(Race & immigration) Impact of WW2 & new Commonwealth Immigration, 1939-1958

Question 1

Race & immigration - sum up what had happened regarding migration after 1948.

Answer 1

Mass migration

Question 2

Race & immigration - what were 3 consequences of mass migration?

Answer 2

More opportunities for migrants

Affects British culture: new sub-cultures

Racism (passive, institutional & physical).

Question 3

Race & immigration - what was the impact of WW2?

2

Answer 3

Still prejudice; govt propaganda encouraged white men from NZ & Australia to serve in war effort but discouraged those from the Caribbean.

New opportunities for black & Asian people, eg education & training offered to all ex-servicemen after the war & many contributed to the war effort.

Question 4

Race & immigration - how were migrant workers viewed regarding the war effort?

Answer 4

Crucial

Question 5

Race & immigration - give evidence of black & Asian migrants contributing to the war effort.

Answer 5

1,200 Caribbean men employed in Lancashire & Merseyside factories, others joined armed forces - 500,000 African men in British forces.

Question 6

Race & immigration - explain Constantine vs Imperial Hotel.

What was the impact?

Answer 6

Learie Constantine was a Trinadadian cricketer who was refused entry into London’s Imperial Hotel, winning a legal victory after taking them to court.

Started normalising the concept of black Britons having equal legal rights as white Britons & showed govt approved of racial equality as officials were happy he won his case.

Question 7

1948 British Nationality Act - why was the act passed?

Answer 7

Labour shortages after the war provided an opportunity for migrants to earn money.
Britain had to be rebuilt after the war.
→ Consequently, Attlee’s government passed the act in 1948.

Question 8

1948 British Nationality Act - what did the act do?

Answer 8

Created a new legal right for all people in British colonies to enter the UK.

Question 9

1948 British Nationality Act - what happened as a result of the act?

Answer 9

Mass migration.

Question 10

1948 British Nationality Act - what is a key example of the act having an effect?

Answer 10

The SS Empire Windrush brought 492 Jamaicans to Britain in June 1948 and is often celebrated as the beginning of mass migration.

Question 11

1948 British Nationality Act - what are the 4 consequences of the act?

Answer 11

Demographic change

New opportunities

Racist reactions

Government reaction

Question 12

1948 British Nationality Act - one of the consequences of the act was demographic change.
Outline how this was evident.

Answer 12

Asian & Caribbean communities grew to hundreds of thousands by 1959 (462,000).

Question 13

1948 British Nationality Act - one of the consequences of the act was new opportunities.
Outline how this was evident.

(4)

Answer 13

Economy grew in 50s with consumer society, creating new employment opportunities:

NHS recruited 3,000 Caribbean nurses 1948-1954.

The Guyanese entrepreneur, Dr Mooksang, opened nightclubs in London.

Jamaican DJ, Count Suckle, played Jamaican ska & reggae music in nightclubs.

Question 14

1948 British Nationality Act - one of the consequences of the act was racist reaction (attitudes).
Outline how this was evident.

Answer 14

White Britons wrote letters to MPs complaining about black & Asian immigration, objecting to buying houses and getting jobs etc.

Concerns raised only applied to black & Asians.

White violence increased.

Question 15

1948 British Nationality Act - one of the consequences of the act was racist reaction (attitudes).
With this, white violent increased.
What were the causes of this?

(3)

Answer 15

Interracial marriage
Anger at a loss of colonies
Social & economic problems.

Question 16

1948 British Nationality Act - one of the consequences of the act was racist reaction (attitudes).
With this, white violent increased.
Give evidence of how this was evident.

(3)

Answer 16

Notting Hill Race Riots, 1958

Mobs of 300-700 white men beat the black residents of Notting Hill and attacked their homes/businesses for several nights.

Little was done to stop the attacks on behalf of police so the black community organised its own defence.

Question 17

1948 British Nationality Act - one of the consequences of the act was government reaction.
Outline how this was evident.

Answer 17

Attlee & Churchill actively discouraged ‘coloured’ immigration.

Churchill raised the idea of running 1955 GE on slogan ‘Keep Britain White’ but it wasn’t acted upon to avoid damage to Britain’s reputation.