So I brought my horses here, and we started riding, then we bred the horses. So one time had many, many horses.
Sharon Sekhon:
So the horses came before the ranch?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
The ranch was for the horses?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
And for the horses.
Sharon Sekhon:
That makes sense.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
That's why bought this ranch. There were three for sale, I bought the same day, and so it became a larger ranch, from three families.
Sharon Sekhon:
I guess I'll ask you this off the record, but what's it like having Don Sterling as a neighbor?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
How's Don Sterling as a neighbor?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
They're good people, they're wonderful.
Sharon Sekhon:
Respectful?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes, no problem. We loved it, I fenced whole ranch, we used to ride on the horses, my son, my youngest daughter. And people looked at us, and then we had no problem ever, they loved it.
Sharon Sekhon:
I would love to see photos of you on a horse, on Malibu.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes. And then we had no problems of any type. And the people only wanted to be curious who these people are. We're lucky, we used to have everybody here, we used take our horses to Santa Barbara for jumping hurdles. And then in those days, the Maharaja of Jaipur State was the biggest polo team, and they were my guests here. We used to go from there, and it was the biggies who come here. So we had no problems really, we made connections with all the people.
Sharon Sekhon:
So how did you get Elizabeth Taylor as a client?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
How did you get Elizabeth Taylor as a client?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Let me tell you how I got Elizabeth Taylor. I was in City Hall Sister City Program, and all the members of the Sister City Program of Bombay-Los Angeles were all [inaudible 00:51:01]. Nobody else, I'm the only Indian with them, Indian-looking American. And I met Elizabeth to her brother. Her brother used to live near La Jolla in San Diego. So we became friends in '63. So they became my patients, her brother and his wife. But then her father and her mother became my patients. Then we used to get together. And then she became the patient, this is how it came. And we got others, the [inaudible 00:51:42], others, they became my patients.
Sharon Sekhon:
So tell me about your practice. What did you love most about being a dentist?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Dentistry was different in those days. I did everything in dentistry. Basically my specialty is periodontics, gum disease, but I did everything just about. I did well, whatever I knew, what my expertise were, I thought I knew the subject.
Sharon Sekhon:
Have you ever had a cavity?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I had cavities, small ones. Yes.
Sharon Sekhon:
I had cavities after grad school because I couldn't go to the dentist. And I had so much shame when I discovered them. I don't know what that's about.
Michelle Caswell:
So I have a question. So in 1965 when US immigration law changed, how did the community here change? There were many more-
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
In '65?
Michelle Caswell:
Yeah, after 1965 when there were many more Indians coming to Los Angeles.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
'65? No, I think mostly you're talking of '68 or '69 somewhere.
Sharon Sekhon:
Well, the Immigration Act of 65 opens the door, right?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes, opened up, but they basically opened the doors in '68, '69 when they allowed the professionals to come in. But I had no problems of any type, but '62 on, Indians didn't have any place even to get together. So I opened my home for them, first Sunday of the month for lunch. The whole community used to come, whoever they were. Then after '69, there were no Sikh temple in the country of United States. There was only one in Stockton, and that was the only one, opened way back in '29 up, before.
Sharon Sekhon:
My cousin's family helped with that one.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I thought in '69, especially here, for the 500th anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikhs, so I luckily had the place in Hollywood, my property, I thought if I give it to my community as a temple, it'll become the first temple in the country of the United States. I did that, I donated the property to my community. So it became the first Sikh temple in the country of the United States in Hollywood. And who opened it? Again, Tom Bradley. He was a councilman, not a mayor at that time.
Michelle Caswell:
Is it still there?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Huh?
Michelle Caswell:
Is it still there?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It's there, and very [inaudible 00:54:30]. The Sikh temple, the services ran the same building until 1992, that was demolished to build a new authentic architecture. So then they built a new architecture of the building on the same place, same location, and open that one in '96. So now same temple is still there, but different architecture.
