Section Four-Migration

Question 1

Why did British people leave to the dominions and how many left?

Answer 1

• Experiences of war, continued rationing
• Increasing demand for labour e.g. Australia, Canada and NZ
• Approx. 1m people left Britain for Dominions
• Intensified range and depth of contacts between British and White dominions (25% of pop. to relatives in dominions)

Question 2

How did Britain show kindness to its migrants?

Answer 2

British Nationality Act 1948- in recognition of Empire’s contribution to war, gave full British citizenship to every inhabitant of Empire/Commonwealth

Question 3

What was the Windrush?

Answer 3

Steamship carrying 492 Jamaican passengers which arrived in 1948; authorities hastily forced to house immigrants and first post-war to attract media interest

Question 4

What were the 1950s recruitment drives?

Answer 4

• As economy recovered from war there was plentiful and well-paid unskilled work
• Gov. actively encouraged immigration and successes inf recruiting unskilled in public transport and NHS
• In 1956, London Transport took on nearly 4000 new employees

Question 5

What was the increased racial tensions in the 1950s?

Answer 5

• Initial reaction was curiosity mixed with uncertainty; however as post-war boom slackened, prejudice grew
• Worries about dilution of British cultural and national identity

Question 6

How did violence culminate?

Answer 6

• 1958-Gangs of ‘Teddy Boy’ youths attacking black people and violent riots broke out in Nottingham and Notting Hill
• Bengali’s who settled in some of city’s poorest housing subjected to campaigns of violence

Question 7

How was racism evident?

Answer 7

Survey in North London in 1965 showed 1/5 objected to working with Black or Asian people; Half said they would refuse to live next door to coloured person and 9/10 disapproved of mixed marriages

Question 8

What is an example in trying to improve race relations?

Answer 8

Notting Hill Festival, set up by West Indian immigrants, provided first Carnival which enabled some assimilation and interchange of culture

Question 9

What was the 1962 Commonwealth immigrants act?

Answer 9

• Attempt to control escalating immigration
• Free immigration for former colonial subjects was ended
• Work permit scheme put in place; although this did not explicitly discriminate against black or Asian workers, it had same effect
• Unskilled black applications found it difficult to obtain permits and in 12 months following only 34,500 arrived in Britain
• Received public support of 70%

Question 10

How can the general election have be seen as racist?

Answer 10

Conservative party won his seat by using the slogan ‘If you want a n**r for a neighbour, vote Labour’ showing there was support

Question 11

What board was created in order to reduce racial tensions?

Answer 11

Race Relations Board 1965- Forbade discrimination in public places ‘on grounds of colour, race or ethnic or national origins’

• Set up to consider all aspects of race relations however could not compel witness to attend
• Although it handled 982 complaints in first year, 734 dismissed through lack of evidence

Question 12

What ethnicities found it the hardest to fit in?

Answer 12

• Migrants from India and Pakistan

- 2% of Indians and Pakistanis felt ‘British’ before arrival and only 6% wanted children to feel English