Immigration - Revision Notes
World War Two
During world war two, many people from different countries came to stay and possibly eventually live in Britain. Many American soldiers called GIs came to Britain to help with the war. People who lived in the British empire and had been fighting for Britain called commonwealth troops also came to stay, and there were also Poles and prisoners of war who came to add to the mix.
GIs
GIs were American soldiers who began arriving in Britain from 1942 onwards. Many British soldiers were jealous of them as they were paid more, wore exciting uniforms and sometimes carried sweets for children! They mixed freely in British society and went to dance halls and restaurants. Although they weren't worried about mixing with different classes, they were very race conscious and the majority of GIs were black. In the USA, black people were discriminated against and segregated, so it was a nice change for black GIs arriving in Britain as British people weren't so racist. However, there were some towns during the war which did segregate white and black people. British women were very excited by the GIs and there were many wartime marriages to GIs. The GIs either stayed in England with their wives or went back to America taking their wives with them.
Commonwealth troops and PoWs
People from the British Empire helped to fight against Germany during the second world war, such as Australians, Indians and Canadians. Many of these commonwealth troops came to live in Britain. It is estimated that there were 40,000 marriages between Canadian and British women. Many people found Canadians exciting as they were so tall! Prisoners of War (PoWs) also came to Britain from Germany and Italy. There were many camps across Britain where prisoners of war were kept.
Poles
Poland was one of the first countries invaded by the Nazis, so many Poles fled to Britain to escape the regime. Churchill was interested in the Poles as the invasion of Poland was one of the main reason why Britain went to war with Germany. They had also helped to fight with Britain during the second world war, and Britain had a shortage of workers after the war. Despite some opposition, Churchill wanted the Poles to stay, and gave them special help to get jobs and housing. Many British women also married Polish men.
Other immigrants
People from Ireland also came to stay in Britain, and a few Jews from Germany and Europe came to Britain to escape the Nazi regime.
Immigration after World War Two
After world war two, many people from Africa, the Carribean and the Indian subcontinent came to live in Britain. The government passed a new law in 1949 that made it easier for immigrants to come and live in Britain. Many immigrants also already had connections and family who they could live with when they moved to Britain.
The Caribbean
A large number of Caribbeans came to live in Britain. By 1960 there were about 125,000 west Indians in Britain. But why did they come?
East Africa
Many people of Asian origin who lived in East Africa came to Britain mainly because of persecution. During the 1800's the British empire sent workers from Asia to Africa. After the second world war, more African colonies that belonged to the British empire were gaining independence, which was bad news for the African Asians. The president of Kenya said that Kenyan Asians had two years to become Kenyan citizens or they had to leave. 20,000 left and migrated to Britain. In Uganda, the president there simply expelled 50,000 Ugandan Asians from the country. Like west Indians, many African Asians felt that they were British so they came to Britain.
The Indian subcontinent
Many people from India and Pakistan also came to Britain, mainly to find work and leave their poverty stricken countries. There were around 58,000 immigrants that had arrived from India or Pakistan in 1958.
The treatment of immigrants
In part one, we found out about the sorts of immigrants who came to Britain and why they came. In part two, we're going to find out about the lives of these immigrants in Britain.
Experiences of immigrants
There were many happy experiences in Britain, however there were bad ones as well. Some people were shocked to discover that British people were unwelcoming and hostile, the weather was cold, damp and depressing and the food was dull and unappetizing!
With the increasing number of immigrants, communities of west Indians and people from the Indian subcontinent began to form, such as St Pauls in Bristol and Southhall in London. The apparently large number of immigrants also created many tensions. The fascist leader Oswald Mosley was worried about immigration and started a campaign to "Keep Britain White" and published anti immigrant leaflets. The Labour MP for North Kensington was also concerned about immigrants and said they had a taste for drugs and knife crime. In 1958, gangs of white youths attacked populations of immigrants in Nottingham and Notting Hill. The black population were angry that they had received no protection from the police. Two Nottingham MPs called for laws to stop immigrants coming to Britain and allowing deportation. 25% of the British public believed that the blacks were to blame for the violence, and 80% favored controls of some sort.
