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PATEL: This is Vrushti Patel. I am a member of the Teen Chapter of 4-H Indian Langoor Club.Today is December 19, 2019, and I am at the residence of Mrs. Kiran Vaid, owner of Nina Jewelers, to conduct her interview. This interview is being conducted for the Recording History: Live! inter-generational oral history program organized by the 4H Indian Langoor Club. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund. Program funded in part by a grant to Middlesex County by the New Jersey Historical Commission.Good afternoon. Namaste Mrs. Kiran Vaid. Thank you for the opportunity. Shall we begin?

PATEL: Can you please state your name and the year you were born in?

VAID: Yes, I am Kiran Vaid, I was born in 1950... 26th April of 1955 in Aden.

PATEL: Where did you grow up?

VAID: It’s like a bit of Aden, London, and India.

PATEL: How old were you when you moved to India?

VAID: I was 10 years old.

PATEL: Where in India did you move?

VAID: Bombay. Proper Bombay.

PATEL: How long did you live in Mumbai?

VAID: Mumbai… almost six to seven years.

PATEL: What was the city like while you were growing up?

VAID: What did you say?

PATEL: What was the city like-

VAID: Oh city! Yeah, it was like very nice and very… like very convenient for us because it’s all Indian community so it was very easy for us to intimate with everybody.

PATEL: Where did you move afterwards?

VAID: Then I moved to London.

PATEL: Who were the members of your family?

VAID: I have six brothers and two sisters and we all moved to London. Proper London.

PATEL: Were you really close to them while growing up?

VAID: Yes, I was ten years old so definitely. All of us were close together.

PATEL: What is one memory you have of your siblings?

VAID: For my siblings? Like a… we always go to school together, like in one car and somebody like a drive drop us and pick us up and then enjoy our life.

PATEL: What is your maiden name?

VAID: Kiran Vaid … Kiran Sheth.

PATEL: What profession was your family into?

VAID: My father was like a businessman. He was doing clothing, indian clothing especially.

PATEL: Did you have any role in this business?

VAID: No, I was too young to do anything for that.

PATEL: How has your father’s business impacted your own understanding of running a business?

VAID: Like everyday you see what your father is doing, your brother is doing. My… Even my mummy was in business too at that time because we were living in Bombay and my father and two brothers were in Aden. So always they send few things to India and then we sell and we, and like we do our day to day thing.

PATEL: You mentioned before that you had a lot of siblings. Did you belong to a joint family?

VAID: Yes, I do.

PATEL: What did you learn to value the most while growing up? For example, did you value work, family etc.

VAID: Yes, of course. When you are living together you always have to help each other. You always have to forgive each other. Plus, let it go. Like, you can’t be stubborn to have everything on your own.

PATEL: What were your hobbies? Were you interested in business since school?

VAID: No, I was not. Like I started business I mean I was working in London but I was working in the store. Grocery store.

PATEL: Can you describe a typical day from your childhood from Aden?

VAID: From Aden, just we go to school. Wake up in the morning, go to school, come back, and help my mother to do the housework because there were so many people and so many siblings and my uncle was living with us. So I was always help my mother. All of us, all of my three sisters.

PATEL: Do you have a specific memory from Aden?

VAID: Yes, when I was young and in Aden always after six it’s a curfew. You have to be home by six. One day, like my brother and my daddy was little bit late. And then came and I run… ran to open the door and the police just shoot me and then I had like a gun shot here in my shoulder.

PATEL: What happened afterwards?

VAID: Afterwards, nothing. Like my, then my other brother helped me out and then neighbor, you know there were neighbor was indian so each other...everybody help each other and then they help my mom to take care of me.

PATEL: Did you start living in fear after this incident?

VAID: Little bit. I was too young to understand that part still definitely.

PATEL: Did you face any difficulties growing up as a girl?

VAID: In Aden definitely. We are not al- we were not allowed to go out anywhere in the city. But in London and India, we were, I mean I can do … I can able to do anything you see because there wasn’t any restriction from government.

PATEL: Did you have limitations on your education growing up as a girl?

