Experience of Immigrants in Scotland Flashcards
Issue 2
Jewish immigrants lived in Gorbals
The Gorbals offered cheap lodgings and allowed Jews to live alongside each other, this lead to a negative experience as Jews had to live in slums full of disease and dirty water with 20-30 people sharing one outdoor toilet
Post WW1 Jews
Post WW1 many Jews moved into medical profession as it offered status and income = positive experience = Higher income and better standard of living
Support Society for Jews
The Jews developed their own support society in the form of the Hebrew Benevolent Loan Society = positive experience = Scots respected Jews for using own money to help those in financial need instead of claiming benefits
Jewish Jobs
Most Jews tended to work in peddling and hawking (selling door to door). Jews also worked in sweated trades, low wages for long hours,
Prejudices Experienced by Jews
Not allowed to work in government offices or banks, having a Jewish surname could affect prospects
Jewish Identity
Built synagogues and Jewish schools, printed newspapers in Yiddish - Jewish Times and Jewish Echo
La casa del Fasio groups set up so immigrants could keep connections with Italy and Italian culture, years leading up to WW1 suffered hostility
negative experience = Fascist clubs and Italian shops/cafes targeted due to Mussolini’s actions in becoming Hitler’s ally
Italian Jobs
Musicians, Street Peddlers, dominated café and restaurant culture - fish and chip shops & ice cream parlours
Working and living conditions for Italian Immigrants
12 hour working day, 6 days a week, lived in poor slum conditions where large families squished into small flats
Resentment of Cafés
Cafés open on Sundays so caused conflict with Presbyterenans as Sunday was day of rest. Itallians accused of having loose morals due to late opening hours, cigarettes, inappropriate language and allowing young men and women to meet freely at ice-cream parlours
When the Catholic Irish came to Scltland they worked jobs that required low skill and paid low wages
Negative experience = Irish workers accused of being strike breakers who would work for less money than Scots, also seen as ‘benefit scroungers’ causing sectarian trouble
Catholic Irish Lifestyle
Worked roughest Jobs that required low skill and low wages = poor standard of livin. Catholics had reputation of fighting, drunkenness and bad behavior so remained poor and were seen as morally bad
How did economic trouble lead to sectarianism in Scotland
Poor Irish Immigrants seen as drain on Scots during economic depression, Scots looked to Irish as scapegoats = widespread violence between Catholic and protestant communities
Improved Reputation post WW1 (Catholic)
After WW1 Catholic Irish who volunteered and fought for the British state and died in large numbers were seen as loyal
Temperance Movement
Brought Catholic Irish and Protestant Scottish communities together where they worked to promote ban on alcohol, July 1841 March of over 5000 catholics and protestant ‘teetotalers’ took place through Glasgow
