A14
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism in the UK
Ethnic Diversity in the UK
The traditional image of the United Kingdom is of a country with a mainly white population. Although white people make up over 90% of the UK population, there are also many other groups living in Britain, who make up nearly 10% of the population. The largest ETHNIC group is Asian, and they are over 4% of the population. Included in this group are people from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The other main ethnic groups are Afro-Caribbean, African, Arabic, and Chinese.
There are approximately 4.5 million non-white people living in Britain, and about 80% live in large cities in England. Most live in London, Manchester, Birmingham or Leeds, or in areas close to these cities. In London, almost 30% of the population are Asian and black.*
Immigration to the UK
Immigration to the UK increased greatly after World War II. During the 1950s, the country was still rebuilding its economy after the war. It needed workers for the factories, and for the hospitals of the new National Health Service. Immigrants were encouraged to come to Britain to take up these jobs. Many came from Ireland and from countries that were part of the former British Empire, especially the West Indies, India, and Pakistan. Immigrants from these Commonwealth countries held a British passport and had the right to British citizenship. At first, they were considered to be different and not everyone welcomed them. In the 1970s, a law was passed which made it illegal to treat black people differently from anyone else.
*2001 figures from the UK Census
EMPIRE WINDRUSH
LONDON
Immigrants arriving in Britain on the Empire Windrush (1950s)
Now, 50 years later, the children and grandchildren of the earlier immigrants are well-established members of British society.
Britain is a member of the EU, and citizens of other EU countries are allowed to live and work in the UK. In 2004, ten new countries joined the EU. These were mostly countries that were formerly part of communist Eastern Europe. People from countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic have come to live and work in Britain.
Britain's taste in food has changed over the last 30 years. In place of the food that used to be typical of British cooking, it is possible to eat a wide variety of foods from around the world.
Indian food is especially popular and there are Indian and Chinese restaurants in almost every town and city. Two of the UK's most popular Indian dishes, Balti and Chicken Tikka Masala, are not eaten in India. They were created by Indian cooks in Britain who wanted to make dishes that people in the UK would like. Areas with a lot of Balti restaurants, such as Brick Lane in London, are very popular with local people and with tourists.
Chinese food is also very popular. London, Manchester, and Birmingham all have areas in the