VAID: No, my parents wanted us to just get educated, then do few more good things rather than just stay at home.

PATEL: What is your favourite childhood memory?

VAID: Childhood memory, like my…my younger sister and brother was very naughty. They always…*laughter*... and they always like make me angry and do the things and then I was so, at that time I was so angry and I then hit them … *more laughter* … and then we get used to it.

PATEL: Which school did you go to?

VAID: M.K. High School in Borivali.

PATEL: What was a typical school day like?

VAID: It was like a eight to twelve school day and then come home, do work, and then do homework. Do housework and then homework and go to do some shopping, grocery shopping, come back, go to… go to sleep and that’s all. Nothing exciting.

PATEL: What were your favourite subjects?

VAID: Math. It was math.

PATEL: Did you take any business oriented classes?

VAID: No, no I did not.

PATEL: Which college did you go to?

VAID: I did like a Chinai college in Andheri. I did like a Commercial art. Art.

PATEL: What courses did you take?

VAID: Art and math.

PATEL: Where did you move after college?

VAID: London, I moved to London.

PATEL: How did you meet your husband?

VAID: Somebody introduced us. Like you know in our time there was always middlemen who introduced each other and then we agree like you want to do it or not. And then we… that way we met each other.

PATEL: Who arranged it?

VAID: My uncle.

PATEL: When did you get married?

VAID: In 1979.

PATEL: How old were you when you got married?

VAID: 23

PATEL: Where did you move after marriage?

VAID: I was in London. In the sense, I was in Cambridge, little bit far from the London but like one and a half hour drive. So I was living in a Cambridge with my in-laws.

PATEL: What was the cultural difference like?

VAID: Like India and London?

PATEL: HmHmm

VAID: Yeah, there wasn’t anything much social, there was a social but there wasn’t any religious. So we have to like built it up like a make a small community and then you do the festivals like a whatever indian festivals are. Then we always do like a navratri, diwali whatever.

PATEL: What were some changes you went through?

VAID: Oh so many. *Laughter* … like I moved so many times so well everytime I find something different and different and different you see.

PATEL: What changes did you go through specifically after marriage?

VAID: After marriage… there wasn’t any particular but like a still we have a like a in a mum house you are not that responsible as much as your in-laws house you see.

PATEL: What was the profession your husband was into?

VAID: He is...he was doing-he is doing IVF, test tube babies.

PATEL: What profession was your husband’s family in?

VAID: He… they have like a jewellery business.

PATEL: Whose business it was?

VAID: My brother-in-law. My father-in-law was doing watch’s business and then my brother-in-law started like a jewellery… selling jewellery. And then I was helping them and then I started my own here.

PATEL: Did you have any role in your father-in-law’s or brother-in-law’s business?

VAID: Sorry?

PATEL: Did you have any role in your father-in-law’s or brother-in-law’s business?

VAID: Ummm… I always… I always help them and they always teach me like you have to do this and you have to do this, you can do like a repair like this. But they always help us and I try to learn it.

PATEL: What were some things you learnt from this business?

VAID: Like a you have to have a patient. You have to provide good customer service because nobody is coming to buy free. So you have to make them understand and you have to understand them like what they want and what you can do for them.

PATEL: What inspired you to move to the United States?

VAID: Uh nothing but my husband got sponsored from hospital so we have to move here. First I was scared to leave London because I didn’t know like a I had nobody here in this country. So I didn’t want to leave from there and same time I wanted to experience my new life. So then we, I moved with him.

PATEL: What year was it?

VAID: It was 1985.

PATEL: How old were you?

VAID: ‘85… you can say around 29 - 30.

PATEL: Did you have any family or friends in the United States?

VAID: No, my husband had a one friend. That’s all.

PATEL: Where did you move first?

VAID: First I moved to New York.

PATEL: And where did you…

VAID: The worst city… *laughter*

PATEL: Where did you finally settle down?

VAID: In New Jersey because I opened a business in New Jersey. First I was looking for a business and then I wanted to buy my house because I can’t travel so much and, plus, it’s a little bit risky business. In middle of the night, if the alarm goes on I have to run. So better you find business first and then you look for the house so you can get nearby.

