The Identity of 'Britishness' amongst Northern British Asians - Literature review Example

National Identity amongst Foreign Nationals in the UK Background This literature review focuses on the British citizens of foreign origin with special emphasis on the Asians living in Britain. The review is concentrated on the South Asian population in Britain due to their blending into the British way of life after being quite familiar with English culture, customs and habits they have acquired during the colonial years. The review discusses the reasons for propensity of the South Asians in specific residential areas due to their unique and culturally diverse identity and how their new found prosperity as entrepreneurs and businessmen has inculcated in them a sense of belonging to the country and being more ‘British’. Historical Perspective Colin Clarke et al, 1992 state in the ‘Geographical Review’ that south Asians though less in number than all other migrants combined together, constitute a group that is more dramatically spread around the world, especially in English speaking countries. Despite wide differences in community, historical, migratory and settlement contexts, these communities have a unique identity of their own. According to the authors, one common characteristic of the descendants of the first phase migration is the mutual suspicion between South Asians and other ethnic groups. However, according to them, in the recent phase of migration, highly educated, prosperous professionals and entrepreneurs have come to the western countries. The bias towards the South Asians existed from the very beginning when ‘The Kenyan Asians, British Politics, and the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, 1968 was brought in force (Hansen Randall, 1999). According to Randall, the Labour Government, 1966-70 decided to withdraw the right of admission to the Asians with British passports living in Africa. The African countries Uganda and Kenya in the process of ‘Africanization’ had decided to deport the Asians living and working there. The Asians in Africa were looked down upon by the locals due to their real or imaginary malpractices in trade. The British also failed to consult their Commonwealth partners, India and Pakistan, while dealing with the huge influx of British Asians from these two countries. (Gupta Anirudha, 1974) He suggests that the whole issue was a complication of the conflict between the two major conservative colonial secretaries in Britain, who held opposite viewpoints to the interpretation of the initial commitment of the Conservative party to honour the rights of Asians to enter the UK. There was a general decline in the commitment of both the Conservative and the Labour parties towards the Commonwealth. Randall has seen the historical perspective of the British attitude before 1945 and after the Second World War. His analysis says that the British citizens had equal privileges in Britain as well as its dominions before the war and the need for changes in these rights was felt only after these dominions started claiming sovereignty after the war, prime example of it being Canada in 1946 when it brought Canadian citizenship into force. The British Nationality Act (BNA) of 1948 created two categories of British citizens - Citizenship of Independent Commonwealth Countries (CICC) like Canada, India, Pakistan, etc and Citizenship of United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) like Kenya. Both these categories continued to enjoy equal rights. The commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1962 ended these privileges for the CUKCs. Present Scenario The population of Britain is nearly 60 million people at present. The ethnic minority is not evenly distributed in the country but tends to be highly concentrated in and around the urban hubs. (Werbner P, 2005) in his analysis has stated that the trans-national migration results in the new migrants settling in a self imposed cultural isolation and self segregation. They form ‘encapsulated communities’ which have tendencies to remain away from the mainstream. He has focussed on the historical migration and settlement of Pakistanis in Britain. He is of the view that cultural performances, regional viewpoints in sports and unique practices based on religion result in cultural conflicts. He deplores the failure of the communal leaders in such communities to curb or control the behavioural patterns as is exemplified by their inability to control the Asian riots in northern British towns. In an article entitled ‘Muslims, South Asians and the British mainstream: A national identity crisis?’ Maxwell R states that according to popular opinion, the Muslims and other South Asians tend to develop anti mainstream identities due to their tendencies to live in isolated areas, practicing different religions and political organization of ethnic and religion based networks. Maxwell is of the opinion that discrimination is more important than socio economic differences which obstruct the development of British identity in these groups. Otherwise these ethnic minorities show willingness and trust towards the political mainstream of the country and are committed to being a part of the larger British Community. Stillwell J (2006) has researched the tendency of the South Asians to locate in the city of Leeds and its contribution to the racial disturbances in the northern cities in 2001. In this paper he has identified the geographies of ethnic populations in Leeds. He has tried to identify the sub groups living in different wards of this particular area and the effects it had on the overall political scenario of the region. As Britain becomes more and more of a multicultural society, ethnic segregation has become the subject of much debate and discussion. (Fagerlid Cicilie, 2001). There have been instances of racial violence from time to time and this has made the government look seriously into the matter. For such a culturally/religiously/ethnically heterogeneous society to remain in a secular balance, two factors assume great pertinence. The multicultural groups should have a sense of belonging to some common ideals of nationality and their own unique cultural as well as religious uniqueness should not be under threat. Cicilie is of the opinion that many British Asians are aware of their oriental background and the post colonial scenario. They are quite comfortable with their dual identity and are completely comfortable being British as well as showing loyalty towards their native countries especially during sports events where they vehemently support their countries of origin. This has lead to statements by some British politicians as well as sports personalities which question their loyalty towards Britain, whose actual citizens they now are. Cicilie further elaborates that to many south Asians, the culture of their respective communities is based upon their religious heritage and the historical dynamics of the Indian subcontinent. The concept of Britishness in Asians Fagerlid Cicilie, 2001, in his thesis has comprehensively studied the concept of Britishness among the South Asians. He has researched a number of South Asian personalities first hand and stayed amidst them to get first hand knowledge. He opines that the present generation of British Asians are more in tune with their White counterparts and more at ease with themselves whereby they indulge in activities like going to clubs, music jigs, holidays and other leisure activities. They are more aware of the fact that Britain is a welfare state. This is in sharp contrast to their parents or the South Asians of the previous generation, who were more ambitious, conservative, careful, stressed more on getting proper education, following the family traditions, focussed on building a career and lacked the present generation’s carefree attitude. Many of the parents expected obedience and adherence to rules from their children in return for the hardships they had endured for them, while the present generation considers this as ‘emotional blackmail’. Wright Susan, 1998 in a study entitled ‘The politicization of ‘culture’, shares an excerpt on Britishness which was defined by John Patten, the Minister of State at the Home Office in his open letter to the British Muslims - ‘On Being British’. Patten set out the essential components of Englishness at the core of British identity which he said they should learn. “Apart from faith and family which he considers they already share, these are fluent English, understanding of the democratic processes, laws and system of government in Britain and the history that lies behind them.” This was thought to be ridiculous by the Muslim leaders as even some of the White majority people were not well informed about such information and ideas. In a study published by the Centre for Social Markets entitled ‘British Asians Today: A Statistical Overview’ Brown and Mehra highlight the recent success in business and entrepreneurial ventures of the South Asians in Britain which has increased their esteem as well as prestige both socially and economically. According to the authors, the South Asians form the largest ethnic minority group in Britain and contribute than 5 Million Pounds to the economy and the ethnic minority self employment rates have continued to overtake the native-origin population. Self employment rates among the Indian and Pakistani origin Asians are now far in excess of the general population. “The high street presence of Asian shopkeepers across the UK has given them an unmatched visibility compared to other immigrant business groups - rivaled only by the Chinese in the restaurant stakes.” The Asians have moved into other service sectors, such as hotels and catering, are a major presence in the clothing industry and are believed to own almost 50% of Britain’s independent retail industry. The authors have arrived at two statistically significant results of their analysis which are that Asian community is not a homogenous block and that it is a community in transition. This new success has inculcated a sense of new pride in the community and their allegiance to the idea of ‘Britishness’. According to the Home Office statistics presented in the above