From Lascars to leaders: a brief historic and geographic insight on how Britain’s largest minority came to be
A person of colour and a practicing Hindu has for the first time made the position of Prime Minister in Britain, making a step forward in society and proving to be a success of multiculturalism. But for many British Asians, it is hard to describe how unfathomable this point in time feels. To examine why this is, and to celebrate this milestone regardless of what we may feel about Sunak’s competency as the conservative leader, it is important to review the history of the treatment of South Asians in the UK since early patterns of migrations were recorded.
Just 53 years ago, Lord Tryon, the chief financial manager for the late Queen, stated that it wasn’t in practice to “appoint coloured […] foreigners” to higher positions within the royal household, but were allowed to work as servants. This was not a new idea (relative to the time) and the notion that people of colour should not be appointed higher positions and roles in Britain had stemmed from around the 17th century.
Established in 1498, the very first European-Asian sea route opened a direct connection to India, allowing the Portuguese to arrive in Calicut (traditionally known as Kozhikode) which is a coastal area situated in the southern state of Kerala. This same route was then used to later form the British Empire, resulting in the colonisation of India and much of the rest of Asia. As part of this, the East India company, an English company that was created for the exploitation of trade with much of Asia, formed in 1600. During the East India Company’s first twenty years, less than half of its ships returned from Asia – it seemed like a death trap, and it was far too expensive to send Europeans out to sea, but maritime transport is futile without seamen, and there came the need for what the British called “Lascars”.
Lascars were South Asian, but more generally, coloured seamen employed by the British on deck. They would sail to and from Britain, but during the harsh winters, would lodge in coastal cities and ports to wait for work. Their treatment and workload on deck was exploitative to say the least, as they were paid half their European counterparts and forced to work longer hours for harder labour. They were given less food, and their bedding was at a quality that risked their health as they were seen as “docile and manageable”, stereotypes still escribed to South Asians today. However, numerous reasons such as working restrictions, being left stranded and ill treatment meant that they couldn’t go back to being a lascar. They were instead forced to settle.
By the late 19th century, Lascar visiting rates increased up to 12,000 yearly, but little did they know that their fate in England may have been worse than what they endured on ship. In the late 1700s, it was not uncommon to witness Lascars homeless and struggling to survive. They’d live in cramped, inhumane conditions that resulted in many deaths. There were even reports of abuse – some landlords would unlawfully “punish” Lascars by locking them in cupboards or whipping them. In 1850, 40 lascars infamously starved to death in the streets of London, catalysing a group of evangelical Christians to raise £15,000 to help them gain employment or go back to India. Whilst extremely helpful, it also led to further stereotyping and prejudice, as Indians were then branded as lazy for their reliance on charities and their own helplessness.
Other Lascars would meet a different fate, making great effort to erase their cultural identity and integrate with the British by adopting white names, marrying white British women, and some even converting from their religions into Christianity to be accepted into society.
Migration of South Asians at this point consisted of mainly lascars, and in the 1800s started forming communities in places like Limehouse and Shadwell (with its borough, Tower Hamlets, consisting of a 41% South Asian population by 2011) and by the early 20th century, 51,616 Indian lascars (majority being Bengali) had visited and 8,000 of them lived permanently in Britain before the mid-1900s.
After the dissolution of the British Empire and India’s independence, migration into Britain from South Asia and the Indo-Caribbean increased, especially since the 1950’s. Various waves of migration included manual workers (mostly from Pakistan) who were recruited to fill the labour shortage from WWII, workers from Punjab who were hired to work on Heathrow airport in west London, where the generation kept a strong community and made great effort to maintain their identity, eventually settling in areas like Southall, home to the largest Sikh community in London. It is now referred to by some as little India, featuring 10 Gurdwaras, 6 Mosques and 2 large Mandirs (Hindu temples).
Typically, migrants aim to move to countries where they can be surrounded with familiarity – why wouldn’t someone live in a place where they don’t feel homesick, where they can practice their religion comfortably, speak their own languages and have people to relate to? One theory could be that such communities attract more immigrants who are seeking better economic opportunities, resulting in some population rise since the ‘60s. However, it is more likely that South Asians seeking a better life in London at the time had end up in boroughs like Ealing and Tower Hamlets since they cannot afford to stay elsewhere, and migrants had a shared experience of their dire situation, which is why they formed communities in similar areas.
Another important wave of impelled migration included the influx of Sylheti Bangladeshis during the civil war between West Pakistan and East Pakistan (Bangladesh). People fled from the chaos, seeking a better life in England, settling in parts of East London as the Bangladeshi population increased at a rate unseen before.
But with a stark rise in immigration, Enoch Powell had a lot to critique within the famous ‘rivers of blood’ speech – a speech that had divided the country in 1968 and decades onwards. The atmosphere quickly changed. England wasn’t as inviting as it used to be, nor was it a haven for South Asians anymore. With the establishment of the National Front came a rise in hate crimes that they’d call p-word bashings. White-power skinheads, the national front and national party would use fascist, racist and anti-immigration rhetoric to justify their violence. It was fuelled by the authorities, who underreported these crimes, or even joined in with the harassment and violence. During 1985, the Joint Campaign Against racism counted 20,000 racist attacks, undoubtedly with a large amount being South Asian.
It seemed that the British Asian community became stronger than ever when resists occurred against the unfair treatment they’d endured. The Battle of Brick Lane, following the murder of Altab Ali in 1978, or the Newham Youth Movement that followed the murder of Akhtar Ali Baig in 1980 were just two examples of moments where South Asians banded together to face these challenges head on.
Contrastingly, we can fast forward 40 years and commemorate, as a country, the benefits immigration and more specifically the contributions South Asians have made in our society. A wave of immigration occurred in the 20th century of medical staff immigrating from India to Britain which translates into 10% of NHS workers being British South-Asian in 2019. We contribute in many other ways too – in 2001, it was estimated that British Asian businesses contributed over five billion pounds (£5,000,000,000) to GDP. We also contribute politically where 8 members of Cabinet in the House of Commons are South Asian, and of course, so is the prime minister.
If you’re someone who sees Sunak’s leadership as a step in the right direction for racial equality in Britain, it should also be clear to you that we owe this societal progression to immigration. Without it, Britain as we know it would not be where it is today. When we think of the successes of British Asians, it is important to also think and reflect upon the journey we as a community have undergone.
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