PATEL: What were your experiences in the early years of your immigration?

VAID: Immigration like they were very good. Like a INS - I mean rather than give me a hard time they were very good with me because I had a three girls with me and the customs officer said don’t leave your kids anywhere and he, himself, came and dropped me off at my husband’s place. He was so good and he was a black guy.

PATEL: What were some hardships you faced?

VAID: Like a I had nobody here to look after my kids and my husband was managing like a day and a night and then after a like a few years, not few years, few months I found one old lady who helped me to look after my kids on weekends, Saturday Sunday.

PATEL: Can you describe a typical day of your life in the early years of your immigration before the establishment of your company?

VAID: Immigration wise I never got any hassle from anybody because we were legal here right. America sponsor him like a hospital sponsor him and we came here legally so there wasn’t any trouble or anything I can suffer for it.

PATEL: Did you have any issues settling in, like fitting into the community?

VAID: Yeah, it takes time because like you have a totally different culture and then I didn’t want my kids to go out of like a my religious thing or my community. So, definitely, we have to try hard to get the things done.

PATEL: Did you experience any discrimination or racism?

VAID: No, no. But when we, I opened the store like a neighbour was so good but you know kids. They always wanted to do something different. Like they always wanted to give you little bit hard time. So they always like a throw a little stone or paint your shutter. That’s all. But not like a really big way.

PATEL: How did you deal with this?

VAID: You have to, you have to make them understand and then you have leave, give up little bit, and then you have to tell them like you are not hurt, you are not here to hurting them. You are here to just stay here and live … living us like a we are trying to live us our own. That’s all.

PATEL: Before the establishment of your company did you do any other jobs?

VAID: No, not in U.S.A.

PATEL: Did you do any in London?

VAID: Yeah I did. I did for grocery store, like an American grocery store and jewellery store.

PATEL: Did you learn anything from working at the grocery store?

VAID: No no. It was just typical because I was getting bored at home so I just went for 4-5 months. That’s all.

PATEL: When and where were your children born?

VAID: My all three girls were born in London.

PATEL: What year was that?

VAID: `80, `81, and `85.

PATEL: How old were your girls when you moved here?

VAID: Older one was 6, 5, and 3 [months].

PATEL: When did you establish your business?

VAID: In `87

PATEL: What type of business did you start?

VAID: Straightaway jewellery business.

PATEL: Did you have any prior experience in business other than the jewellery store?

VAID: Any other business… yeah, clothing business. Because my father had a clothing business right.

PATEL: How did you fund your business?

VAID: My husband sponsored, I mean my husband was giving me money plus my brother-in-law, like he gave me some money or jewelleries to sell and then make money and then give his money like that.

PATEL: Why did your husband choose to fund your business?

VAID: Because we didn’t have any money so. I was not working so I didn’t have anything. So he has to give me and then my brother-in-law gave me.

PATEL: Where did you get the idea or inspiration of starting a business?

VAID: No it was like my husband wa- when I got my green card, my husband says you don’t have to work, we’ll just… we will open our own business and then you work to the business.

PATEL: How did you find a location for your business?

VAID: Like a we were looking for some Indian stores. So when we move- when we came to Oak Tree Road we found like a one Indian grocery store, Patel Brothers. Then we opened our next to him because it was like a everyday business. Grocery store, Indian grocery was like everyday business. People comes and then go. So that way you get customer.

PATEL: What was Oak Tree like when you started your business?

VAID: Oh there was only 5 stores. One grocery, one… restaurant, myself, and then one clothing store like Saree Emporium right. And then my sister moved with me and she opened a Aanchal Saree with me. So then I fund her to open the business … *laughter*

PATEL: Did you face any racism in Oak Tree?

VAID: No

PATEL: There has been the incident of dot busters…

VAID: It was in Jersey City. But we were talking about in here too. But Jersey City had a very big thing like a dot something dot ...

PATEL: Dot busters.

VAID: Yeah dot busters.

PATEL: What is Oak Tree like now?