The Government's response to immigration
To try and reduce the number of people emigrating to Britain, the government produced leaflets in Commonwealth countries which made Britain sound unappealing! The violence in 1958 brought the issue of immigration to the forefront of politics. In the 1964 general election, the Conservative candidate Peter Griffiths said, "If you want a nigger neighborhood, vote Labour," in his campaigning!
Action taken by the government
In 1968, a Conservative politician called Enoch Powell made a speech about immigration which said that if action was not taken about immigration, then there would be violence between white and black populations and "the black man will have the whip over the white man." This became known as the "Rivers of Blood" speech. The speech caused much controversy and the Conservative leader Edward Heath sacked Powell. There was a mixed response by the British public. Workers for the London docks went on a march in support of Powell's speech, however at Birmingham university students wore black and white wristbands in protest against the speech.
Immigrants contribution to British society
You may think that all immigrants coming to Britain were horribly treated, however there is a good side to the story! The vast majority of British people were not racist, and many friendships were made between British people and immigrants. In Britain, Immigration has had a good effect on society.
People
There were many success stories for immigrants coming to live in Britain:
Even today, we still rely on a large number of immigrant workers to help public services. Many immigrant workers help run the NHS and are doctors and nurses. On London Underground, many train drivers are from aisan decent. It was actually Enoch Powell's recruitment scheme for workers in the NHS which helped to find many willing workers!
The Economy
Immigrants have made a large contribution to Britain's economy. They have managed to set up businesses themselves or work in the textiles, metal and agricultural industries in Britain. They have brought new types of foods and different styles of clothing to Britain. Businesses such as Joe Bloggs were created by Asian immigrants. Italian and Indian restaurants have came to Britain, also the corner shop or convenience store was found by immigrants. The curry Chicken Tikka Masala is unheard of in India; it was specifically designed for British people!
Culture
Immigrants have played an enormous part in Britain's culture. The Notting Hill carnival brought colour and fun to the streets, and much British music has been influenced by Indian music. The Beatles used a sitar in one of their songs and wore colourful clothing. The influx of immigrants has also made Britain a more multicultural society and made people understand more about different world religions like Islam and Hinduism.
Today, there are still some tensions about immigration. Some people believe that they are putting a strain on the economy. In one city, there was a worry that the immigrant population had outnumbered the white population. Racism is sadly still an issue. It will be interesting to see in the future what shape Britain's multicultural will take.
During world war two, many people from different countries came to stay and possibly eventually live in Britain. Many American soldiers called GIs came to Britain to help with the war. People who lived in the British empire and had been fighting for Britain called commonwealth troops also came to stay, and there were also Poles and prisoners of war who came to add to the mix.
GIs
GIs were American soldiers who began arriving in Britain from 1942 onwards. Many British soldiers were jealous of them as they were paid more, wore exciting uniforms and sometimes carried sweets for children! They mixed freely in British society and went to dance halls and restaurants. Although they weren't worried about mixing with different classes, they were very race conscious and the majority of GIs were black. In the USA, black people were discriminated against and segregated, so it was a nice change for black GIs arriving in Britain as British people weren't so racist. However, there were some towns during the war which did segregate white and black people. British women were very excited by the GIs and there were many wartime marriages to GIs. The GIs either stayed in England with their wives or went back to America taking their wives with them.
Commonwealth troops and PoWs
People from the British Empire helped to fight against Germany during the second world war, such as Australians, Indians and Canadians. Many of these commonwealth troops came to live in Britain. It is estimated that there were 40,000 marriages between Canadian and British women. Many people found Canadians exciting as they were so tall! Prisoners of War (PoWs) also came to Britain from Germany and Italy. There were many camps across Britain where prisoners of war were kept.
Poles
Poland was one of the first countries invaded by the Nazis, so many Poles fled to Britain to escape the regime. Churchill was interested in the Poles as the invasion of Poland was one of the main reason why Britain went to war with Germany. They had also helped to fight with Britain during the second world war, and Britain had a shortage of workers after the war. Despite some opposition, Churchill wanted the Poles to stay, and gave them special help to get jobs and housing. Many British women also married Polish men.
