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Shaheen Unis

For Shaheen Unis, who lives in Edinburgh with her family, immigration has brought economic success.

As founding owner of the Mrs Unis Spicy Foods company – an established force in the Scottish Asian catering industry – her success is a winning example of the fusion of the two cultures. But, as she points out, this fortune did not come to her without a lot of hard work and sacrifice.

Like many other Asian Scots, Shaheen endeavoured to keep her culture alive.

Shaheen left Pakistan in the early 1960s when she was just 16 and until that point she hadn't travelled alone on a bus. But she recalls how immigrant communities were extremely close and supported each other.

Shaheen says: "The Asian community was quite established and it made us feel at home when we were together as a group. We used to meet up and watch Indian films at the cinema and before Indian films were available on video in Scotland we would drive as far as Bradford to hire one for a few days."

In 1971, her family settled in Edinburgh where they set up a restaurant. Whilst her husband managed the daily running of the restaurant, Shaheen was at home preparing pakora.

Before long, demand for her home-cooked cuisine prompted the start of a hugely successful food business.

"We worked hard to make the business work," says Shaheen. "Like most immigrant families we came here with the hope of building a new life and being in a position to send money to our families at home. My family and I have done well financially in Scotland and a lot of it we owe to the Scottish community – they were very welcoming.

"But the cultural journey hasn't been so smooth. My sons turned away from traditional Asian culture and instead adopted many local customs, which was very concerning although I do understand it has been difficult for my sons and their generation of Asian Scots. They have been influenced by their family as well as western culture and striking a balance between the two to establish an identity has been a struggle.

"Fortunately, as they've grown older and had their own children, they have returned to Asian principles, whilst also being proud of Scotland.

"Scotland is our home now and we owe a great deal to the openness of Scottish people."