by Leonora Lloyd In the last ten - fifteen years Southall and Acton (now both part of the London Borough of Ealing) have experienced an influx of strangers. In each case, they could not, on the whole, speak English. They tended to keep in their national groups with their own cultures. Sut only Southall has got into the news. Why? Because Southall's were "dark strangers", whilst Acton's were mainly Hungarians and Poles, The Indians who came to Southall were burdened with many difficulties, Often still in debt due to the expenses of their journey, they were forced into the lowest paid jobs and the highest-cost housing in the slummiest areas, Originally they went to areas where jobs were available, but later the very fact that friends were already in the district drew more newcomers to it. On arriving in a strange inhospitable country, where no-one offers to help you, it was only natural to want to join friends. Many of the immigrants came from small villages in Indis end hed never seen a big city before starting on their journey, They are expected to send money hore, on top of all their other financial difficulties, so it is no wonder that many of their homes contain only the bare necessities. I have been in Indian homes where coats are worn indoors during winter and fires lit only in the coldest weather. Because they are living in areas which were "roing down" even before the imrigrants arrive, the children tend to zo to slum echools.Esling Borourch operates a bussing system for immigrant children, so the mothers have the task of retting their children ready at an unearthly hour for a school bus, knowing they will not be back till late - even the 5 years olds. Few of the women speak English, but many are keen to learn and attend classes. ( How many English women tried to learn the.lanruages of the countries their husbands ruled in our colonial past?) Their lack of English and industrial skills means they will take the worst paid jobs. As they mist pay for the care of their children
out of their money 1t is not surprising that children ere often "cared-for" in miserable conditions, West Indians are not so plentiful in ‘outhall and, of course, they arrive speaking English and with a backeround of Eritish culture and tredition, However, this mst make the rejections and insults they suffer, even worse. The women tend to take shift work, This is reflected in ry local playrroup, which has a policy of taking 50° imigrants, but chas at times found it difficult to zet enough. This is because the mothers caniot ~et along at the ripht imes. A West Indian mother who worked nivhts was always worried in case she fell asleep and couldn't fetch her child at the end of the morring session. Yet this child, compelled to keep quiet while mother slept, needed the playrroup desperately. Immigrant children tend to be overly quiet to beztin with, then they "run wild" for a few weeks. This is a reflection of the conditions at home, But) once: they're settled they learn English at a fantastic rate, It is difficult for a white woman to really imacine what it-is like to live with the sort of prejudice that aboundd in Southall. A friend of mine from Ceylon, where she was a teacher, am. attractive and well-educated woman by any standards, was in tears when she told m some of her experiences: how landladies slammed doors in her face, shop assistants ignore her , etc. Once, in Woolworths, a young firl, told to "Serve that lady, please" said to my friend's face "What lady, where’". She said that she arrived in Britain believing herself the equal of anyone, but sometimes now she feels she mst be inferior. She is married to an Enplish man, who cannot always appreciate how sometimes she comes home hating white people in feneral = this must affect their personal relationship. This is in contrast to my Guyanian neighbour, who was #.ready married when she came to Britain. Her husband did all the room hunting and so took 211 the hard Imocks, Her biggest worry is her young children: they come home from school with things they have heard, but not understood, repeated from white children who have in turn learnt from their parents, How is a parent to instil personal pride and a sense of personal worth under these conditions: Immigrants have brought new foods, fashions and culture to our town, fPrebiets have arisen with their coming, but largely created by white people. A few years ago the race question split the local Labour party and led to ts expulsion of two Labour councillors, who now represent the "Nesidents /ssociation" (definition of a resident: white.) The National Front has also contested lections = unsuccessfully. The local paper is a racialist rar, which always emphasises the nationality of any immiprant wrongdoer. The Indian Yorkers Association itself is split. These problems cannot be solved by sociel workers or politicians, but only by the workers of all races uniting aeainst their common enemies.
fossa