Sociology

Although London is predominantly Anglo Saxon and Caucasian it is estimated that more than a quarter of Londons population is from an alternate ethnic background. Londons ethnic minorities makes up half of Britains total ethnic minorities and this gives London the largest non white population in any European city.

According to  HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22JamesLynch22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad11 James, L. (1986), p3, due to the very diverse cultures in the city of London over 250 languages are spoken in the city. The most commonly spoken languages are English, Bengali  Silheti, Panjabi, Gujerati, Hindu and Turkish. This was established from a survey of 850,000 children in London schools who were asked which was the first language they spoke at home. 

According to  HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22JamesLynch22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad11 James, L. (1986), p6, the last census conducted in London in 2001 showed that 71.5 of Londons population classified their ethnicity as white (British 59.79, Irish 3.07  and other white 8.29), 12.09 identified themselves as British Asians , 10.91 classed themselves as Black Britons and 3.15 classed themselves as British Orientals.

There has always been migration of people in and out of the United Kingdom. With London placed strategically some would even say in the middle of England, it has been the connecting point for many people coming in and out of the country.

According to  HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22JoelKuortti22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad10 Joel, K.   HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22JopiNyman22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad10 Jopi, N. (2007), p4, historically some episodes that deal with a large group of peoples migration into the United Kingdom have been witnessed. Some examples are the Huguenots of the 16th and the 17th century and the Jews in the late 19th century. However both of these had little effect on the demographic of the city of London.

According to  HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22JoelKuortti22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad10 Joel, K.   HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22JopiNyman22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad10 Jopi, N. (2007), p13, in 1962 racial tension in the country especially in the big cities led to the tightening of restrictions on immigrants. The immigration laws that applied to immigrants from the commonwealth were less restrictive than those from other countries. However in 1962 the playing field was leveled for all those who wanted to move to the United Kingdom. The main changes in the immigration laws that still stand to date include

There was to be no more primary immigration except for reunion with family members.
There was to be no major public discussion or changes to the immigration system.
Descendants of migrants would not be encouraged to repatriate.
There would be a conscious promotion by government of equal opportunities and legislation against discrimination order to better facilitate integration.

London was at the centre of all these changes mainly because most of the immigrants that came into the United Kingdom preferred to settle in London because of the already available diverse cultural community.  As the immigrants settled in London they naturally clustered together along their ethnic orientations. 

The arrival of many immigrants into the United Kingdom after the war is commonly referred to as the Windrush. The MV Empire Windrush which was a ship arrived in 1948 at Tilbury carrying 492 Jamaicans who wished to start a new life in the United Kingdom. The arrival of the immigrants and the image of them filing of the ship became an important landmark symbolizing the start of modern multicultural relations which were to greatly change the British society in the coming years. In the year 1998, some public open space in Brixton was renamed Windrush Square to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Jamaicans.   

The case of Brixton can be taken into account when studying the effect immigrants had in the city of London. According to  HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22MartinHughes22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad10 Martin, H.   HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22SarahJohnstone22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad10 Sarah, J. (2004), p34, Brixton is in area South of London and it is a very multiethnic community with about 24 of its population originating from the Caribbean and Africa. This gave rise to Brixton being considered as the capital of the British Caribbean African community in London.  During the 2nd World War the Brixton area was severely bombed and this eventually contributed to housing crisis in the area. This consequently led to urban decay in the area. The slums that sprouted were cleared in the 1940s and 1950s and many immigrants especially from the West Indies and Africa settled there. In the resent years the Portuguese community has really grown in Brixton and other European Union citizens have also increased in the area. 

According to  HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22JohnMcLeod22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad11 John, M. (2004), p21, Dalston and Hackney are two of the most multicultural areas in London. In both areas there is a sizeable African community. Within Dalston Ridley road market bursts with African textiles and foods. In Hackney, the Hackneys Mare Street boasts the famous Hackney Empire which is a venue that has been dedicated to comedy and theatre that reflects the areas diversity. Since the mid 90s many Kenyans have come to London and this has resulted in Kenyan nightclubs like Lincolns and club Desire that are normally frequented by Africans who want to listen to contemporary African music.

Little Portugal is found in South London, specifically at Stockwell where there is a sizable Portuguese community. During the 1960s and 1970s many Portuguese families started to settle around this area.

According to  HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22JohnMcLeod22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad11 John, M. (2004), p32, at the time many of the Portuguese worked in the hospitality and catering trade where they earned good reputations. Many of them saved up and opened their own restaurants in the years that followed. Today the Portuguese population in London is estimated to be around 30000.

According to  HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22JohnMcLeod22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad11 John, M. (2004), p45, the current generation of British Asians is moving away from the traditional sectors of textiles, retail and manufacturing and entering IT, the media, pharmaceuticals and medicine. In London an increasing number of Asians (especially the younger generation) are becoming influential in arts particularly film making, literature, the performing arts and film making. Many of the younger British Asians are moving out of the traditionally Asian neighborhoods setting up fashionable clubs, bars and restaurants in Londons smartest streets.

The name China town has been used over time to describe different places in London. According to  HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22JohnMcLeod22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad11 John, M. (2004), p63, Currently China town is located in the Soho area of Westminster occupying the area around and in Gerrard Street. This area mainly contains Chinese bakeries, souvenir shops, Chinese restaurants and other Chinese run businesses. In this area there is a famous residential block known as the Vale Royal House that houses a number of British Chinese families, professionals and single women and men.

According to  HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22JohnMcLeod22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad11 John, M. (2004), p66, there have been repeated claims that are many illegal workers in China town who work for less than the minimum wage.  China town is highly decorated and for the Chinese special occasions happen here. Many other ethnic groups live in London and they all come together to make the beautiful mosaic of Londons culture. 

According to  HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22JohnMcLeod22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad11 John, M. (2004), p90, Islam plays a major role in the lives of a significant number of Londoners for is the largest and the most significant minority religion. In the year 2001 there were about 607,000 Muslims in London. Most Muslims are concentrated in East London around Newham, Waltham Forest and Tower Hamlets.

According to  HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22JohnMcLeod22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad11 John, M. (2004), p92, in London Muslims make up for 8.5 of the population and in England almost half the Muslims live in London. The influx of immigrants and the rise of native converts has led to community related issued in the Eastern End of London.

According to  HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22MariaPaschalidou22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad2 Maria, P. (2007), p23, though there are diverse cultures in London, efforts have been made to integrate all the different communities so as to create social cohesion in the city. For example different ethnic groups are encouraged to celebrate their ethnic festivals (for example Diwali amongst the Indians) while making efforts to incorporate the other members of the society.

Even in London which is a very multi cultural city, traces of racism are still evident. However it is more important to acknowledge that much has been achieved over the last decade in driving racism out of London. Racism may not be in the same forms as before some argue that there has been a shift to areas like work and housing whereby non Caucasians in the city are sometimes discriminated. Instead of shrugging racism away there should be open and constructive discourse aimed at looking into ways of fostering the multiculturalism in London.