VAID: Now you will can … you can find everything here as indian community if you want something like a to eat, restaurant, grocery store, like a jewellery store. So many jewellery store not one or two. And then you get like a fancy item like if you want fake jewellery. Restaurant like any kind of restaurant like South Indian, North Indian, Gujarati, Punjabi, anything.

PATEL: How did you… how did the locals feel about an Indian businesswomen who opened a business in their area?

VAID: I don’t think so they realised because in America it’s not, nothing is like a lady can open a business or men can. It… there is nothing like that. In India or back home you can say like a women can’t do anything but here they will appreciate that you are doing something.

PATEL: Who supported you during this time?

VAID: Like a family, my family. We were only five of us. So, definitely my husband.

PATEL: How did they support you?

VAID: No, like a we are laying together and they everyday girls ask mummy what you did, mummy how was day. Then my husband help me and then he says like if you have any difficulty then we will close the store. But I say no, I have to do it for my girls.

PATEL: What were the early days of your business like?

VAID: Oh it was very slow, very slow. Hardly I get one customer a day. I was spending more than money rather than making money. But still like my husband say you have to be patient. You can’t do overnight everything. It took me like a 3-4 years to pick up.

PATEL: What was a typical day like?

VAID: It’s like everyday I was coming from New York, at that time I was living in New York. So I was come here by changing 3 trains. It wasn’t straight. So I...I... little one is, she was only 3 months old, and I took her … I always take with me and feed her in on the train because it was... train was little early. And I have to drop my two girls to the school, come back, pick her, and then we were eating our breakfast on the train. I feed her first and then I eat my breakfast and come here. It was little difficult but nothing was as a bad manners. Like it was...you have to always little bit suffer for everything.

PATEL: What were some challenges that you faced?

VAID: Challenges like I don’t think so like there was any discrimination like a you can’t this or you can’t do that. You can do whatever you wanted to do. So even indian community was so good, they always help me. Like a Chandrakant Uncle on Oak Tree road. He sometimes help me to pick me up from the train station. And Tulsi Bhai.

PATEL: How did you overcome the challenges, as you said that you had to take care of your daughters, that you faced in the early days of your business?

VAID: Yeah but then slowly slowly I got help from our community. Like I had a one babysitter, not babysitter, nanny. She was living with me and helping taking care of my girls and then I can spend my whole day in the store.

PATEL: How old were your children when you started your business?

VAID: Older one was 10. I started from `87, so around 7-8 and then the little one was 2 and a half years old. When I came, she was only 3 months old.

PATEL: How did you manage being a mother and a businesswoman?

VAID: In our age, like a we always do everything like, I mean we… we have our in mind like we have to take care our kids and then business too if you are doing business or working. We have to manage.

PATEL: Why did you choose to do business over maybe something like an office job?

VAID: No, because I am so used to with businesses. I always help my ma- I mean my father, my brother, my in-laws. And then office job is totally different. You can’t do like a business from office. It has to be some degrees.

PATEL: Why did you name your business Nina Jewellers?

VAID: Awww, my middle daughter’s name is Nina. So I name after her.

PATEL: Did you design the jewellery?

VAID: Very little otherwise we have like a designer. Mostly my sister-in-law was doing designs.

PATEL: What was your role in the business?

VAID: Sales girl, owner, manager. We have to do everything. Starting, I have to do everything like and then slowly slowly you get help and then you like appoint manager or whatever like.

PATEL: Can you describe some of the responsibilities you had?

VAID: In my business? Yeah I was like, from beginning, like I have to do like inventory and then selling, then take a- like buy jewelry, sell jewelry. Like that.

PATEL: How did you find your employees?

VAID: Oh, people comes to the store and ask for the job and then we have to like search little bit and then we hire them.

PATEL: How many employees did you start with?

VAID: Beginning I had only… only one. Since like almost five years. And then I started adding up.

PATEL: How did you build your team?

VAID: Usually I don’t believe in to change the staff so often. So my staffs are working with me since last 22-23 years. They, like they saw my kids growing up, now they are seeing my girl’s kids are growing up. Like they are that old with me.

PATEL: So you have strong connections with your staff?

