3- Race and Immigration

Question 1

immigration policies and attitudes towards ethnic minorities
1918-39
anti semitism

Answer 1

• 1914 British Nationality and Status Alien Act- first modern passport (prevent war time espoinage)
• 1918 Act - had to have a work permit and register wiht policie - lawful behaviour or immediate deportation

JEWS
* 1933-39 seeking to escape Nazi Germany and by start of war there were 300,000 Jews
* settlers selcted for their welath and skills there was still alot of anti semitic hostility
* based on nation that they forced up rent and unemployment for native residents
* Oswald Mosely British Union of Facists - became a vechile for Jewish hatred
* 1936 - union organsied a march through east end of london (area of jeish and irish communtiies)
* violence eripted - local resisndets erected barricades to divert march
* BUT there was never any threat of persecution faced by European Jews

Question 2

immigration policies and attitudes towards ethnic minorities
1918-39
people of colour

Answer 2

• very few non white in Britain before 1950s
• 99.8% white population prior 1945
• Britons thought them sefs as superior to Asians and blacks
• there was no ‘colour problem’ in Britain outside of a few areas (London and port cities) - 74,000 black and asian people lived
• first world war saw a large influx of people of colour working as sailors and workers in citicies
• race riots in port cities - by racist resentful unemployed Britons
  ** 1920 and 1925: Specialist Restrcition Orders - forced coloured seamen to register as aliens in Britain if they could mot produce proof of British citizenship - would be arrest at disembarkation *
  *** had to regualrly check with the polcice
• some non-sailors were subject to the order
• 60 Indian labourers registered in Glasgow
• Indian Seamen’s Union was founded in 1926- protest at treatment of Indians and helf public rallys - Liverpool
  = Indian residents were allowed to apply to the Home Office for a specialist **Certificate of Identify and Natioanlity to revoke alien status **

Question 3

immigration policies and attitudes towards ethnic minorities
1918-39
Aid to ethnic minorities

Answer 3

• not all white Britons were ignorant or hostile to minorities
• Joint Council to Promote Understanding between white and Coloured People In Britain was founded in 1931
• to takle as what they saw as growing colour problem
• middle class liberals soght to help individuals fight racial discrimination
• and rasie financial aid for struggling black and asain families
• BUT
• not always appreciated:
• growing radical pan African movement judged that only black people could resolve black problems
• Paul robeson - most iconic supporter of anti colonial black empowerment in interwar Britain
• member of WASU - protested against italian invasion of Ethopia

Question 4

The impact of war recovery on race and immigration

Answer 4

• fight against Nazi germany had little impact on immigration and on British racial attitudes
• **view of colonies: chnaged from racial inferiorness to valued wartime allies **
• small number of black workers were invited to work in crucial industries dueinf the war
• EG, 1000 west Indians work at munition factories
• did experience racial prejudice but driven by white american servicemen than British natives
• wartime experience AND post war unemployment = encourage west indians males to seek employment in Bitain
• **wartime contribution - recovation fo the alien Orders **
• many black people took advanatge of this and were able to enter Britian

Question 5

The impact of POST war recovery on race and immigration

Answer 5

• economic recovery had a profound impact on immigration than war itself
• full employment and demadn for cheap labour = British government trying to recruit workers in Europe
• 100,000 Poles recruited as part of Polish Ressettlement Corps
• (based in Britian during war and felt unable to return to Poland due to communist goverment)
• 85,000 European Voluntary Workers -but did not meet demand for workers
• NHS, textiles, London Transport advertised vacant positions throughout New Common wealth
• Lodnon Transport provided hostles and sent representatives to Caribbean to search for Staff
• 140 recruited in barbados in 1956
• 1948 British Nationality Act - made all people living in the Commonwealth British Citizens
• 492 West Indians - Windrush
• 1948-53- 3000 black immmigrants were settling each year in Britian
• unoffical chains set up so settled in the same place
  *

Question 6

government response to rise in immigration post war

Answer 6

• MPs keen to secure limits to Commonwealth immigraion
• conservatives minsiters were keen to uphold international pretigue of Britsh liberalsim - during period of increased nationalist agitation in the colonies
• number of immigrants were deemed to small to necessitate immediate action
• Inter Departmental COmmitte on Colonial People was set up to investigte ways to promote racial integration on local informal basis
• aimed to disperse black immigrants around country and offer industrial training ourses to facilitate their employment
• BUT councils and socail servcies duid not have the expertise to promote integration - view of black americanswere viewed as violent in Africa and gansters in New york
• friendship councils were set up in some areas but more discusssion forums that bodies that took effective action
• few British universities directed some of sociological research to the colour probelem in 1950s
• made clear for the first time the range of religion, class and culture within minority groups - unlikely for a coordinated black party to emerge in Britain
• 1953- Little ^ pressed labour to adopt a polciy against racial discriminaion in emplyment - not acknowledged until race riots