Other immigrants
People from Ireland also came to stay in Britain, and a few Jews from Germany and Europe came to Britain to escape the Nazi regime.
Immigration after World War Two
After world war two, many people from Africa, the Carribean and the Indian subcontinent came to live in Britain. The government passed a new law in 1949 that made it easier for immigrants to come and live in Britain. Many immigrants also already had connections and family who they could live with when they moved to Britain.
The Caribbean
A large number of Caribbeans came to live in Britain. By 1960 there were about 125,000 west Indians in Britain. But why did they come?
- In the late 1940s, there was great unemployment as the sugar trade had collapsed. Many people in Jamaica just grew food and fished from the sea. Hurricanes in 1944 and 1951 devastated Jamaica further, and a British government investigation found that people in Jamaica had poor health care, poor wages and a bad education system. Many people came to Britain for work.
- A new emigration act in America made it harder for west Indians to emigrate to the USA, and because of the new commonwealth act it was easier to go to Britain.
- Many people in the Caribbean saw Britain as the "land of opportunity", where work could easily be got and there were great success stories about achievements. London was seen as an exciting city with bars and night clubs.
- 10,000 troops had served in the armed forces during the second world war, so they saw Britain as their home.
- There were definite work opportunists for people, such as the NHS, public transport and catering.
East Africa
Many people of Asian origin who lived in East Africa came to Britain mainly because of persecution. During the 1800's the British empire sent workers from Asia to Africa. After the second world war, more African colonies that belonged to the British empire were gaining independence, which was bad news for the African Asians. The president of Kenya said that Kenyan Asians had two years to become Kenyan citizens or they had to leave. 20,000 left and migrated to Britain. In Uganda, the president there simply expelled 50,000 Ugandan Asians from the country. Like west Indians, many African Asians felt that they were British so they came to Britain.
The Indian subcontinent
Many people from India and Pakistan also came to Britain, mainly to find work and leave their poverty stricken countries. There were around 58,000 immigrants that had arrived from India or Pakistan in 1958.
- The first majority of these immigrants were Eurasians, who were people who had intermarried during Britain's rule in India. They were usually middle class, educated and Christian.
- Another wave of immigrants were Sikhs. Many Sikhs were part of Britain's armed forces, and also came for work. They also came to escape from the violence between Hindus and Muslims when India became independent in 1947.
- They were then joined by other people from India and Pakistan. Many of these immigrants were skilled and were eager to work. They settled in mainly in towns like Bradford, which had a big textiles industry, and Birmingham, which had a large metal industry.
The treatment of immigrants
In part one, we found out about the sorts of immigrants who came to Britain and why they came. In part two, we're going to find out about the lives of these immigrants in Britain.
Experiences of immigrants
There were many happy experiences in Britain, however there were bad ones as well. Some people were shocked to discover that British people were unwelcoming and hostile, the weather was cold, damp and depressing and the food was dull and unappetizing!
- Housing and accommodation - Many people stayed with family or people they new when they came to Britain, however for people with no connections it was rather difficult. People were reluctant to rent their rooms to immigrants and some people would put out signs saying "no blacks, no dogs". Local authorities, building societies and banks were unhelpful. Many immigrants stayed in poor accommodation and were paying high rents.
- Discrimination - Many immigrants weren't allowed into restaurants, bars or dance halls as the owners of these places were worried that they would cause trouble.
- The Workplace - There was also discrimination in the workplace. The trade unions and workers saw immigrants as competitors for jobs. There were many protests by white workers to sack or reduce the number of immigrant workers. The Trade Union congress tried to pass a law calling for an end to all immigrant workers entering the country, and in one factory the white workers demanded separate toilet facilities to the Sikh workers. Many immigrants coming to Britain were very skilled, however they mainly got the worse jobs on offer.