VAID: Of course, yes.

PATEL: Was your business popular amongst the locals or was it just the South Asians?

VAID: Ummmm… being like a particular design and style like Indian people will prefer it. Local people will buy jewelry but they will buy like a chain, necklaces, or small pendants. That’s all. They don’t know our designs or they don’t wear like our Indian jewelry, what we are wearing. Right.

PATEL: What were your most popular designs or items?

VAID: In our thing like we… design changes almost everyday. Like there is nothing particular. Like chains are chains. Like might be a little bit heavier or lighter. But necklaces and sets are like everyday, not everyday, almost changes so often. So there is nothing like a particular design runs for years.

PATEL: Where did you buy your jewelry from?

VAID: We buy from like a… first when I opened the store, I was bringing everything from London only because my brother had a store there. So he was sending me. Par slowly slowly I was used to buy from everywhere. Buy like London, India, Calcutta, Dubai, Hong Kong, then there is one more… Entrup. So we have to go to like everything because everybody has a different choice. You can’t just depend on one thing.

PATEL: You are one of the first Indian woman to establish a business in New Jersey. What were some of the difficulties you faced in starting a business?

VAID: No there wasn’t any difficulty because when I opened the store, I was the first Indian jewelry like open in whole New Jersey. There was a store in New York, one store was in New York.

PATEL: Did you have any support from like the neighbouring businesses?

VAID: No, neighbour was very like a it was all Americans and other people. There weren’t any Indian community. They were buying but they weren’t like very little item they are buying from us, they used to buy.

PATEL: What about businesses that surrounded like your shop. Did they help? Like the owners of those businesses?

VAID: Yeah, yeah. They did, they did actually

PATEL: And how did they help you?

VAID: They always helped me to like a if I have to go somewhere they will take me. If I coming from New York, they will pick me up, pick me and drop to the store or leave to the train station.

PATEL: What emotions and feelings did you go through as a… as an Indian business woman?

VAID: Awww… I can’t leave my store for a day. It’s like my kid.

PATEL: Did you feel very confident and independent?

VAID: Yes, very confident. Because I was, since I was young I was doing like little little little. So I had little bit confidence. I can do.

PATEL: Did you do business when you were little?

VAID: Not business, I was helping in business. So you see the things like a how parents are handling it or brother is handling it. So you learn.

PATEL: What do you think made you feel so confident and independent?

VAID: Like by experience right. When you are doing something and you get little experience you are scared in beginning and then saying like no no no I will do it, I can do it. I made a mistake, it’s fine but I can do it. So slowly slowly you build up your confidence.

PATEL: What were some risk… risks that you have, that you had to take in such businesses?

VAID: It’s a big risk. Like you are always scared like a- somebody comes and like a shoot you or hold up you or whatever. But still we have to be careful. We have a like a security, alarm security so we are little safe with that way.

PATEL: What was a low point in your business?

VAID: Low point like a in winter time there is no business and still I have stay there and then I sca- in dark I scared. Like, like what will happen when, because my husband was, he used to come around 4 o’ clock from the New York. So was little scared.

PATEL: What did you do to overcome this situation?

VAID: Time. Time goes and you get settled slowly slowly right.

PATEL: What or who have motivated you to overcome challenges that you have faced throughout starting your business?

VAID: My kids. They are little so they always come and hug me and then I thought like I have to do it for them because I don’t want to work with somebody else and then I will do it, I will do it.

PATEL: How did you advertise your company?

VAID: Through like a magazines, newspaper, radio, then local police. They always ask for donation so we give so they are, they always support us and they look after us. Fire Brigade, all the school, and then community like a if they wanted to do Garba or something like that, we donate so they can advertise for us.

PATEL: Was it helpful?

VAID: Yes, of course.

PATEL: When did you feel that your business was well established?

VAID: About in almost after 10… 10 years.

PATEL: What made you feel that way?

VAID: Because you know like a customer getting, you are getting your customer repeated you see. That’s why you know like you’re good at your business because then if you are not good then they won’t come back, right.

PATEL: What do you believe was the biggest factor in the success of your business?

