Multicultural Living?

Abstract

Since the 1990s migrants from smaller, legally differentiated and non-citizen immigrant groups have formed the main flows of migration to the UK and yet they have been overlooked in academic and public debates and agendas. While much academic research has been devoted to racism, the new forms of racism which accompany the `new migration' have also received little attention. This article, therefore, demonstrates the continuing importance and changing nature of contemporary racisms as experienced by Ghanaians; a less-established migrant group. The article traces the particular forms of racisms experienced within their working lives as well as their diverse responses to racism: a relatively unexplored dimension of discrimination. The various coping strategies which the workers developed to overcome difficulties are highlighted, at the individual and collective levels, and this reveals the importance of diaspora groups and transnational links. It is argued that focusing on responses to racism is a crucial facet in helping to understand the actual impact of racial discrimination and also avoids portraying minority ethnic groups as the passive recipients of racisms. The article is also an intervention into the current debates about multicultural Britain. It is argued that the current discourse on the failures of multiculturalism should focus less on minority ethnic groups as the principal problem for integration and engage with the issues of racism, exclusion and material inequalities which penetrate the lives of low-paid migrant workers.

‘We are not the virus’–Experiences of racism among East & Southeast Asian heritage young people in London during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Our findings jar against depictions of metropolitan cities, such as London, as 'centers of cosmopolitanism, that is, as places in which people have access to multiple lifestyles, confront diversity on a daily basis, and frequently adopt a tolerant attitude that accepts social and ethnic differences with a minimum of rancor' [47]. Past debates over urban multiculturalism in the UK have focussed on the politics of migration, integration, and racial segregation in the wake of the US War on Terror [48][49][50]. We argue that these discussions must also (re)assess multiculturalism and diversity in light of ESEA experiences.…”

Assessing community readiness for overweight and obesity prevention among Ghanaian immigrants living in Greater Manchester, England

“…Findings showed that most respondents in the study engaged in cleaning jobs while others were employed as care workers. The survey also reports that 94% of Ghanaians who participated earned less than the minimum wage (£6.70/hour) in 2008 (Herbert et al 2008). It is worth emphasising that the survey only focused on low-income earners and thus cannot be generalised to all Ghanaian immigrants.…”

‘We are not the virus’ – Experiences of racism among East & Southeast Asian heritage young people in London during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Our findings jar against depictions of metropolitan cities, such as London, as 'centers of cosmopolitanism, that is, as places in which people have access to multiple lifestyles, confront diversity on a daily basis, and frequently adopt a tolerant attitude that accepts social and ethnic differences with a minimum of rancor' (45). Past debates over urban multiculturalism in the UK have focussed on the politics of migration, integration, and racial segregation in the wake of the US War on Terror (46,47,48). We argue that these discussions must also (re)assess multiculturalism and diversity in light of ESEA experiences.…”