Theme 3 c 1 - Immigration and attitudes towards ethnic minorities, 1918-39 Flashcards
After WW1 Britain’s Black and Asian communities had grown.
Give examples of how British manpower during the war was made my of these minorities
1/3 of manpower
- 1 million Indian soldiers fighting in Europe and the Middle East
- Half a million locally recruited troops in Africa
Why was there an increased amount of white racist violence after WW1?
They attempted to stop Black and Asian workers taking ‘British Jobs’.
Tending to see. then as inferior, un-British and not entitled to equal rights.
Where did the British attitudes toward ethnic minorities come from origionally?
From the days of the British Empire. Britain was placed in the centre of a global network of colonies.
Saw themselves as superior to those in the colonies
How did Edward Long describe Black Jamacians people?
‘A people certainly very stupid and very brutal. In many respects they are more like beasts than men’
Long became niknames ‘the orangutan philosphers’ sue to his view that ‘the orangutans and some races of black men are very nearly allied’
How did imperialism help fuel racist attitudes?
the ‘national’ institutions such as the national insurance, national unions and even the national health service were conceived as serving British people, and therefore white people, rather than black or Asian people.
Year - British Army Demobilised
1919
Give examples of areas in Britain where there were angry mobs of unemployed white Britons whos attacked Minority workers
Cardiff
Newport
Glasgow
Salford
Hull
South Shields
London
What happened to ethnic minority workers in Limehouse?
Black people were attacked in four days of white rioting
What happened in Cardiff towards ethnic minorities?
White violence led to 3 deaths and over £3,000 of property damage
What was the ‘colour bar’?
Black and Asian people were excluded from employment, or refused service in theatres, hotels or restaurants.
What was the ‘colour bar’ based on?
- Widespread prejudice
- Unions and businesses working together to deny the rights of Black and Asian people
- Police indifference to racism
- The absence of government action to end racism
What did the National Union of Seamen demand?
That the jobs of ‘non-white’ sailors should be given to a white seamen.
What was the NUS?
National Union of Seamen
Give an example of when the NUS forced Non-White sailors out of jobs
1919 - White workers in Liverpool went on strike inprotest at working alongside black workers.
- Led to the sacking of 120 black workers
State the two laws that the NUS campaigns made
The Alien Orders Act - 1920
Special Restrictions Act - 1925 (Coloured Alien Seamen Act)
Year - The Alien Orders Act
1920
Year - Special Restrictions Act
1925
What did the Alien Orders Act do?
1920
Required ‘aliens’ (migrant workers) to register with the police before seeking work.
If they failed to comply they would be deported
What was the problem with the Alien Orders Act?
1920
Many branded ‘aliens’ were British Citizens of the British Empire however, their rights were ignored.
In this sense the actplaced all black and Asian people under suspicion and under threat of deportation.
What did the Special Restrictions Act do?
1925
Forced ‘coloured’ seamen to prove their British citizenship to immigration authorities or face deportation.
This assumed that ‘coloured’ seamen were non-British unless they could prove thair status as citizens.
What was the problem with the special restrictions act?
1925
This assumed that ‘coloured’ seamen were non-British unless they could prove thair status as citizens.
How did wages differ between white and Asian chefs?
Asian chefs - £5 a month
White chefs - £20 a month
What did the League of Coloured people report about minorities enployment?
80% of Black and Asian men had been unemployed for a prolonged period.
30% of white men
Year - Cardiff race riot
1935
What happened during the Cardiff race riot?
1935
Local police collaborated with white workers to prevent black British soilors from working on ships, declaring them non-British under the Aliens Orders Act.
What are two groups fighting for the rights of ethnic minorityu groups?
CPGB - Communist Party of Great Britain
IASB - International African Service Bureau
Who were the CPGB? When was it founded?
1921 - Communist Party of Great Britain
Who were the IASB? When was it established?
1937 - International African Service Bureau
Give an example of a key individual who was part of the CPGB
Shapurji Saklatvala
An indian-born radical who played a leading role in the movement.
Explain how the CPGB helped defend the rights of Arab Seamen
1930
NUS tried to force Arab and Somali seamen out of jobs in South Shields in South Tyneside.
The CPGB organised regional strikes against union’s racist policies.
Some white workers struck against the NUS.
Eventhough unsuccessful it shows a willingness for white workers to support antiracist campaigns.
Also showed the extent to which immigrants were prepared to fight for their rights.
How did the CPGB campaign against the British Union of Fascists (BUF)?
BUF attempted to incite anti-Semitism in Londons East End, leading to fire bombings and ‘Jew-bashing’.
The local Jewish People’s Council and the CPGB organised a demonstration of over 10,000 people to stop the BUF march.
The two marches led to the Battle of Cable Street.
Fights between the BUF and antifascist campaigners, which forced the BUF to abandon the march.
Who set up the IASB?
Caribbean intellectuals C.L.R. James and George Padmore.
What did the IASB do for minority rights?
Established a newspaper International African opinion which encouraged readers to lobby thgeir MPs for black rights.
In the interwar years, how many West African people were educated in top British Universities?
50 people
In the interwar years, how many Caribbean people were educated in top British Universities?
150 people
What did British policymakers hope colony men would gain out of being educated in top universities?
Hoped they would be able to return to their colonial countries and become senior administrators
Give an example of an educated Jamaican who struggled to get employment in Britain
Harold Moody
Studied Medicine in Britain in 1904. He was repeatedly refused work in England and ended up opening his own medical practice in London
What campaign was made to help support the immigrant student to gain equal rights?
League of Coloured People
When was the LCP established? Who did this? Why?
League of Coloured people was established in 1931 to support immigrant students to gain equal rights
What did the LCP do?
- Worked to expose the ‘colour bar’, and therefore end white ignorance of the extent of discrimination
- Started campaigns to ensure equal access to facilities for all Black and Asian people in Britain
- Campaigned to gain equal access to healthcare
