BIG BRITAIN RACE & IMMIGRATION
1918-31
IMPACT OF EMPIRE
Attitudes to racial minorities largely informed by Empire
ETHNIC MINORITIES IN WWI
> 1/3 of Britain’s manpower in WWI = black and Asian; 1mil Indian soldiers
Black and Asian communities increased in Britain – white racist violence
increased
BRITISH REACTIONS POST WWI
Racist violence across Britain – e.g., Cardiff, Newport, Glasgow and London
o In Cardiff, 3 deaths & >£3,000 of property damage
Unions defended ‘right’ of white workers → National Union of Seamen (NUS)
demanded that jobs of ‘non-white’ seamen should be given to white seamen
o Liverpool, 1919: white workers went on strike over black workers → led to
sacking of 120 black workers
1920 ALIEN ORDERS ACT
Required migrant workers to register with police before seeking work →
otherwise, would face deportation
o Police only applied law to black and Asian workers
1921 COMMUNIST PARTY OF GREAT BRITAIN FOUNDED
High proportion of ethnic minorities (e.g., from the Caribbean, India, Ireland)
1930 Defended rights of Arab seamen → NUS tried to force Arab and Somali
seamen out of jobs
o CPGB organised regional strikes against union’s policy
1925 SPECIAL RESTRICTIONS ACT (COLOURED ALIEN SEAMEN ACT)
Forced ‘coloured’ seamen to prove British citizenship to immigration authorities
→ or, would face deportation
o Act assumed ‘coloured’ seamen were non-British
EMPLOYMENT INEQUALITIES
1919 HofC Report → Asian chefs paid £5/ month; white chefs £20/ month
1918-31
IMPACT OF EMPIRE
Attitudes to racial minorities largely informed by Empire
ETHNIC MINORITIES IN WWI
> 1/3 of Britain’s manpower in WWI = black and Asian; 1mil Indian soldiers
Black and Asian communities increased in Britain – white racist violence
increased
BRITISH REACTIONS POST WWI
Racist violence across Britain – e.g., Cardiff, Newport, Glasgow and London
o In Cardiff, 3 deaths & >£3,000 of property damage
Unions defended ‘right’ of white workers → National Union of Seamen (NUS)
demanded that jobs of ‘non-white’ seamen should be given to white seamen
o Liverpool, 1919: white workers went on strike over black workers → led to
sacking of 120 black workers
1920 ALIEN ORDERS ACT
Required migrant workers to register with police before seeking work →
otherwise, would face deportation
o Police only applied law to black and Asian workers
1921 COMMUNIST PARTY OF GREAT BRITAIN FOUNDED
High proportion of ethnic minorities (e.g., from the Caribbean, India, Ireland)
1930 Defended rights of Arab seamen → NUS tried to force Arab and Somali
seamen out of jobs
o CPGB organised regional strikes against union’s policy
1925 SPECIAL RESTRICTIONS ACT (COLOURED ALIEN SEAMEN ACT)
Forced ‘coloured’ seamen to prove British citizenship to immigration authorities
→ or, would face deportation
o Act assumed ‘coloured’ seamen were non-British
EMPLOYMENT INEQUALITIES
1919 HofC Report → Asian chefs paid £5/ month; white chefs £20/ month
