ME - Experience of Immigrants in Scotland Flashcards
What was the Lithuanians identity like?
- The Lithuanians are often forgotten about when talking about immigration into Scotland due to how well they assimilated into Scotland.
- There was a strong Lithuanian community in Scotland. - These communities also set up Lithuanian newspapers.
- The mining union was initially hostile towards Lithuanians due to the fact that they were believed to be a danger in the workplace as they could not speak English.
- Local Scots also believed that Lithuanians were dirty and barbaric at first.
- Lithuanians changed their surname to better assimilate into Scotland. i.e Bernotaitis became Brown.
- Keir Hardie (a trade union leader) described Lithuanians as ‘foreigners’
- It is arguable that employers did use Lithuanians to lower wages - which angered Scots on strike from the mines
- However, this was until Lithuanians began to join Unions themselves and took part in the 1912 national strike.
Why did Lithuanians move to Scotland?
- Russiafication - when countries under Russians control were forced to abandon their own language and customs. Moving to Scotland allowed the Lithuanians religious freedom.
- Religious discrimination - Catholic Lithuanians were oppressed by the Russian orthodox church.
- Avoiding being forced to become soldiers by Russia
- Avoiding poverty and high taxes raised by the Russian empire
- Most Lithuanians aim was to reach America, Scotland was just a stop point. It is said that some Lithuanians even believed Scotland was America.
Where did the Lithuanians live in Scotland?
Most Catholic Lithuanians lived in areas such as West Lothian and Ayrshire to work in the mines.
Or they went to Lanarkshire to work in the steel industry - Around 5000-6000 Lithuanians lived in Bellshill Lanarkshire, giving Bellshill the name ‘Little Lithuania’.
Why did the Lithuanians leave Scotland?
- During WW1 the Lithuanians had to chose between joining the British army or the Russian army, which led to many Lithuanians leaving Scotland.
What Scottish companies actively tried to employ from Lithuania?
Bairds and Dixon - they were both heavy industry companies
The impression of the Government on Lithuanians
The government didn’t want the Lithuanians in Scotland as they didn’t want to spend money on supporting them. They also believed they may have been in support of communism.
Why did the Italians move to Scotland?
Most Italians were avoiding extreme poverty. Many Italians would work in Scotland for a bit and then move back to Italy once they had earned money
A large amount of Italians came after 1880.
Where did Italians live?
The Italians mainly lived in Glasgow, this is potentially because in the city they were more able to open shops and get a good amount of customers. - By WW1 Glasgow had the third largest Italian community in the UK.
Where did Italians work?
Many Italians opened up their own businesses such as cafes, ice cream shops and chippys.
What was the Italians identity like?
- They had a very strong Italian community where they spoke Italian amongst each other.
- Most Italians were Catholic, and the influx of Catholic Irish moving to Scotland meant that the Italians were very able to continue their religion.
- Due to Italians moving back to Italy regularly, this meant it was harder for them to assimilate with Scottish locals.
- Furthermore, due to Italians opening their businesses still on a Sunday, this caused complaints from religious Scots.
- But due to the Italians having their own business, this meant that Scots did not accuse them of stealing jobs.
Why did Jewish people move to Scotland?
Before the 1880s, there were only about 26 Jewish families. This was until the pogroms in Russia caused Jewish people to want to try find safety in Scotland
Jewish peoples experience
- Scottish trade unions began to complain about Jews undercutting wages and, to their belief, the ‘sweated trades’. The sweated trades are trades that pay extremely low wages for a lot of work.
- The Jewish community was 10,000 in 1930s.
- Most Jewish people lived in the Gorbals in Glasgow.
- By 1939, Jews had begun to make significant impact on the legal and medical professions in Scotland and many were moving from the Gorbals to more middle class, affluent areas of Glasgow.
- Many Jews also set up tobacco shops
- Jews were still discriminated against in some areas, for example bowling clubs refused to allow them as members, but on the whole they had managed to maintain their identity, establish strong communities and integrate well into Scottish life. Jewish people assimilated well as they were not seen as a threat to wages and Jobs.
Irish Protestant experience
- ## Irish Protestants assimilated into Scotland very well as 25% of Irish immigrants were protestant. Presbyterianism (The Scottish form of the Protestant Church) provided basic common ground.
Why did Irish Catholics move?
- To avoid the potato famine of the 1840s
- To find jobs
- As Scotland was close to Ireland this meant for cheap travel
Irish Protestant Employment
Irish Protestant immigrants were very skilled and were valued in industries like shipbuilding and iron. Firms even began specifically hiring Irish Protestants, such as, Bairds of Coatbridge. They began advertising jobs in Belfast and would provide houses and education for their children.
