‘Race’, Racism and Cultural IdentityWeek 3

Lecture: Race Relations in Britain: Migration, Inequality and the State

david.skinner@anglia.ac.uk

Structure

Recent patterns of migration Earlier migrants: minorities in BritainHow has migration, ‘race’ and racism

featured in British politics?Seminar: continuity and change: to what

extent can we predict the social and political outcome of recent migrations by looking at past experience?

‘Illegal’ workers in the USA

10-12 million workers?

Campaign to normalise their status

Minutemen

Minuteman Civil Defence Corps Mission Statement: To see the borders and coastal boundaries of the United States secured against the unlawful and unauthorized entryof all individuals, contraband, and foreign military. We will employ all means of civil protest, demonstration, and political lobbying to accomplish this goal.

Minutemen build their wall

‘Who’s Gonna Build Your Wall?’

I got 800 miles of open borderRight outside my doorThere’s minutemen in little pickup trucksWho declared their own dang war

Now the government wants to build a barrierLike old Berlin, 8 feet tallBut if Uncle Sam sends the illegals homeWho’s gonna build the wall

Who’s gonna build your wall, boysWho’s gonna mow your lawnWho’s gonna cook your Mexican foodWhen your Mexican maid is gone

Who’s gonna wax your floors tonightDown at the local mallWho’s gonna wash your baby’s faceWho’s gonna build your wall

(Tom Russell)

Independent 5/10/07

* There are between 310,000 and 570,000 illegal immigrants in the UK, according to Home Office estimates

* If allowed to live legally, they would pay more than £1bn in tax each year* Deporting them would cost £4.7bn and leave acute shortages of cleaners,

care workers and hotel staff. If allowed to stay, the net benefit of nearly £6bn would pay for 300 new schools, 12 district hospitals or 200,000 new nurses

* Nearly 50% of foreign-born immigrants leave Britain within five years* Migrants fill 90% of low-paid jobs in London and account for 29% of the

capital's workforce. London is the UK's fastest-growing region* Legal migrants comprise 8.7% of the population, but contribute 10.2% of all

taxes. Each immigrant pays an average of £7,203 in tax, compared with £6,861 for non-migrant workers

* There were 25,715 people claiming asylum last year. If allowed to work, they would generate £123m for the Treasury