In June 1948, 492 Jamaicans
arrived on board the Empire Windrush at Tilbury dock in east London. The Empire Windrush
project appreciates that this event only metaphorically marks the beginning of the modern
Black community in Britain. Introduction
In June 1948, 492 Jamaicans
arrived on board the Empire Windrush at Tilbury dock in east London. The Empire Windrush
project appreciates that this event only metaphorically marks the beginning of the modern
Black community in Britain.
Today, the diversity of Britain's population is striking! People from all over Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia live here. Over 40,000 Colombians live in London. It is estimated that there are over 800,000 Muslims in Britain whose origins lie in Pakistan, Kashmir, Kurdistan, Bangladesh, Yemen, Somalia, Morocco and Cyprus.
The diversity also expresses itself in language. Several years ago, the Inner London Education Authority estimated that pupils in London schools spoke over 100 languages. It is obvious that there is no common origin of the people who live in these islands! Like most other counties, Britain's homogeneous culture is a synthesis of many cultures and this historic process continues today.