M u l t i c u l t u ra l L o n d o n
London is the multicultural centre of Europe. There are 7 million inhabitants and 300
different languages. More than a quarter of London's population is from an alternative
ethnic background, and this makes up half of the total number of ethnic minorities. That
is 4.6 million people. In the 2001 census, people living in London classed their ethnic
group as the following:
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76% as white (White British, Irish, « Other white »)
10% as Indian, Bangladeshi or Pakistani
5% as black African
5% as Carribean
3% as mixed race
1% as Chinese
The different areas in London
I) How Britain became a mixed race society
Early in its history, Britain was invaded by Romans, Saxons, Vikings and Normans.
Later, between the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries, Africans were brought by
force, as slaves or servants. Over the years, thousands of people have arrived in Britain
as refugees from France, Ireland, Russia, and other countries, escaping from
persecution or famine in their own countries. There are also British people whose
parents first came to Britain in the 1950s and 1960s from the Caribbean, India, Pakistan,
Hong Kong and other places.
Today, lots of European immigrants of the working class move to London, in order to find
jobs with better incomes.
II) The different communities in London.
To illustrate the diversity of London's poulation, we will talk about the AfroCarribean community and the Indian community.
The Afro-Carribean community:
The large proportion of Afro-Caribbeans in the UK are of Jamaican origin; others
trace origins to nations such as Trinidad and Tobago, Saint-Kitts and Nevice, Barbados,
Saint-Lucia, Grenada, Montserrat, Dominica, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, SaintVincent and the Grenadines, Guyana (which is located on the South American mainland,
has close cultural ties to the Caribbean, and was historically considered to be part of the
British West Indies) and Belize (British Honduras). The largest concentration of AfroCarribean population in the UK is in London and represents 1,8% of the total population.
The most common and traditional use of the term Afro-Caribbean community is in
reference to groups of residents who continue practising aspects of Caribbean culture,
customs and traditions in the United Kingdom.
How do Afro-Carribeans live in London, and what are their influences on British culture?
Language:
British English/ Carribean English (creoles, patois)
Religion:
Evangelicanism, non-conformist protestantism.
Gospel music also came to play a part in British cultural life. African-Caribbeans played
a central role establishing British gospel choirs, most notably the London Community
Gospel Choir.
Media, music and theatre:
The Afro-Caribbean community has their own newspaper, like The Voice, which was the
primary African-Caribbean print media outlet in Britain. It was founded in the early
1980s by Val McCalla.
In music, the community has a strong tradition of 'underground « pirate radio »
broadcasters, the most established being London's Lightning and Genesis, which play a
mix of ragga, reggae, bashment, hip-hop and R&B. Afro-American music is very rich and
has lots of influence on today's music in Britain. Jazz, reggae, Jamaican dancehall, ska,
breakbeats are very famous types of music.
There is also Afro-Carribean theatre in London, with the London's Talawa Theatre
Company, which was founded in 1985 by Jamaican-born Yvonne Brewtser. Their first
production was based on James's historical account of the Haitian Revolution, The Blacks
Jacobins.
Carnivals:
African-Caribbean communities organise and participate in Caribbean Carnivals
(Caribbean style carnivals) throughout London. The best known of these is the annual
Notting Hill Carnival, which is an excellent example of the fact that people moving to
Britain have brought their own cultures with them and manage to integrate them,
because it is now a very big part of British life today.
The Indian Community:
« The British Asian » is often used in British English to refer to those of South Asian
origin, particulary Pakistanis, Indians or Bengladeshis and also the less numerous Sri
Lankans, Nepalis, and Maldivians. In London, they represent about 3.6% of the total
population.
Languages:
British English, Indo-Aryan, Iranian and Dravidian.
Religions:
Islam, Hinduism, Shikism, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism.
Influence on popular British culture:
The biggest influence of British Asians on popular culture has probably been the socalled Indian restaurant, though in fact most of these are run by people of Pakistani and
Bangladeshi origin. A recent poll found that chicken tikka masala has surpassed fish and
chips in terms of popularity as the national dish.
In music, Bhangra music has in addition become popular among many in the general
British public (especially among the younger population).
In 2006, Times India magazine voted the late British Asian musician Freddie Mercury, the
lead singer and writer of the rock band Queen, as one of the most influential Asians in
the past 60 years.
III) The interests of multiculturalism
Compared with Paris, London is a city where cultures are mixed. In my opinion,
London is a « melting pot », and I think it's a great advantage for this city. People must
be aware of the fact that they are not the only ones on this planet. It is essential to
open our minds.
In Paris, immigrant minorities often live in suburbs and they keep their own culture
because of this exclusion. Moreover, there are not a lot of different minorities in Paris,
like in London. The main minorities are North Africans, Black Africans and Chinese. In my
opinion, the inhabitants of Paris are not really open-minded, like in London, because
they don't really live with minorities but next to them.
For example, let's take the last local government elections. In Paris, Felix Wu, a French
man with Chinese origins was a canditate for Paris' thirteenth town council. There was a
lot of protest and controversy, just because he was a man of Chinese origins. A lot of
interviews and articles about him were also produced. I believe it was a lot of fuss about
nothing, and it reveals that French people in general don't really accept multiculturalism
except where food and music are concerned.
IV) The district of Spitalfields
Spiterfield is an Indian district in the East-End of London. This district is famous for it's
old market, built in the 17th century, and for its few Indian restaurants. They are all
located in the same street, which is called Brick Lane. Spitalfield is a very interesting
place for this multiculturalism. At the beginning, it was only an Indian district but
nowadays, lots of people with different nationalities live here: North-African and South
American people, English people... we also met a few French! In this district, there are
also business men and women, artists, journalists; in fact there are a lot of kind of jobs.
Spitalfield perflectly reflects the multiculturalism of London.
The Spiterfield old market
V) Personal conclusion
Our three-day trip in London confirms the reputation of London for this multiculturalism,
and the fact that London inhabitants live with people who have different cultures, and
of course without all the problems that there are in France. I believe French people
should learn a lot from Londoners about this subject!
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/multiculture.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_African-Caribbean_community
www.guardian.co.uk/graphic/0,5812,1395103,00.html