Caribbean immigrants in Britain and Canada : socio-demographic aspects - article ; n°3 ; vol.3, pg 129-150

Anthony H.Richmond

Description

Revue européenne de migrations internationales - Année 1987 - Volume 3 - Numéro 3 - Pages 129-150
Les immigrants Caraïbéens en Grande-Bretagne et au Canada
A.H. RICHMOND
En 1981, environ 295 000 personnes nées dans les Caraïbes vivaient en Grande-Bretagne et 211 000 au Canada. Il faut y ajouter une deuxième génération d'environ 250 000 (en Grande-Bretagne) et 50 000 (au Canada). L'immigration au Canada atteignit son maximum en 1961 en Grande-Bretagne et en 1974 au Canada. Ce dernier pays fut plus sélectif et privilégia les personnes instruites. D'Haïti viennent des immigrants francophones. On observe une ségrégation résidentielle marquée dans les villes de Londres et Birmingham, et une plus grande dispersion à Montréal et Toronto.
Les jeunes noirs, dans l'un et l'autre pays, sont confrontés à des problèmes de chômage de plus en plus sérieux.
Caribbean immigrants in Britain and Canada
A.H. RICHMOND
In 1981 there were approximately 295 000 Caribbean born persons living in Britain and 211 000 in Canada. In addition there was a « second generation » of about 250 000 in Britain and 50 000 in Canada. Immigration from the Caribbean reached its peak in Britain in 1961 and in 1974 for Canada. The latter country was more selective in terms of education and includes a francophone group from Haiti. There is substantial residential segregation in the inner cities of London and Birmingham, but a greater degree of dispersion within Montreal and Toronto. There are growing problems of unemployment among Black youths, in both countries.
22 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