VAID: Means?

PATEL: What do you think were the factors in like the, what… what do you think made your business grow?

VAID: Made your business… like a community wise?

PATEL: In general, like is there something you did or that you made sure your employees did in order to make your business grow?

VAID: Employees are the main factor because without them I can’t do my own everything because then I was expanding myself. Because see, I had a very little store like a 200 square feet, now it is 1,200. So I need, definitely, my staff so I have to be fair to them. Like I can’t be in myself, me and myself. So they help us and stay with me for a long time and still they are with me until I leave the store.

PATEL: What has changed from back then to today in your business?

VAID: In my business? Back then was like people were so crazy like for Indian jewelry. Once you don’t, once you see the thing like a you wanted to buy because in our age, like in my age, people they always like jewelry, Indian jewelry right. Nowadays, youngsters, they don’t want any jewelry. They want like a very little little to wear. So it’s very difficult to manage now a days because in our age how much people will buy? For whom? Because youngsters, they don’t want any Indian jewelry. Not like in a bad way but they don’t want any big items. They want only small chain, and necklace, earring, like that.

PATEL: What has remained the same in your business?

VAID: Remained the same?

PATEL: From like back then to today.

VAID: The same way like a I haven’t changed anything like I didn’t change into like any other businesses. Like a sometime people carry silver item and then artificial. Just I carried one all the time, 22 carat jewelry, 22 carat gold.

PATEL: What progress have you seen in Oak Tree Road from when you first started to now?

VAID: Oh my god! When I came there wasn’t any Indian people. Like only 3, 4, 5 stores at the most. Now you can get like almost 55 stores on Oak Tree Road. Like jewelry store, grocery store, restaurants, artificial, big stores, like that.

PATEL: And even the small amount of racism there has been back then, it has reduced now.

VAID: No, nothing has reduced. They are growing. They are opening more stores on Oak Tree Road then leaving.

PATEL: But what about the racism? Has that reduced from back then that you faced you know.

VAID: Nowadays there is nothing like that. There is nothing like that because there is no any other community people’s store you see. If there is then other people comes and then you get in fight, into fight right. It’s like an all same people.

PATEL: Do you believe that the price you paid to establish yourself and your business in the United States was worth it?

VAID: Of course, of course.

PATEL: What makes you say that?

VAID: Because then when I came there wasn’t anybody right and now a days like a you get everything. Like a you get your community, you get your kids, friends, and then your education, your food, religious thing. You get everything so it’s worth. PATEL: What sacrifices have you made for your business?

VAID: Like I have to work hard for it. It wasn’t like an easy job. Like I was used to change three trains and then come here, go at night, have to wake up early at 3 o'clock for make food for my girls for three times. Like if three times - dinner and breakfast.

PATEL: What sacrifices do you still make today for your business?

VAID: Nothing. I am taking it easy.

PATEL: How do you balance your personal life and business?

VAID: There is not a big difference to say like a it’s very easy nowadays because girls are settled, myself is like a settled and then we don’t have to like a do anything much so we passing our time.

PATEL: What was the most valuable thing you learnt from being an entrepreneur?

VAID: Oh, when you are, if you wanted to do business, right, in different community, different country, you have to be honest and then you have to introduce yourself and you have to welcome other people too. Like you can’t be like you and yourself and your community. You can’t be that. You have to welcome everybody.

PATEL: Would you advise aspiring Indians to move to the United States to establish a business or do you believe that it is not worth it?

VAID: No, no. It is worth it. Why not? You do your business or you stay anywhere in the world, you have to be open. You can’t do like this is mine and this is yours.

PATEL: What do you think it takes for someone to establish a business in the United States?

VAID: You have to little bit courage. Plus, you have to have a little bit courage of giving up things. You don’t get all the time whatever you think you want it and you will get it, right.

PATEL: What is some advice you would like to give to the future entrepreneurs?

VAID: Awwww… .be fair and welcome everybody and introduce your community to other people and try to mix them up. Don’t be like a selfish.

PATEL: I think that wraps up the interview here. Thank you so much for your time.

VAID: You are welcome.