Watch: A Diverse and Divided Britain

Read Time:2 Minute, 31 Second

by Neil Bamforth

The video included in this article may help Americans understand, at least a little, the antipathy or worse that so many Brits have towards immigration in general and Islam in particular. The USA is very good with immigrants. The processes through which immigrants go, as far as I can tell, tend to make them ‘American’ sooner or later. Irish Americans, Italian Americans, African Americans and so on and so forth. Ultimately they become ‘Americans’ first and foremost.

It may well be that, as America is ‘a nation of immigrants’, the country is more readily accepting of immigrants. It could equally be that America is a very big country, therefore, there is much more room for immigrants to settle without causing much of a ripple on the pond of ‘normality’ over there.

The United Kingdom, in comparison to the USA, is a very small country.

As a result, large numbers of immigrants settling in one area changes the demographics of said area dramatically and, as a result, makes the ‘indigenous’ people feel rather uncomfortable.

When I say ‘indigenous’ I do so with the full knowledge that said ‘indigenous’ people are probably the descendants of immigrants themselves one or two or three hundred years ago.

The thing is, one or two or three hundred years ago is, of course, a very long time. Even in Britain, immigrant descendants from over a hundred years ago will finally have become ‘British’.

Quite conceivably, my ancestry makes me, historically, a Viking or a Frenchman (please God, not a German) 😉

I will, for the purposes of this article, use my town of origin, Oldham in Lancashire, as an example of the difficulties Britain is facing regarding immigration. Specifically Islamic immigration as that is the type that is far more problematic for Britain today than general Asian, African or Eastern European – albeit they are causing problems of their own.

Immigrants, in this case primarily Muslim Bangladeshi’s and Pakistani’s, appear to clearly want to recreate their countries of origin – albeit with a considerably better quality of life – in Britain.

The video is not from any ‘right’ or ‘far right’ group incidentally. It is a report for Sky TV. The reporter and, indeed, Sky TV, had no ax to grind. It is no more than investigative journalism trying to find out precisely what the problems are regarding assimilation and integration into British society.

Such a report would, almost certainly, never happen in the USA mainly because the immigrants would, again almost certainly, already be ‘American’.

Oldham is divided into two sections. One is Muslim and one is white British.

There are areas where this overlaps. In these areas, there is something of a tense neutrality among the residents.

The SKY report may possibly give you an insight into my thought processes regarding immigration into Britain.

Where America seems to be remarkably successful at integrating immigrants, Britain is, frankly, useless.

Oldham is the town I grew up in. Back then it was a very different place than it is today.

About Post Author

Neil Bamforth

I am English first, British second and never ever European. I have supported Oldham Athletic FC for 50 years which has made me immune from depression. My taste buds have died due to too many red hot curries so I drink Kronenburg beer and milk - sometimes in the same glass. I have a wife, daughter, 9 cats and I like toast.
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Shirley62
5 years ago

Can’t see as how it’s bad as all that, but I’m even surprised by it and I live there. Some of it is accurate and maybe I’ve just not wandered about all that much. I do see a lot of trash about, more than I see when I visit my daughter in Newcastle for certain.

Neil Bamforth
Reply to  Shirley62
5 years ago

It is as bad as that in certain towns. Mainly, but not exclusively, up north.

Luton is awful for example.

The problems are also mainly, but again not exclusively, with some Muslim immigrants.

Admin
5 years ago

Like anywhere it all depends on where you live. I doubt the north of England entertains the same or even similar population of immigrants and races other than white, to the large metropolitan areas in the south, and this same expectation exists for the United States, with cities like Chicago and Detroit having large populations of Blacks, and a matching rate of crime. If you go to the Deep South you will find large populations of Blacks, and, in some cases Hispanics, in the more rural areas, as well as large metro areas such as Atlanta. Crime matches these populations, as poverty drives the dynamic, and race is incidental.

These examples, however, reflect the permanent population. As mentioned above those who immigrate to the US tend to live in these same metropolitan areas and work to assimilate. There is no significant crime increase in areas claimed by immigrants.