Sharon Sekhon:
Do you still go there?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It has been there for 47 years.
Sharon Sekhon:
Do you go there still?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
Do you still attend that?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I still help them out. When they wanted to start the new building, I gave them $500,000 as a gift in '94.
Sharon Sekhon:
Wow.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
And even last year I spent $200,000 to redo certain things for them. I did three rooms and a school upstairs for them. I built a beautiful library for them last year. And they'll never have it again, a Sikh library. I donated them all my library which I had. And this year again, I'm helping them out to make it more in the model of the City of Los Angeles. It's now basically a model City of Los Angeles, the entry looks like a five-star hotel, at that time, I helped them out.
Sharon Sekhon:
Where is it located exactly?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It's on 1966 North Vermont Avenue in Hollywood, one block north of Hollywood Boulevard, one block south of Los Feliz.
Sharon Sekhon:
That's a great location.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes.
Sharon Sekhon:
I know my dad went there.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It's a corner building.
Sharon Sekhon:
My dad went there.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It's a corner building.
Sharon Sekhon:
I want to ask you, you mentioned-
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It has four-story underground parking.
Sharon Sekhon:
I'm sorry?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It has a four-story underground parking.
Sharon Sekhon:
Oh, and that's the most important thing in LA.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
We did that.
Sharon Sekhon:
So when I was here with Samantha and Jaideep, you mentioned that you had to deal with a lot of the yogis who came in and people who supposedly were teaching yoga, and that your wife had also put her foot down about the hippies.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
The yogis I knew, the first [inaudible 00:57:15] yogi in 1963. I knew him only because there was one family called the Olsens. They used to live in Los Angeles, in the Wilshire area, they were patients of mine. They used to bring this strong, gentle yogi to this country every year. And this is how I knew him. And then he became my patient. So I knew him from '63 on. Then he became the biggest celebrity in '68, because that time the hippie movement just was started, '68. So I knew him. The other yogi, Mahesh Yogi, I didn't know him, I knew of him, because his disciples used to come and stay with me, including your actor, Vinod Khanna, who wanted to follow him and take his seat. So he used to come and stay with me for months, Vinod Khanna.
Sharon Sekhon:
Wow.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yeah, that time. So I didn't know Mahesh Yogi. The third yogi who came to the country was Yogi Bhajan, the Sikh fellow, in 1968, December 6th. I didn't know him also. I used to go to India every year with my family in December, for three weeks trip to India, and the biggies used to pick me up, because I used to help quite a bit India chiefs who used to come here, they were my guests. And those people used to pick me up at the airport, they were biggies, and this fellow was a custom checker. He thought, "Who's this man who's being picked up every year? His name is announced, Dr. Marwah from Los Angeles." '67 December we were there, he came, he said, "I want to check your bags." "And who are you?" He said, "I'm customs checker." And I still have a habit, I do take gifts for friends, I have a list, even today. If somebody want to check me, I give him a list, like, "Sir, you think the gifts of friend, you think I owe you? I'll pay." He said, "I'm going to check your bag." I gave him a list. He said, "I never seen a man like this give me a list."
He said, "Where's your car?" He picked up my bags, Yogi Bhajan, his name was Harbhajan Singh Puri. And he took it to my car. He wanted to know me, who am I. So I didn't want to tell him [inaudible 01:00:08]. But my children told him, "Oh, we are staying at The Ashok Hotel." Next day he comes down to the hotel to see me. So I offered a cup of coffee. So he said, "I want come to your country." I tell him, "You're a Sikh, you approach me in a different way. If you come to my country, you are telling me you're Sikh, you need help, I'll help, I have to know you." This was my total introduction. So he was trying to come to the country and trying to learn yoga. He didn't know yoga himself. He was follower of another fellow, he was not a yogi, but and another fellow in Delhi. And his name was, he's called Sant Hazara Singh, used to follow him. Actually, he wanted to propagate his guru, Sant Hazara Singh, to the country. So I didn't know that. So this fellow used to learn yoga a little bit, and teach the same exercise to the assistant high commissioner of Canada in Delhi. So through him, he got an immigration visit to Canada in September '68, came to Toronto. I didn't know that.