study, in 1971 65% of the Commonwealth population in Britain was born abroad and 35% were born in the United Kingdom. By 1976, the proportion had changed to 61% and 39% respectively and was expected to rise further in case of UK born South Asians. This automatically establishes the identity patterns which are pro British in the psyche of the new generation. According to this study, the ethnic minority is not evenly distributed in the country but tends to be highly concentrated in and around the urban hubs. Nearly half of the ethnic minority in Britain live in Greater London. Their concentration is much less in Wales, Scotland, northeast and southwest regions of England. Three quarters of the ethnic minority is concentrated in the metropolitan counties of Greater London, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and West Midlands According to Schuman, 1999:36, the concentration in these particular areas is explained on the basis of ‘choice’ and ‘constraint’ theories. The ‘choice’ theory argues that ethnic minorities prefer to live in areas where social, linguistic and cultural patterns are more consistent with their backgrounds and countries of origin. Whilst the ‘constraint’ theory explains that these minorities have tended to be constrained to certain specific areas by economic reasons, lack of housing opportunities elsewhere and the fear of discrimination. Their professional skills and experiences also forced them to seek employment in certain specific sectors, for example the Muslims had more propensities for heavy industry and textiles. According to a survey, commissioned by the BBC Asian network in 2007, in their own description of themselves, The South Asians have coined the phrase ‘Coconut’ which as the fruit’s texture suggests, is brown from the outside and white from inside. This euphemism translates into that even though looking different from the original white inhabitants of the country, the second and the third generation Asians are as ‘British’ as the whites mentally unless their past culture and family values have been hard driven into them by their parents or the community, or they have been taken on long sojourns to their homeland where they have had time to absorb the originalities of their culture. However the ‘Coconuts’ are equally at ease with both their parent community as well as the British way of life. This reflects in the way certain Hindus and Sikhs have started celebrating Christmas. Music has played an important role in the cultural blending amongst the present generation of whites and non whites as evidenced by Banerji Sabita (Popular Music, 1988). According to her study the musical fusion which emphasizes the cultural duality of the South Asians and its acceptance by the majority multi ethnic communities as a common bond among the youth is a relatively recent phenomenon. The popularity of ‘Ghazal’ and ‘Bhangra’ and their blend with western music has laid a solid foundation for bonding in the British multi cultural society. British composers of white ethnicity are bringing out music albums in collaboration with their South Asian counterparts. According to the author, young South Asians have no qualms in following their traditional religious rituals along with listening to ‘Pop’ music and playing traditionally European games like softball and tennis. Tariq Modood, 2004, has explored the idea of Britishness in his study entitled ‘Defined by some distinctly hyphenated Britishness’. He has gone to the extent of postulating that “Rumours of the death of multiculturalism are exaggerated and can alienate the very communities that must be brought into the mainstream.” By this he means that however ‘British’ the South Asians may become, they will continue to have their exclusivity in terms of habits, culture, interpersonal behaviour and customs peculiar to the sub continent. This can be true for the ‘Whites’ too as the regional customs and habits of Scots, Irish, etc. stay forever as a reflection of their personality. Modood highlights the growth of the great rise in the population of non white ethnic minorities during the last fifty years to the present level of 9% which is comparable to the size of Scotland. The trends according to him, hint at these minorities being the majority in most British cities including London in the first quarter of the Twenty First century. Thus, he postulates that they are an integral part of the British persona at present and this explains the lack of any doubt in the second generation South Asians about their identity as a British citizen. The present generation expects not just a tolerance of the ethnic difference, but a public acknowledgement by the masses. Resistance to racism in the society has become an almost necessary path to citizenship and a dignified integration into the British Society. The present generation South Asian British citizens have their own identity despite the decline in their participation in their original distinctive cultural practices. They are less likely to speak in their native language at home nowadays, be less confined to their particular sub groups although they