Addressing questions about what it means to be ‘British’ or ‘Irish’ in the twenty-first century, this book focuses its attention on twentieth-century Northern Ireland and demonstrates how the fragmented and disparate nature of national identity shaped and continues to shape responses to social issues such as immigration. Immigrants moved to Northern Ireland in their thousands during the twentieth century, continuing to do so even during three decades of the Troubles, a violent and bloody conflict that cost over 3,600 lives. Foregrounding the everyday lived experiences of settlers in this region, this ground-breaking book comparatively examines the perspectives of Italian, Indian, Chinese and Vietnamese migrants in Northern Ireland, outlining the specific challenges of migrating to this small, intensely divided part of the UK. The book explores whether it was possible for migrants and minorities to remain ‘neutral’ within an intensely politicised society and how internal divisions affected the identity and belonging of later generations. An analysis of diversity and immigration within this divided society enhances our understanding of the forces that can shape conceptions of national insiders and outsiders - not just in the UK and Ireland - but across the world. It provokes and addresses a range of questions about how conceptions of nationality, race, culture and ethnicity have intersected to shape attitudes towards migrants. In doing so, the book invites scholars to embrace a more diverse, ‘four-nation’ approach to UK immigration studies, making it an essential read for all those interested in the history of migration in the UK.
Author(s): Jack Crangle
Series: Palgrave Studies in Migration History
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 282
City: Cham
Acknowledgements
Contents
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction
UK Immigration History
The Northern Ireland Context: Conflict, Division and Violence
Methodology: Oral History, Memory and Subjectivity
Case Studies, ‘Community’ and Intersubjectivity
Sampling
Book Structure
Chapter 2: The Evolution of Northern Irish Immigration: Trends, Statistics and Demographics
Pre-Twentieth-Century Immigration
Erasure and Invisibility
Immigrant Numbers
The Safeguarding of Employment Act
Low Immigrant Numbers: Other Explanations
Self-employment: Finding Economic Niches
Italian Ice Cream
Indian Drapers
Chinese Takeaways
Conclusion
Chapter 3: Myth, Mockery and Invisibility: Public Depictions and Legislative Responses
Stereotypes and Caricatures
The Implications of Stereotyping
Political Attitudes
‘No Colour Problem’
Conclusion
Chapter 4: The Italian Community
Arrival and Origins
The Early Decades: Difference and Discrimination
Sectarian Violence
Fascism
World War Two
Post-War: The Emergence of the Troubles
Community Legacies: Memory, Identity and Commemoration
Conclusion
Chapter 5: The Indian Community
Arrival and Origins
‘You Don’t Pay Attention to That Sort of Thing’: Racism in Oral Narratives
‘A Ringside Seat’: Negotiating Sectarianism and Surviving the Troubles
Gender, Marriage and Family
Integration Versus Tradition? Combating Cultural Loss
Conclusion
Chapter 6: The Chinese Community
Cultural Distance and Caricatures: Constructions of the Chinese in Britain and Northern Ireland
Racism and Discrimination
‘Where Are You Really From?’ Covert Racism
State Isolation and Unmet Needs
Women’s Experiences
‘Counter Civil-Society’: Activism and Mobilisation
Generational Changes
Conclusion
Chapter 7: Vietnamese Refugees
Introduction
Background: Bringing the Boat People to Craigavon
Preparing for Arrival
Arrival: Successes and Failures
Northern Ireland: A ‘Second Vietnam’?
Craigavon: Social Problems
Conclusion
Chapter 8: Racism, Sectarianism and the Troubles: The Place of ‘Others’ in a Binary Society
Immigration in Britain: Race Relations and Multiculturalism
Northern Ireland’s ‘Two Communities’ Paradigm: British, Irish or ‘Other’?
Being ‘Other’ in a Binary Society: Protection or Exclusion?
Changes and Evolution: Transitioning to a ‘New’ Northern Ireland
Conclusion
Chapter 9: Conclusion
UK Immigration History: A Regional or ‘Four-Nation’ Approach
Beyond the Troubles: Writing Northern Ireland’s Social History
Conclusion
Appendix: Interviewee Biographies
Chinese
Indian
Italian
Vietnamese
Bibliography
Archives
Divided Society, Northern Ireland 1990–1998
London Metropolitan Archives
Private Papers
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
The National Archives
Newspapers, Magazines and Periodicals
Official Publications
Oral History Interviews
Conducted by Author
British Library
Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies
Television Programmes
British Broadcasting Corporation
Northern Visions Television
Published Primary Works
Secondary Sources
Index