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• Publié par: REVUE_EUROPEENNE_DE_MIGRATIONS_INTERNATIONALES
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1987
• Nombre de lectures: 140
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Anthony H. Richmond
Caribbean immigrants in Britain and Canada : socio-
demographic aspects
In: Revue européenne de migrations internationales. Vol. 3 N°3. 4ème trimestre. Les Antillais en Europe. pp. 129-
150.
Résumé
Les immigrants Caraïbéens en Grande-Bretagne et au Canada
A.H. RICHMOND
En 1981, environ 295 000 personnes nées dans les Caraïbes vivaient en Grande-Bretagne et 211 000 au Canada. Il faut y
ajouter une deuxième génération d'environ 250 000 (en Grande-Bretagne) et 50 000 (au Canada). L'immigration au Canada
atteignit son maximum en 1961 en Grande-Bretagne et en 1974 au Canada. Ce dernier pays fut plus sélectif et privilégia les
personnes instruites. D'Haïti viennent des immigrants francophones. On observe une ségrégation résidentielle marquée dans les
villes de Londres et Birmingham, et une plus grande dispersion à Montréal et Toronto.
Les jeunes noirs, dans l'un et l'autre pays, sont confrontés à des problèmes de chômage de plus en plus sérieux.
Abstract
Caribbean immigrants in Britain and Canada
A.H. RICHMOND
In 1981 there were approximately 295 000 Caribbean born persons living in Britain and 211 000 in Canada. In addition there was
a « second generation » of about 250 000 in Britain and 50 000 in Canada. Immigration from the Caribbean reached its peak in
Britain in 1961 and in 1974 for Canada. The latter country was more selective in terms of education and includes a francophone
group from Haiti. There is substantial residential segregation in the inner cities of London and Birmingham, but a greater degree
of dispersion within Montreal and Toronto. There are growing problems of unemployment among Black youths, in both countries.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Richmond Anthony H. Caribbean immigrants in Britain and Canada : socio-demographic aspects. In: Revue européenne de
migrations internationales. Vol. 3 N°3. 4ème trimestre. Les Antillais en Europe. pp. 129-150.
doi : 10.3406/remi.1987.1148
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/remi_0765-0752_1987_num_3_3_1148Revue Européenne
des Migrations Internationales
Volume 3, N° 3
4eme trimestre 1987
Caribbean immigrants
in Britain and Canada :
socio-demographic aspects
Anthony H. RICHMOND
Britain and Canada have both experienced a substantial
immigration from the Caribbean region. The year 1962 was critical in this respect
because it represented a turning point in both countries. Britain had experienced a
considerable influx of West Indian immigrants during the 1950's and imposed
restrictions on « New Commonwealth » immigration from 1962 onward. In
contrast, Canada had imposed severe limitations on Caribbean and Asian immig
ration prior to that date, when regulations were amended to permit Caribbean
immigration, subject to selection criteria which emphasised education and occupat
ional qualifications. However, between 1968 and 1973 landed immigrant status in
Canada could be obtained by applicants who had been admitted as visitors
although many did not meet the stringent requirements needed by applicants
abroad. Therefore, not all West Indian immigrants in Canada were well educated,
although the average was higher than those in Britain.
By 1981, there were 295,000 Caribbean born persons living in Britain, a slight
decline from the 304,000 enumerated in 1971. In Canada, the number in 1981 was
211,205. Given the difference in total population between Britain (52,8 million)
and Canada (24,3 million) at that time, the proportion of Caribbean immigrants
was 0.6 % in Britain and 0.9 % in Canada (2). In addition there is a growing
« second generation » of British and Canadian-born persons of Caribbean parent
age, generally designated « Black » in Britain and members of the « visible minor
ity » category in Canada.
This description of the demographic characteristics of Caribbean immigrants
in the two countries is part of a larger comparative study of socio-economic and
socio-cultural adaptation of West Indians, which is designed to throw light on the
adjustment and integration processes involved. It is reasonable to assume that an
ethnic minority which experiences prejudice and discrimination, based on race and 130 Anthony H. Richmond
colour, will exhibit different patterns of residential concentration, occupational
distribution, educational achievement and social mobility than other immigrants
and their children who are not exposed to the disadvantages imposed by racism.
At the same time some differences between particular immigrant groups and the
population in the receiving society may simply be attributable to basic demograp
hic differences arising from the scale of the immigration, length of residence, sex
and age distributions etc. In a comparison of Caribbean immigrants in Britain and
Canada, these demographic variables are significant sources of differentiation.
Britain's experience of West Indian immigration has been more traumatic so
far, than that of Canada. Both first and second generations in the U.K. have
experienced open hostility in the media, campaigns by prominent politicians
urging more restrictive immigration policies and the re-patriation of existing sett
lers, as well as overt conflict and incidents of racial harassment in many communit
ies (Husband, 1982). So far, Canada has avoided the « inner city » violence that
has swept through Liverpool, Nottingham, Notting Hill, Brixton, Tottenham, and
Handsworth on various occasions in the last thirty years. It remains to be seen
whether such confrontation can be avoided in Canada, as the numbers of Cana
dian-born of Caribbean parentage increases in metropolitan areas such as Toronto
and Montreal.
BRITISH POLICIES AND IMMIGRATION TRENDS
The number of Caribbean immigrants in Britain at the end of the second
world war was small. Some West Indians had come to Britain to work in war
factories and remained there afterwards. (Richmond, 1954 ; 1955). Others had
served in the armed forces and were demobilised in Britain, rather than first
returning to the Caribbean. A few did go back only to re-migrate when they saw
that economic prospects in the West Indies were poor. Some married English girls
and started families in Britain. The first significant post-war immigration began in
1948 when a ship arrived in London bringing almost 500 Jamaicans. Others foll
owed and, at the time of the 1951 census, approximately 17,000 Caribbean-born
persons were enumerated. (The ratio of males to females at that time was 1.4:1. It
has since declined to 0.96:1). These early immigrants were to form the nucleus of a
chain migration that continued until the government imposed restrictions in 1962.
Immigration continued in the following decade, but on a gradually diminishing
scale.
Britain had imposed immigration controls on those designated as « aliens » at
the beginning of the twentieth century but the ideology of « Empire » meant that
persons born in Commonwealth and colonial territories were treated as British
subjects with a right of entry to the United Kingdom. This presented few political
problems as long as those who exercised this right were mainly « White ». Black
and Asian immigrants were few in number and largely confined to seamen living in
port towns. Their numbers were supplemented by students. Although students,
seamen, wartime factory workers, and even famous cricketers such as Leary
Constantine, experienced racial prejudice and discrimination in Britain, successive
Labour and Conservative governments were reluctant either to control immigrat
ion or to legislate against racism (Richmond, 1955 ; 1961 ; Foot, 1965 ; Rose, :
immigrants in Britain and Canada socio-demographic aspects Caribbean
1969 ; Layton-Henry, 1984). Racial disturbances, which occurred in Nottingham
and the Nottinghill area of London in 1958, were among the factors which led to
increasing demands for immigration controls, even though the numbers of West
Indian and Asian immigrants arriving in Britain were still comparatively small.
Between 1955 and 1959 estimated net immigration from the Caribbean was a
little over 20,000 annually, with about equal numbers from all other « New Com
monwealth » countries combined. However, the increasing publicity given to the
campaign for control resulted in a rush to « beat the ban ». Net immigration from
the West Indies rose to 66,000 in 1961 and total « New Commonwealth » immigrat
ion to 136,400, the majority from India and Pakistan. At the time of the 1961
census the Caribbean born population enumerated in Britain was 174,000,
although there is some evidence that this may have been an underestimate (Peach,
1968). The total number of « New Commonwealth » immigrants was an estimated
282,000 in 1961.
The Commonwealth Immigrants Act, 1962 applied to immigrants from
Commonwealth countries, and to citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies
whose passports were issued by colonial authorities abroad. Those intending to
take up employment were issued with vouchers according to the nature of