An American anthropologist travels to a city in the UK, with an objective to probe its multiracial diversity. He observes a mix of cafe establishments in a culturally varied neighbourhood, attributed by their African, Asian and Arab business names. Live street entertainment captivates an audience that’s a colourful mosaic of numerous races, inclusive of Caucasians.
Moving forward, he steps into an open municipal park, observing even more cultural variety. He encounters a fair, blonde toddler interacting with a darker-toned girl their own age. He spots an interracial couple, a Caucasian woman seen with an Arab man, and children with varying racial backgrounds joyfully interacting in their vicinity. A good number of them are of mixed lineage.
As he continues, he sees men sporting fezzes, typical Islamic headgear associated largely with North African countries like Morocco. Some women are adorned with colourful turbans. The road concludes with a newly built mosque, an indicator pointing towards a nearby maternity hospital inscribes in both English and Arabic.
The observations of a typical summer day, marked with numerous races blending seamlessly and unobtrusively, seems idealistic, the commonplace nature of the encounters signifying racial integration success. Scenes like this could be anywhere, like Kensington or Brixton in London, or even Manchester or Leeds – England’s North’s racial melting pots.
Interestingly, the setting is actually Cardiff, and the time is 1947, astonishingly, a whole year before the docking of the HMT Empire Windrush – the migration ship most mistakenly consider as the official inception of England’s multicultural era.
This portrayal, based on the American anthropologist St Clair Drake’s contemporaneous notes, who being an African American academic, travelled to the UK right after World War II. This is thoroughly explored in Kieran Connell’s latest book, Multicultural Britain: A People’s History, taking readers on a chronological tour of Britain’s present-day racially diverse society. Connell advises his fellow nationals not to ask “where do they originate?”; he instead prompts them to contemplate a deeper question – “where do we originate?”.
As the UK grapples with the influence of immigration, the clarity is often elusive. The rising prominence of Nigel Farage’s right-leaning, anti-immigration Reform UK party in Britain’s political landscape indicates that the perception of this issue is evolving for many.
The significant intermingling of various races only became widely accepted several decades post the Windrush influx. Yet, Tiger Bay had been a unique beacon of ethnic diversity since mid-19th century. Men from the far-flung corners of Britain’s empire were attracted to the city for work in its expansive port, a crucial seafaring trade centre.
Based on the book’s interpretation of Drake’s scholarly notes, the migrant men sculpted a community reflecting their own identity in Tiger Bay. The self-sustaining haven was their retreat from the unyielding racial prejudices encountered in the rest of Cardiff.
As Connell narrates, citing extracts from Drake; Tiger Bay’s miniature “metropolis” crafted by the immigrants transformed this enclave in southern Wales into a reflection of other racially diverse societies, such as Chicago’s south side, previously studied by the US anthropologist.
Connell writes about the existence of worship places, bars, gambling rooms, political groups, lively eateries, and cabarets; venues of agitation, contemplation, political strategising and mere enjoyment. The metropolis symbolised both a ‘fight for freedom’ and a ‘stubborn adherence to life’.
Some new arrivals of darker skin tone had intimate relations with local white females, stirring envy among local males. This induced anxiety about interracial relations among the native white population, a pattern which would continue in subsequent decades, as proven by Connell’s book.
Connell, an historian, finds Drake’s annotations an invaluable source of vibrant, first-hand insights into the everyday life of the residents of Tiger Bay, including its underbelly. He skilfully utilises these notes which vividly chronicle the activities in betting shops and brothels, cafes and domestic spaces.
Throughout World War II, roughly 240,000 black US troopers were deployed in the UK. A great portion found their quarters in or around Cardiff. These dark-skinned foreigners were considered to embody a touch of exotic, chic urbanism by some local women.
The text proposes that roughly 500 children of mixed race, disparagingly dubbed “brown babies”, were born to local Caucasian females following relations with US soldiers. These biracial children were often severely stigmatised in the UK, perceived as manifestations of societal immorality, as indicated by Drake.
Drawing from various sources, including concurrent newspaper articles, Connell, who originates from immigrants hailing from Cork, skilfully highlights the prevalent attitude of disapproval surrounding these interracial liaisons. In America, where racial partition was typical, Tiger Bay earned a notorious reputation, inciting shock and revulsion amongst those who were aware of it.
The newspapers of the time also recorded moments of poignant tenderness. One such story recollects the end of the war when it became clear that the soldiers would have to leave. Emotionally charged, their local sweethearts swarmed a military installation, raising the heartfelt plea of the wartime melody, Don’t Fence Me In. The embattled soldiers dismantled the razor wire fences that separated them from their lovers, leading to a tearful reunion, Connell notes, of hundreds of pairs embracing in the external field.
