Mid December saw the publication of three reports into the racial violence that flared up in some English towns and cities last summer. They raise questions about the manner in which some ethnic minority communities have failed to integrate into British society.
 

Last summer - summer 2001 - life in three or four towns and cities in the north of England was shattered by racial violence.     For several nights in a row, in Burnley and Bradford and other places, Asian and white youths fought running battles with each other in the streets, and also with the police who were sent in to keep the peace. Cars were set on fire, petrol bombs were thrown, and shop windows smashed.     There was perhaps nothing specifically British about this; similar scenes of violence have occurred in recent years in France, Germany and other countries. In the early 1990's, far worse disorder broke out in East Los Angeles, USA, where damage worth millions of dollars was done to shops, offices and apartments, before order was finally restored.     Yet Britain, in Summer 2001, was not expecting the flareup of racial violence that occurred; and within days, if not hours, politicians, sociologists and the media were all offering their explanations, and all suggesting ways to avoid a repetition of the violence in the years to come.     One of the sparks that ignited the fire was fairly easily identified. In the weeks before the General Election, extremists from the fascist "British National Party" had come to Burnley, a town with a large Asian population, and inflamed racial prejudice among a sector of the town's working-class white population. The xenophobic rhetoric of the BNP quickly led to growing tensions between the town's white and Asian youths, to the point where it just needed a little incident to make things boil over; and that is what happened.     From Burnley the violence spread to other towns in the north of England with large Asian populations, and in particular to Bradford, a city with one of the largest Asian populations in Britain.     But the demagogues from the BNP did not cause the violence; they just precipitated it. The causes were much deeper, and included among other things poverty and a large lack of integration.     In this part of Britain, traditionally less prosperous than the south, large ethnic minority groups have failed to achieve much in the way of social progress. This is not the case everywhere in Britain, where some groups of Asians have, on the whole, succeeded very well - notably those of Chinese or Indian origin and in particular those whose ancestors came from the Indian province of Gujurat.     The Asian communities in the North of England, mostly of Pakistani or Bangla Deshi origin, have on the other hand remained generally poor. These are the families of men and women who first came to England in the 1960's, to work in low-skilled jobs in the English textile industry. Today, many of them, or their descendents, still work in low-skilled jobs in the textile industry, others in other low-skilled jobs that have replaced the disappearing jobs in the textile sector. Others are unemployed.     Poverty is thus one of the causes of the problem; but it is by no means the only one and as the new reports point out, it is perhaps not the main one. The main cause is probably the fact that large groups of Asians in the north of England have failed to integrate into British society. Even among people who have lived in England for over 30 years, there are some who speak little English, and whose lifestyle has seen few changes. There are women who enjoy very little freedom outside the home; there are even teenage girls forced into marriage against their will, following traditional patterns in the countries of their ancestors.     There is a problem of virtual apartheid too. In parts of the local education system, there are some schools with almost exclusively white pupils, and others whose pupils are almost all Asian.     In short, in some northern cities, society has become polarised into two communities with very different lifestyles, communities based on race, communities resentful of each other. According to the reports, this resentment was another direct cause of the summer's rioting - notably resentment among people living in white council estates, that more money was being spent on council estates housing Asians, than on their own.     Citizenship and cultural identity     Reacting to the reports, Britain's home secretary, David Blunkett, set out some of his ideas about the way forward:     "Today's reports show that too many of our towns and cities lack any sense of civic identity or shared values. Young people, in particular, are alienated and disengaged from much of the society around them," he said.     And he went on: "But it also means that people should have the wherewithal, such as the ability to speak English, to participate fully in society. This is not "linguistic colonialism" as my critics allege - it is about opportunity and inclusion.     "And just as we seek to defeat racism, so we must protect the rights and duties of all citizens, and confront practices and beliefs that hold them back, particularly women.     "This is not cultural conformity. There is no contradiction between retaining a distinct cultural identity and identifying with Britain. But our democracy must uphold fundamental rights and obligations to which all citizens and public authorities adhere. Citizenship means finding a common place for diverse cultures and beliefs, consistent with the core values we uphold."     Blunkett's outspoken views did not go down well in all quarters, and some on the left of the Labour Party and also some ethnic minority leaders complained that he was playing into the hands of the racists.     But clearly something has to be done, to improve the lot of ethnic minority communities in some English towns and cities. After all there are other towns and cities in Britain where minority communities are far better integrated into the fabric of local society than they are in Burnley or Bradford.     Until last summer, it was not politically correct to suggest that minority groups should feel obliged to integrate more strongly into British society, if they did not want to. Since last summer's riots, and also since September 11th, a lot of things have changed. The expression multiculturalism is taking on a new meaning.

Multicultural society? Photo above: poor multiculturalism - virtual segregation. Almost all the pupils in this English secondary school are from ethnic minority backgrounds. Below: in this other secondary school, in a different town, pupils or all backgrounds mix well together.     WORDS: achieve: attain, obtain - alienated: detached from the society they live in - boil over: pass the limit - citizenship: belonging to society - civic: municipal, local - core values: fundamental values - council estate: area of social housing - demagogue: person who promotes his very fixed opinions - duties: obligations - flare up vb, a flareupn: erupt, eruption - home secretary: minister of the interior - ignite: set fire to - in a row: in succession, one after the other - integration: mixing - lot: situation - low skilled: poorly qualified - outspoken: strongly presented - polarised: separated - politically correct: acceptable among some parts of society - precipitate: make something happen more quickly - resentful: critical, jealous - rhetoric: passionate speech, discourse - riot: violence in the street - wherewithal: the means, the opportunity - will: what they want - xenophobic: nationalistic, racist

A. As you read the article, decide which of the suggested equivalents best corresponds to the words indicated:

• shattered means: a) punished, b) broken, c) improved
• broke out means: a) started, b) stopped, c) went away
• avoid means: a) have, b) prevent, c) stop
• lack of means: a) lot of, b) presence of, c) absence of
• uphold means: a) preserve, b) delay, c) refuse
• failed to achieve means: a) have not achieved, b) have almost achieved, c) have recently achieved
• points out means: a) asks, b) denies, c) underlines
• allege means: a) want, b) claim, c) agree

Poverty is ________ one of the causes of the problem; but it is by ________ ________ the only ________ and as the new reports ________ out, it is perhaps not the ________ one. The ________ cause is probably the fact that large groups of Asians in the north of England have ________ ________ integrate ________ British society. Even ________ people who have lived in England ________ over 30 years, there are some who speak ________ English, and ________ lifestyle has seen ________ changes. There are women who enjoy very ________ freedom outside the home; there are ________ teenage girls forced into marriage against their ________ , following traditional patterns in the countries of their ancestors.
    There is a problem of virtual apartheid ________ . In parts of the local education system, there ________ some schools with ________ exclusively white pupils, and others ________ pupils are almost ________ Asian.

1. Because they attacked us first.

2. Yes, I know some of them. They live in the next street.

3. No, there were hardly any white kids in our school.

4. Yes, it would be good; but we don't really have much in common.

5. I don't know really. Everyone's perhaps. We live our own lives.

6. Yes, it's one of the causes, but not the only one. People here don't have much money, that's certain.

What should "multiculturalism" mean in a modern society? What is the best way to make sure that it is a success?
 
 

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