Migrants, Immigration and Diversity in Twentieth-century Northern Ireland: British, Irish or 'Other’?

Description

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. 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