The intricately composed section dealing with Tiger Bay in the 1940s is indisputably the most riveting part of Connell’s cultural examination of British multiethnicity. Regrettably, prior to reaching this captivating portion, readers must first navigate through the author’s somewhat dry and scholarly introduction.
The book proceeds, turning its attention to the 1950s variation of Nottingham’s multicultural society, followed by the Balsall Heath area of Birmingham in the 1960s, where Connell spent his formative years. The narrative then transitions to Bradford in the 1980s, before circling back to Balsall Heath in the 1990s. Here, Connell reconciles his exploration of multiculturalism with personal recollections of his childhood.
The explorative section on Nottingham delves into the topic of racial politics and examines the rise of so-called “race riots”, seemingly fuelled by escalating tensions as mass immigration increased during the 50s. In many instances, however, it was angry groups of the white populace instigating these events. Rather than “race riots”, “racist riots” would be a description closer to truth, Connell asserts.
An addition to the Nottingham section includes enthralling extracts from the unfinished memoir of a Jamaican migrant, Eric Irons, who wed a Caucasian woman. Comparable to Drake’s insights on Tiger Bay, this contributes a fascinating viewpoint into the daily lives of immigrants during that era to Connell’s text.
A striking segment of the book vividly depicts how the biting chill of a UK winter was experienced by a man newly arrived from the milder climes of the Caribbean, who found himself having to huddle deeper into his clothing and constantly rub his hands together to keep himself warm.
The book highlights a significant aspect of immigration to Britain once imperial in the chapter on Nottingham. Many immigrants, including Irons, from erstwhile colonies were raised on the premise of Britain being a temple of sorts as propagated by their colonial rulers. Before coming to Britain, they felt a sense of belonging to this illustrious ideal, feeling like a part of the empire. However, their welcome in the mother country was tainted by prejudice and exclusion, an utterly confusing experience.
The British societal attitudes towards immigration hardened during the transition from the 1950s to the 1960s as it dawned on locals that their “skin-coloured guests” were becoming a permanent part of the nation, as opposed to the fleeting presence they had believed. This period brought about a permanent transformation in Britain.
The first section dedicated to Balsall Heath delves into the experiences faced by Irish immigrants, with the author asserting that multiculturalism does not necessarily imply multiracialism. The Irish community in Birmingham faced hardship, particularly after the infamous IRA pub bombing in 1974. Yet later parts of the book lack the raw energy seen in the Cardiff and Nottingham sections, devoid of the captivating first-hand experiences such as those of Drake or Irons, leading to Connell often reverting to long-winded academic monologues.
Connell posits that contemporary Britain needs “an overdue acknowledgment of the impacts of Britain’s colonial history” which resonates with the views of other authors such as Sathnam Sanghera.
It is regrettable that despite his assurances, Connell neglects to meaningfully engage with the apprehensions of white Britons who are worried about the effects of multiculturalism and large-scale immigration on their society. While some of these arguments may be unfounded or mistaken, the concerns of the native populace form an integral chapter in Britain’s multicultural narrative, alongside the stories of immigrants and their progenies. Although white racism sheds light on many of the issues linked with multiculturalism, it doesn’t constitute the entire picture.
Connell’s book falls short due to his conscious choice to exclude the narrative of London, the most culturally diverse city in Britain. A study on Britain’s multicultural history should be seen as incomplete without delving into the account of its capital city. Connell, however, doesn’t provide a tangible justification for this exclusion, merely suggesting that London’s uniqueness is the reason for its omission. It would have been intriguing to explore this uniqueness instead of omitting it entirely.
Despite its irregular rhythm and shortcomings, Connell’s book still manages to captivate with vibrant descriptions and valuable glimpses into the day-to-day lives of early multicultural societies. It’s a relevant read that will continue to be central in the ongoing discussions about multiculturalism in Britain.
As additional reading material, Tomiwa Owolade’s ‘This is Not America’ presents a refreshing view on race and immigration matters in Britain. Being a British-Nigerian author, he presents a convincing standpoint that race discussions in Britain should be separate from the culture war-based discourse in the US. He asserts that Britain has its unique narrative, which on occasion, is surprisingly uplifting.
Ben Judah’s ‘This is London’ gives an in-depth portrayal of unseen aspects of the city, often affecting immigrants. Judah’s exposé explores the unseen stories and unacknowledged people in London, featuring its ‘beggars, bankers, coppers, gangsters, carers, sex workers and witch doctors’ as well as voices from different nationalities. It’s a powerful read, prepare to be enthralled.
In ‘Another England’, Caroline Lucas, ex-leader of the UK Green Party, contends that the extreme right of British politics has manipulated ‘Englishness’. According to her, it’s essential to recover it from these political manipulations.