So I get a call from him in December '68, a Bhajan from Toronto, like, "I do not know any Bhajans in Toronto." He then told me whole story, who he is, how he came. He said, "I want to come to your country." Like, "You are an immigrant to the country, you have no problem, you come." He said, "I have no money. I haven't eaten for three days." So I said, "What do you need?" He need a ticket. I sent him a ticket right away. He came to Los Angeles, stayed as my guest for six months. And he didn't know yoga. And that time he changed his name to Yogi Bhajan, in Toronto actually. He started living in Toronto, kept another girl with him as his assistant to teach people yoga. His thing didn't go, he was basically dying hungry for three months. When he came here, it was basically a very big hippie-movement time at that time, '68. He used to go to Hollywood and bring some hippie people to my home. My wife was not very happy, she said, "We have young girls, we don't want anybody in the home."
So then, happened was, we got along about five, six months, I was going to India. My wife said, "He cannot stay here. Get him a place somewhere else." So I asked another lady, who was a wonderful lady, Dr. Tyberg, with a yoga center... I mean the Eastern Center, not yoga center, on Knight in Vermont. So I asked her, "Dr. Tyberg, I have one person, I know him. I don't know how good he is, but he lecture on yoga. [inaudible 01:03:57]. Doctor, I don't want to keep any Indian, they gave me trouble." This lady did a PhD in Sanskrit, 1936 from India. And I respected her like a mother, wonderful person.
So I said, "I have problem, I can't go to India." "If this is a problem, then I'll give him a job." Then I got him an apartment right in front of her center, paid for six months for the apartment, gave him $1,000 in the pocket, "And now you're out [inaudible 01:04:28]." So he started living there. So he went there, but he created a problem within a couple of weeks, he didn't know much yoga. He's a lecturer, and she had people come down to learn about Eastern culture. Today they have 20, tomorrow there are 10, day after there's five. They used to pay her. So then she thought, "This man is a hoax." She couldn't put him out because she promised me the three weeks.
After I came back in three weeks, she called me actually early morning, six o'clock. She said, "Doctor, you messed me up. Exactly [inaudible 01:05:20]." "What happened? I respect you like a mother." "You brought this man, he's a hoax, he doesn't know much." Another wrong thing he did, he brought six hippie girls, kept the room. So she knew that. She said, "He's no good." I go, "If that's the case." And he called me nine o'clock, "Sir, she put me out." And I said, "You're doing all the nonsense. Who are you?" He said, "I'm not doing anything." I'm like, "I'm glad she put you out." But Dr. Tyberg gave him money for this a week, and put him out, but he was a con artist. Three people used to come to her center. One was Johnny River, was a big folk singer. One was Jim Gould, who had a furniture store on Robertson and Melrose. One was Jim Baker, who had Source Restaurant on Sunset and-
Sharon Sekhon:
Source.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yeah, I remember all these things.
Sharon Sekhon:
Wow, you knew Jim Baker?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
So those people there. So he called three people. He said, "Jim, you used to come to our center. She put me out because you're hippie." They're all hippies, three of them. So Johnny River got him a house, paid for two years rent. Jim Gould said, "Yogi, don't worry, I'll give you front part of my store, which is an open area, you have your temple." And Jim Baker said, "I'll give you grocery money." So he moved to that house, that's how he started.
Sharon Sekhon:
Yeah. Wow. Did you know Jim Baker too?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Huh?
Sharon Sekhon:
Did you meet Jim Baker?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
A million times.
Sharon Sekhon:
Oh my God.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I met everybody. I was the only one they knew.
Sharon Sekhon:
Oh my God. There's a new documentary about The Source and Jim Baker.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes.