With the increasing number of immigrants, communities of west Indians and people from the Indian subcontinent began to form, such as St Pauls in Bristol and Southhall in London. The apparently large number of immigrants also created many tensions. The fascist leader Oswald Mosley was worried about immigration and started a campaign to "Keep Britain White" and published anti immigrant leaflets. The Labour MP for North Kensington was also concerned about immigrants and said they had a taste for drugs and knife crime. In 1958, gangs of white youths attacked populations of immigrants in Nottingham and Notting Hill. The black population were angry that they had received no protection from the police. Two Nottingham MPs called for laws to stop immigrants coming to Britain and allowing deportation. 25% of the British public believed that the blacks were to blame for the violence, and 80% favored controls of some sort.
The Government's response to immigration
To try and reduce the number of people emigrating to Britain, the government produced leaflets in Commonwealth countries which made Britain sound unappealing! The violence in 1958 brought the issue of immigration to the forefront of politics. In the 1964 general election, the Conservative candidate Peter Griffiths said, "If you want a nigger neighborhood, vote Labour," in his campaigning!
Action taken by the government
- 1962 - The Conservative government passes the Commonwealth Immigrants act. This was a voucher system which restricted immigration to people who had a valuable skill or could do a job with a shortage of workers.
- 1964 - Harold Wilson limits the number of immigrants to 8,500 per year.
- 1965/66 - The Labour government passes the Race Relations Act, which makes it illegal to discriminate against anyone because of their colour or race, and also sets up the Race Relations Board to handle complaints about discrimination. However, these weren't very successful.
- 1967 - A new political party called the National Front is formed, which was openly racist. It wanted immigrants to be sent back to their country of origin and didn't like mixing of white and non white communities.
- 1968 - The government passes the Commonwealth Immigrants act in response to the arrival of Kenyan Aisans. It restricted the number of immigrants coming into Britain to 1,500 per year. It also meant that you had to have a British passport or your parents or grandparents had to be born in Britain. Harold Wilson created a new Race Relations Act, meaning it illegal to discriminate people in employment or housing, although again this didn't really work.
- 1976 - The government passes the Racial Equality Act, which made racially offensive music or publications illegal. The Comission for Racial Equality was set up to investigate racism.
In 1968, a Conservative politician called Enoch Powell made a speech about immigration which said that if action was not taken about immigration, then there would be violence between white and black populations and "the black man will have the whip over the white man." This became known as the "Rivers of Blood" speech. The speech caused much controversy and the Conservative leader Edward Heath sacked Powell. There was a mixed response by the British public. Workers for the London docks went on a march in support of Powell's speech, however at Birmingham university students wore black and white wristbands in protest against the speech.
Immigrants contribution to British society
You may think that all immigrants coming to Britain were horribly treated, however there is a good side to the story! The vast majority of British people were not racist, and many friendships were made between British people and immigrants. In Britain, Immigration has had a good effect on society.
People
There were many success stories for immigrants coming to live in Britain:
- Sybil Pheonix came from the Caribbean and found homes for hundreds of children without parents.
- Shahad Hussein helped to create Asian foods for Marks and Spencers.
Even today, we still rely on a large number of immigrant workers to help public services. Many immigrant workers help run the NHS and are doctors and nurses. On London Underground, many train drivers are from aisan decent. It was actually Enoch Powell's recruitment scheme for workers in the NHS which helped to find many willing workers!
The Economy
Immigrants have made a large contribution to Britain's economy. They have managed to set up businesses themselves or work in the textiles, metal and agricultural industries in Britain. They have brought new types of foods and different styles of clothing to Britain. Businesses such as Joe Bloggs were created by Asian immigrants. Italian and Indian restaurants have came to Britain, also the corner shop or convenience store was found by immigrants. The curry Chicken Tikka Masala is unheard of in India; it was specifically designed for British people!
Culture
Immigrants have played an enormous part in Britain's culture. The Notting Hill carnival brought colour and fun to the streets, and much British music has been influenced by Indian music. The Beatles used a sitar in one of their songs and wore colourful clothing. The influx of immigrants has also made Britain a more multicultural society and made people understand more about different world religions like Islam and Hinduism.
Today, there are still some tensions about immigration. Some people believe that they are putting a strain on the economy. In one city, there was a worry that the immigrant population had outnumbered the white population. Racism is sadly still an issue. It will be interesting to see in the future what shape Britain's multicultural will take.