The immigration : an aggravating factor of the British identity crises

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The immigration : an aggravating factor of the British identity crises

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Britishness has always been an evolving concept and identity. Today, this identity is in crisis because it is confronted with problems and challenges which also evolve through the ages. But what is the British identity? What does Britishness mean? In reality, everyone has their own version. While some people think that being British means that you are born and living in Britain, that you have internalize the British traditions (drinking tea, British look, British accent…), this refers to a rather old point of view. Others think that Britishness is a synonym of diversity and multiculturalism, and this corresponds to a rather new point of view. Britishness is therefore difficult to define. To study this division, we can take the example of Brexit. The referendum of European Union membership had deeply divided the country. Immigration is one of the main causes of Brexit, if not the main cause. Indeed, the two points of view continue to be opposed on the question of immigration. On the one hand some British citizens are worried about the impact this phenomenon may have on the country and on British identity, so they want the government to have more control over who can come to the UK. These people fear immigrants will bring too much diversity, which could undermine British unity. On the other hand, another part of the British population thinks that immigration has a beneficial impact on the country, both economically and culturally, and that it is precisely this multiculturalism and this diversity that will help to unify because it will include a more large part of the British population. For them, this should be seen as an enrichment and not as a factor of separation. They also think that it is the Brexit which lead to a more fragmented identity and which threaten British identity. Several well-known figures defend this emerging point of view of Britishness like Afua Hirsch, Krishnan Guru-Murphy or Magid Magid. These people use their own experiences to educate others about immigration and therefore defend a multicultural British identity. Let us take Afua Hirsch’s example. She is British (because she was born in Britain) with mixed origins: her paternal grandparents were Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany (they were white people) and her maternal grandparents were political exiles from Ghana (they were black people). Because of her origins, she is often asked the question “Where are you from?”. For her, this repeated question is a clue to the fact that Britishness is an identity in crises.

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