Sharon Sekhon:
I'll get you a copy of it.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
So I used to meet everybody, because they knew me, I was the only one who import this idiot.
Sharon Sekhon:
Wow. So did you ever eat at The Source Restaurant?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
Did you ever eat at The Source?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes, I did.
Sharon Sekhon:
I heard it was the best food in the world.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes. I haven't been there for a long, long time.
Sharon Sekhon:
Yeah. I know that we might be running out of space on the tape, but I want to ask you if we could come back and do a follow-up interview with you, because I think you just opened up more questions for us.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes.
Sharon Sekhon:
The other thing I want to ask, is there other people we should interview? Do you know people that we should go interview, that you know, that you think is important? Because we have the ability to do that and to put them in the university's records. Not just my records, but someplace that will be forever.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Because you should find out through the history of this country people, and you'll know it, who would you want to. As I'm concerned, I'll give you all the information I have in different fields.
Sharon Sekhon:
We also would love to interview your wife.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Huh?
Sharon Sekhon:
We would love to interview your wife.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
She's not in good health.
Sharon Sekhon:
Oh, okay.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Even today she's in the hospital, she's been in intensive care last couple of days, and they put her back in the room today.
Michelle Caswell:
Oh no.
Sharon Sekhon:
Oh my God. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.
Michelle Caswell:
Thank you for making time to speak with us.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
Yeah.
Michelle Caswell:
Thank you for making time to speak with us.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
No problem at all, because she's in the hospital where my son-in-law and my grandson both are attending, the same hospital, so she's very comfortable.
Sharon Sekhon:
So she's taken care of as much as she can?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes.
Sharon Sekhon:
So your family lives close?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Huh?
Sharon Sekhon:
Your children are close to you-
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes.
Sharon Sekhon:
... logistically?
Michelle Caswell:
Do you have grandchildren?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
My girls all got arranged weddings. They also did not go out for a day. They're all arranged in this country.
Sharon Sekhon:
But you picked well for them, correct?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Hm?
Sharon Sekhon:
You chose well?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes. Actually, I didn't choose the boys. They knew me somehow. I know the family.
Sharon Sekhon:
Well, you're a superstar.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
They knew my name and they came in.
Sharon Sekhon:
Do you see how humble he is?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Let me tell you, my first daughter, and they all finished their education, they all had their master's in different fields in this country. Older one, those people knew my name. I went in New York at a conference. I was staying at Waldorf Astoria Hotel in [inaudible 01:10:11]. And I knew all the Sikh doctors in New York at that time, in early '70s. They all knew I was coming in, and they all had arranged dinner for me. And this family, my son-in-law's family, I didn't know them. So the day after, his father and mother came to my hotel, said, "Sir, you have a dinner at the doctor's place tonight. Tomorrow you have a dinner with us." I go, "Thank you very much. I don't know you. Goodbye." I said, "Goodbye." They said, "What a [inaudible 01:10:49] man." And I said, "I don't know you."
I did go to their home for dinner, they doctors, and he was there. The doctor said, "Come on, he's a good man. He want just to make acquaintance with you". So they made me agree. So next day I had dinner at his house. And my wife was leaving for India next day. Next day I was coming back, she was leaving after a day. So then I agreed. So we came back to the hotel, I left, came back to Los Angeles, my wife was leaving next day for India. And this couple came back and she, "Oh come on, Doctor has gone to India. You can't stay in the hotel. Come with us." She went to their house.