maintain their tendency to have arranged marriage and worship within their respective religious boundaries. Modood has gone to the extent of stating that the fear of the right wing commentators of the threat that non whites posed to Britishness is unfounded. According to him, the Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus have integrated into the British society much more smoothly and with pride in sharp contrast to those groups that have a national territorial base in the British Isles and a historical grievance with the British state. They are the ones who most shrink from being labelled as British. While the Pakistanis and Indians have come to understanding themselves as British while living in Bradford, it’s the Scots and the Irish living in both within and outside the territorial boundaries who are in a denial about being British. The study further arrives at an opinion about the character of the British culture which despite its insular image is ready to borrow and mix ideas from different regions and languages, the English language itself being the supreme example. The British might be less open to their European neighbours, but they are also less hostile than most Europeans to multiculturalism and inter continental exchange. This has resulted in London becoming a world city, rather than a British or European city. British personalities in important public positions have also acknowledged the plural and dynamic character of British society. Chancellor Gordon Brown has gone to the extent of labelling Britain as a ‘Mongrel Nation’. In former Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook’ words, Britain is a chicken-tikka masala eating nation. Politicians in general however have expressed their concerns about the fragmentation in the British society due to cultural separation and self imposed segregation of the Muslim migrants. This, they perceive as a threat to the idea of Britishness. Modood concludes by stating that pitting multiculturalism against Britishness is a phoney war. The assimilation of the distinct cultural identities of different ethnic groups into the cultural mainstream of the nation should be a prerogative of a progressive nation and it should not seek to trample upon the very basic tenets of a particular community contributing to the progress of the nation. Shah Prakash, Ballard Roger, 1994 have rightly pointed out that the British nation in the post colonial era has receded to a range of groups which have brought about a profound and irreversible change in the whole character of the British social order. Conclusion The above review summarises the historical perspective of the integration of the South Asian community into the modern British society and its growth pangs while in a state of transformation from a racial minority subject to ridicule and oppression in the past, to the present, more confident second generation British citizen of South Asian descent. References: 1. Banerji Sabita Ghazals to Bhangra in Great Britain Popular Music, Vol. 7, No. 2, The South Asia/West Crossover. (May, 1988), pp. 207-213. 2. Fagerlid Cicilie Beyond Ethnic Boundaries? British Asian Cosmopolitans, Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the Cand. Polit degree Department of Social Anthropology – University of Oslo November 2001 3. Gupta Anirudha Ugandan Asians, Britain, India and the Commonwealth African Affairs, Vol. 73, No. 292. (Jul., 1974), pp. 312-324 4. Hansen Randall, The Kenyan Asians, British Politics, and the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, 1968, The Historical Journal, Vol. 42, No. 3. (Sep., 1999), pp. 809-834 5. Maxwell R (Maxwell Rahsan) Muslims, South Asians and the British mainstream: A national identity crisis? WEST EUROPEAN POLITICS 29 (4): 736-756 SEP 2006 6. Modood Tariq, Defined by some distinctly hyphenated Britishness, Published: 03 September 2004 Being British - Index page THES Editorial ©2004 TSL Education Ltd 7. Schuman, Jeremy, The ethnic minority populations of Great Britain –latest estimates, Population Trends 96, Summer 1999, Office for National Statistics. 8. Shah Prakash, Ballard Roger (ed) Desh Pardesh: The South Asian Presence in Britain, Review Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London © 1998 Roger Ballard, 1994 9. Stillwell J (Stillwell, John), Phillips D (Phillips, Deborah) Diversity and change: Understanding the ethnic geographies of Leeds JOURNAL OF ETHNIC AND MIGRATION STUDIES 32 (7): 1131-1152 SEP 2006 10. Ulack Richard, South Asians Overseas: Migration and Ethnicity by Colin Clarke; Ceri Peach; Steven Vertovec, Geographical Review, Vol. 82, No. 3. (Jul., 1992), pp. 358-360. 11. Welch Susan, Studlar T. Donley, The Impact of Race on Political Behaviour in Britain British Journal of Political Science, Vol. 15, No. 4. (Oct., 1985), pp. 528-539 12. Werbner P, The translocation of culture: community cohesion and the force of multiculturalism in history, SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW 53 (4): 745-768 NOV 2005 13. Wright Susan, The Politicization of Culture Anthropology Today, Vol. 14, No. 1. (Feb., 1998), pp. 7-15 Read More