In closing, it’s true that the US is a MUCH bigger country than the UK, and changes brought about by immigration aren’t as obvious. Secondly, the US simply doesn’t have the same influx of immigrants as the UK in the 21st Century. At the turn of the 20th Century America put out the welcome mat for Irish and Italian immigrants, among others, and a great howl arose from the White American Anglo Saxon Protestants. No matter. The immigrants kept coming, they assimilated, crime leveled off and all was well in the world. Until Donald Trump, but that’s another story.

Neil Bamforth
Reply to  Professor Mike
5 years ago

What is clearly missing in towns like Oldham is assimilation.

That’s what upsets us.

Many immigrants assimilate but, sadly many have no interest in it.

The solution? No idea.

Bobbie Peel
5 years ago

First of all I had to check to see if Oldham really existed, because Mr Bamforth has a habit of presenting his opinion as fact. Second of all the video was made by Sky News which is majority owned by Rupert Murdoch of Fox News fame.

You have a belief that Americans are kind and generous people to non-whites, non-Christian folks who wish to share “their” land. Not true, bigotry is alive and well, just like always. Black Americans were enslaved and segregated for centuries, so long they developed a culture so inspiring, it became art. Where would American music be without Blues or Jazz or Soul. No Blues, no Rock and Roll.

I could go on and on about contributions to American culture by non-whites athletes and musicians. And while making those contributions, they had to sit at the back of the bus, stay in their own designated hotels, eat in designated restaurants. By law, things began to change in the 1960s, but believe me, your idea of a tolerant America does not exist, yet.

The old British Empire is to blame, when they “liberated” the lands that became India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, when they imported slaves to the Carribean etc. In the 1950s these people were told, go work in the Mother Country, they need an uneducated work force. Oldham is paying the price for centuries old policies.

Neil Bamforth
Reply to  Bobbie Peel
5 years ago

If Oldham doesn’t exist then I’m a fictitious person who doesn’t actually exist either….are you playing with my mind? 😀

As for slavery and the British Empire.

I feel no guilt what so ever – and neither should Oldham, or anywhere else, pay any price.

I am sad that people were slaves but it had nothing to do with me so no apology should be expected.

The sins of the ancestors should not be visited on their descendants.

Rupert Murdoch? Who cares. The report highlighted a genuine problem…sod the British Empire…we aren’t paying for that.

Glenn R. Geist
5 years ago

Subtitles would help this poor American. I haven’t been over there in a long time, but seeing Slough, I sort of understand. Although there certainly are ethnic neighborhoods in the US, it really isn’t the same thing.

Where I am, I would truly like a bit more Asian influence. One gets tired of deep fried everything sometimes and Indian and Chinese restaurants are welcome. Would I mind an Asian couple next door? It depends entirely on the individual, but of course my wife is Chinese-American and I have many Asian people in my family. I rather enjoy a bit of diversity.

In America I see it more as adding to the culture rather than replacing it, but as is mentioned above we have a hell of a lot of room and our cities are used to ever-changing ethnic enclaves. That’s been going on nearly 200 years.

Is there a difference between those who come to America and those who come to England? My non-scientific opinion is yes, for the most part. China Town in Toronto seems to be very upscale but hardly hostile or off-putting. It’s a place you go to on purpose and you feel welcome. There as in the US there’s more of an impetus to become Americans even if something old is retained. Just an impression. My former town received a large influx of Bosnian Muslims in the 1990s. A mosque was built and there was a bit of agitation about teaching history in the public schools – the Holocaust never happened, you see, but there was no exodus and for the most part you couldn’t tell who was Muslim and who wasn’t. There was also an influx of Korean immigrants and the only change was that the Library was full of students doing homework in the evenings. But it always seemed pretty much like it did before.

Neil Bamforth
Reply to  Glenn R. Geist
5 years ago

I suspect I’m right in saying America is much better at assimilating immigrants than Blighty.

Why? I just don’t know.

Perhaps we should be less accepting and more insistent they attain a reasonable amount of ‘Britishness’?….whatever that is…

Lyndon Probus
5 years ago

I’ve go to say the video is rather disturbing, and it’s from a reliable international source. I have been critical of your anti-immigrant postings Mr. Bamforth, however, the video has given me food for thought. Perhaps you make a point.

Neil Bamforth
Reply to  Lyndon Probus
5 years ago

I do try old bean.

My hope is the video might show my concerns are not racist but genuine and understandable.

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