Sharon Sekhon:
So they got to the real boss?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
And then she talked to her. So she called me, "They want to come and see our daughter. We don't know who they are. Go see who they are," from India or somewhere. So she said, "Oh, he says this boy is a grandson of Sant Hazara Singh from Delhi." "A short fellow?" "Yes." And they may be good people, because I was honored in Delhi in '68, but the biggie Sikhs of Delhi, 200 people, and he was one of those. He was a big businessman, Sant Hazara Singh. And he presented me a book called Sikh Way of Life. They left the impression on me somehow in '68, they must be good people. And they came down. My wife canceled the trip to India, and they came down in three days. So I kept them in room, like, "Listen, our children don't go out, number one. They can sit in my house, it's two days, they can talk. Or if they want to go out, they'll be chaperoned by their cousin and somebody else." They didn't go out with the cousin for dinner, but they were middle of their mind anyway. So my daughter liked the boy, and they said yes, and we agreed. They went back to New York, "When can we come back?" And I go, "Only at the wedding time." Six months later there was a wedding in India. The wedding was completely in India.
Sharon Sekhon:
You seem like you know how to throw a really good party.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
It seems like you've been to a lot of really great parties and that you've given great parties.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes.
Sharon Sekhon:
What's the best party you've ever attended?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Many, many. I attended millions of parties in Hollywood, millions of parties-
Sharon Sekhon:
Wow.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
... I attended. Even my daughter's wedding here, was a big party, first daughter's wedding, it was televised all over the country by NBC two hours free for me. I didn't pay $1.
Sharon Sekhon:
What?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
It was the first Indian wedding you ever saw, with horses, with bands, with nobody-
Sharon Sekhon:
And you wore the dagger and everything?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes, everything.
Sharon Sekhon:
Oh, how beautiful that must have been.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
First Indian wedding in '74 in the country of United States. We had our own horses, we had big bands, everything, there's all this [inaudible 01:14:15]. Same, exactly [inaudible 01:14:18].
Sharon Sekhon:
Where is your favorite part of Los Angeles?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Sharon Sekhon:
What is your favorite part of Los Angeles?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What is what?
Sharon Sekhon:
Location, what's your favorite part of Los Angeles?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Location?
Sharon Sekhon:
Spot.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Spa?
Sharon Sekhon:
Place.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Place?
Sharon Sekhon:
Yeah.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Los Angeles really has many historical places to see, only few, and we declared them as monument, like Chinese Theater, under my signature, city hall, under my signature, Roosevelt Hotel, under my signature, your Walk of Fame, under my signature. So there are really good places in Los Angeles who are historical.
Sharon Sekhon:
Well, and you also helped legitimize Hollywood history by doing that.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Yes. Hollywood, we tried to save the Hollywood, change the image of Hollywood. The image of Hollywood had gone down completely. We changed plenty during my time. We changed the Hollywood Boulevard, the squares, everything else, just then now became a better place.
Michelle Caswell:
What were some of your greatest accomplishments as the cultural commissioner?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
Huh?
Michelle Caswell:
What were some of your greatest accomplishments as the cultural commissioner?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
There were some places to save, like Ambassador Hotel, they want to demolish.
Sharon Sekhon:
And Trump wanted it.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
The church downtown, there was the first Catholic church-
Sharon Sekhon:
St. Cyprianos.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
... right next to the city hall, the first church during the making of this country, and the Mexican area where Los Angeles started.
Sharon Sekhon:
La Placita.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
And then the post office, general post office. Then even your railway station. They were the best areas where this city started.
Michelle Caswell:
And you helped to preserve them?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
What?
Michelle Caswell:
You helped to preserve them?
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
I did preserve them. Yes, we did. That was all under my time.
Sharon Sekhon:
Wow. Wow.
Dr. Amarjit Marwah:
And then if you close it, I tell you something about the [inaudible 01:16:45].
Sharon Sekhon:
Okay.
Michelle Caswell:
Okay, I'll turn off the tape now. Thank you so much.
ID 3460. Oral History Interview with Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah, co-conducted with SAADA. Archive; Interview. Michelle Caswell and Sharon Sekhon. 2017. The Studio for Southern California History. Accessed on the LA History Archive at https://vimeo.com/952534964/cfb47f696c?share=copy on Apr 03, 2026.
