What Extent has Immigration Affected British National Identity - Case Study Example

Geetha Sundar 3ed, November, 2007 Ahmedabad What extent has immigration affected British national identity Modern British Immigration law began in 1905 as more and Jewish people started coming from countries like Russian and Eastern Europe. People who were appeared unable to support themselves not permitted into the country. The system which was prevailing during First World War is still remaining in place today. In general, aliens will not be permitted to settle unless they have permission to work, or bring large amounts of money to invest in Britain or in certain circumstances are married or related to a British Citizen.* All immigration is now controlled by the Immigration Act 1971 and the immigration rules made in accordance with act. British citizens under British Nationality Act 1981 and those commonwealth citizens who had the right of abode before 1 Jan 1983[when the 1981 Act came into force] have the right of abode and are not subject to immigration control. Those who do not have this right require permission to enter and remain in the United Kingdom which is given in accordance with the Rules. * Microsoft, "Encarta", Encyclopedia 1993- 2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Since 1988, the United Kingdom has accepted about 50,000 immigrants per year for settlement under the terms of the Immigration Acts. About 25 percent of these came from India or Pakistan, and about 50 percent were wives and children of people already established in the United Kingdom. It is now considered widely without any doubt that the English national identity is under considerable stress at the present time in political as well as cultural degradation of Englishness. Lots of changes have been taking place in United Kingdom because of the other nations people have started to define their identity and determine their destiny in separation from the United Kingdom English people have not been accorded the same privilege; and more over most of the immigration started settling mainly on English shores rather than those of Scotland or Wales. Edmund Burke in his book," The English National Character" says, "Over the Last- twenty- four years, journalists, intellectuals and politicians have continued to chart- and decry- the remorseless decay of British 'National Identity'. They have also continued, if anything with mounting purposefulness, to try to reverse it. It seems, sometimes as if the only point on which the "Chattering Classes' of all political and ideological stripes agree is that British national identity has diminished, is diminishing and ought to be increased."[229] It is believed that internationally increasing global capitalism is one of the reasons for mass immigration into the country. The England is known for its rule of empire, parliament and monarch, Protestantism, the welfare state social democracy are becoming less relevant in today's world's intellectual and free economy. The Scots and the Welsh are least bothered about the destiny of English .It is also can be said that English character like global ambitions and duties prevent them to be more stringent about the mixing with other nationalities. Can a nation lose its identity due to its immigration from other nationality According to David Powell in his "Nationhood and Identity", says "The experience of Britain in the modern world the rise and fall of the British Empire, the impact of two world wars, the changing relationship with 'Europe' [especially after 1945] further interacted with the domestic picture in a multiplicity of ways, some of which encouraged a transcending 'British' loyalty but which nevertheless added to the complexities of overlapping, even contradictory, identities and self image". (10) In the 20th century the general decline of the empire, the effects of two world wars and the emergence of a dominant United States and of the movement for European integration, together forced a reappraisal of Britain's place in the world and of the future purpose and boundaries of the British State coupled with the destabilizing effects of internal nationalisms, and the tendencies towards multi-centralism in society the transformation of Britain's external relations inevitably led to debate and controversy over the nature and future of 'Britain 'and the British had any longer a meaningful place to inhabit, either politically or psychologically. The concepts of nationhood and identity have been crucial to the building of modern state structures in Britain as they have in other countries. It is said that in the later half of the 20th century 'Brutishness' and British state were under threat from various directions, internally and externally. Internally there were demand for separation, if not remodeling of British State were demanded. Externally it had to decide whether to accept European Union to be or not to be "Europe" by accepting further political integration and the full implications of economic and monetary union. The welcoming of hundreds of thousands, indeed millions, of people from all over the world to make their homes and establish economic activity in Britain was seen in part as a way to reaffirms this idea of British values as at the heart of the new globalize world, a trans-cultural and trans ethnic Britain [more so than multi- cultural and multi- ethnic] represents a vision of a unity, its universal character. It only shows the world its broader perspective of accepting the immigration whole heartedly .Britain is a nation that went out to conquer the world, now it is accepting the same in its own territory. It is transforming 'Brutishness' from a nationality to"internationality'. * * Britology Watch: Deconstructing 'British Values' 7 Sep 2007. Is UK Immigration Policy Desired To Undermine Englishness By David (google.com) The Asians and Afro- Caribbean's who came into that country from 1950s to 1970, do not seems to be threatening, but scary mix of ethnicities from the around the world ,in contrast to their former imperial subjects for whom they felt a paternalistic sense of responsibility. Those former immigrants remained within the British comfort zone and did not appear to challenge British identity or culture. In the present, however, the multiplication of alien ethnic categories appearing to compete for British status where in response to that, frustrated British people are in a position to affirm them. It would be better to define national identity in cultural rather than ethnic terms and then to have the ethnic categories as secondary, qualifying descriptions. This would clearly separate out the national and ethnic terms that have become so ambiguously mixed up; and it would enable the majority population to declare themselves as such. The list of ethnic groupings could be done in the following ways eg.1 White/ European/ Caucasian, 2.Black/African/Caribbean,3.Asian.This way of doing things would have numerous benefits for a start, it would enable people of whatever race to identify as English [Scottish, Welsh and Irish] to state this with pride and confidence. Mimi Khalvati an English poet who was born in Iran, and settled in England, learnt to call English Language his home. His first pamphlet was called "Persian Miniatures." Elderly ladies started complementing him not for his poetry, but on his English Even anthologists of contemporary British poetry apologized him for his exclusion. He says like this," But more importantly, it led me to ask the question, and I am aware of it every time I take up my pen: who owns the language And I reply I do everyone who loves it, writes in it, seeks to enrich it, and humbles herself before it does." * 1 Races, Color, Culture, and Nationalism do not matter for the writers, artists, social workers etc. They are the people who shape the mind of world's community. Mimi Khalvati says, "And yet, I write in English, for an English-Speaking and primarily British audience and I write within the English lyric tradition. I have met the lyric on its own grounds and it has met me on mine: it is a locus outside the bounds of national identity, outside those of biography and even those of memory. It asks for no facts, no identifying marks, no social, historical, political context. IT asks me only to exist in the present moment to see the river only in its present light, the shadows moving only at their present speed the geese standing still, the river birds whose name I have not yet- are they moorhens- learnt. The lyrics forgives me for my limitations"*1 Since the end of 2ed world wars, perhaps since the end of Victorian era England has been perceived as if it has lost its identity. One can not say Britain has lost its identity, its history and experience taught the world the knowledge, the strong tradition, values, culture, industrial revolution. It will only remain as a role model for the present and coming generation to follow its path of success. The life style of people might change, but the people of this world and its country will not forget the transformation it took each and every stage for the enlistment of mankind in general. Human beings in general over a period of time correct its follies. British however colonized many countries, but it had left its Brutishness, which would be the greatest pride to their people and they will be remembered for their innovtive ideas, the way of life they taught to all over the world. *1 Mimi Khalvati (Iran/England) Writing with (and Against) National Identity. Work Cite Edmund Burke, "The English National Character: The History of an idea from Edmund Burke to Tony Blair". London, Yale University Press, 2007. David Powell, "Nationhood and Identity: The British State since 1800"London, I.B.Tauris &Co Ltd, 1999-2002. Read More