Power and the people - Minority Rights Flashcards
What did the British Nationality Act do?
- 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 decided to take this opportunity.
- During the 1950s, more people arrived from the Caribbean and Asia
Why were immigrants encouraged to come to Britain?
- citizenship was initially awarded to those who had fought alongside Britain in the Second World War
- there was a shortage of labour for low-paid and unskilled jobs in Britain. The British Government 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 trains
- Britain wanted to secure the loyalty of these countries in case they were needed again
What were the impacts of immigrants living in Britain?
- the surge of young black men into communities caused some resentment. Most white people moved out to other areas, a reaction called” white flight”
- Many immigrants were highly educated but were forced to take low paid, unskilled work
- In many areas where the white residents remained there was segregation. Resentment boiled between young white and black men
- This tension exploded in 1958 with the Notting Hill Riots in London
Who were the “Teddy Boys”?
teddy boys were a group of young white men who felt that the young immigrants were stealing ‘their women’
How were the Asian immigrants different from those from the Caribbean?
- many doctors from the Indian subcontinent were employed in the new national health service
- language barriers and religious differences often meant many Asian immigrants formed their own communities and started their own businesses
why was government intervention needed?
after the Notting hill riots in 1958, relations between immigrant groups and white residents were not good
- factory owners were increasingly reluctant to employ black workers, and segregation became an even bigger problem in housing, employment and even the social lives of communities
How did the government respond to the rise in immigration numbers?
- the first response was the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962. This controlled the immigration of all commonwealth passport holders, except the British. This had an effect on many commonwealth doctors and nurses: they could not find employment in their chosen professions as their qualifications were not recognised
- In 1968, another Commonwealth Immigrants Act was passed. This put even tighter controls on immigration by extending restrictions to those who were part of the commonwealth but held British passports. This act confirmed to many immigrants that the government was really just trying to stop non-white migration
- The Immigration Act of 1971 replaced employment vouchers with work permits; these permits allowed only temporary residence in Britain
Who was Enoch Powell?
- Powell was a Conservative MP in 1968 when Labour was in power
- His speech became known as his “Rivers of Blood” speech, for the way it highlighted the race issue
- he said that immigration posed a threat to British identity and that the future would be violent for multiracial Britain if immigration was not stopped
What was the public’s opinion of Enoch Powell?
- Although his views were shocking, Powell represented a large section of society with similar views
- Powell received a lot of support especially from the working class
What was Powellism?
- powellism was the support for Enoch Powell and was based on a type of extreme nationalism that viewed white British people as superior to people who were non-white- even if they had been born in Britain
- Many members identified strongly with Hitler’s policies in Nazi Germany
What was the Race Relations Act 1965?
this prevented racial discrimination in housing and employment. Seen as a failure as the Race Relations Board brought no criminal convictions
What was the 1976 Race Relations Act?
this extended the definition of discrimination to any practice that disadvantaged another group.
What was the Battle of Lewisham?
- The battle of lewisham was sparked by a national front march through the borough.
- the black community felt let down by the police as they had allowed the march to happen
- relations between the black community and the police were disintegrating further
What was the effect of the recession in the late 1970s?
- the resulting economic hardships hit black communities the hardest with high unemployment, poor housing and higher crime rates
- In April 1981, a police ‘stop and search’ incident tuned into serious rioting. There were battles between black youths and police with arson and looting. These were known as the Brixton Riots
What was the sus law?
- the sus law allowed police to stop and search people they suspected were about to commit a crime- this led to racial profiling
