Ethnic Minorities Flashcards
Causes
Many countries in the British empire began to get their independence. They kept their ties to Britain, becoming part of the Commonwealth.
In 1948 the British Nationality Act gave all 800 million Commonwealth citizens the chance to come to the “Mother Country” and gain full British citizenship. Many took up this opportunity e.g 1948 the ship Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury with 492 people from the Caribbean.
There was a shortage of labour for low paid and unskilled jobs in Britain. Britain was trying to rebuild the country after the war and needed people to fill these jobs. e.g. London Transport recruited people from Barbados and Jamaica to drive buses and trams.
It was easy to emigrate to Britain as their governments gave out interest free loans, so they could afford the ship fare
British companies held recruitment fares – this meant that before even leaving home, many immigrants had secured a job.
Methods
Immigrants lived in poorer areas, there was discrimination in housing, landlords often explicitly refused to rent to immigrants. This led to overcrowding in certain areas. White people often fled areas when black people moved in, which led to segregation.
Many immigrants were highly educated but their qualifications were not recognised in Britain and had to take low paid insecure jobs.
More skilled immigrants from the Indian subcontinent such as doctors or nurses got well paid jobs in the NHS.
In 1958 there were riots in Notting Hill. Some black homes and shops were attacked and firebombed by white gangs. In response to the violence, Claudia Jones, a Trinidad born journalist, organised a carnival which later became the Notting Hill Carnival.
May 1959 – Kelso Cochrane, a young Antiguan man was murdered by a white gang. His funeral became an anti-racism demonstration
1968 Enoch Powell, a leading Conservative politician, gave his “Rivers of Blood” speech. He predicted civil war if immigration was not stopped. He said that immigration posed a threat to British identity. Many people agreed with his views. (Powellism)
The National Front was formed. It called for an end to immigration and stirred up racial hatred in some inner cities.
The Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962. It controlled immigration by saying that all immigrants now needed to apply for a work voucher before they came to Britain. They could only come to Britain if their skills were needed in Britain.
1968 Immigration Act -put tighter controls on immigration. This said that people from the Commonwealth but held British passports could not move to Britain unless they had a parent or grandparent who was born in or was a citizen of the UK. (Some historians say this was passed as there were fears that 200,000 Kenyans would come to Britain due to the policy of Africanisation in Kenya under Jomo Kenyatta)
1971 Immigration Act – employment vouchers replaced by work permits. These permits allowed only temporary residence in Britain. The government would also assist people who wanted to move back to their country of origin – voluntary repatriation.
Brixton Riots 1981:
Brixton, south London, had a large Afro-Caribbean population
Economic - Early 1980’s was a time of economic depression. Unemployment was high and there was a lot of crime.
Social - Relationships between the police and young black people were strained.
The law allowed the police to stop and search people they suspected were about to commit a crime – known as the “sus law”. Many believed that black people were being stopped simply because of the colour of their skin. More than 1000 people were stopped in 6 days in Brixton. In April 1981 – part of Operation Swamp 81 – when 1,000 plain clothes police officers were in Brixton to try and stop crime.
Political - 1977 battle of Lewisham was caused by a national Front March through Lewisham borough, a predominantly black area. The national Front were convinced that black people were more likely to be involved in crime and this made them even more against multi-cultural societies.
April 1981 a police “stop and search” incident turned into serious rioting. There were rumours of police brutality to a black man. The riot lasted three days. Young black people fought the police and set fire to vehicles and buildings.
Similar riots later broke out in Handsworth in Birmingham, Toxteth in Liverpool and in Manchester.
Outcomes
Long term: Ended ‘Sus Law’
Led to creation of police complaints authority
Short Term: Government and Police Reforms introduced.
