Towards the end of the 17th century a mob of French folk arrived in London, running away from a particularly nasty King.
They were called ‘Huguenots’ and they settled in the cheapest part of town – the east end – where they proceeded to terrify the locals with their funny talk, their funny habits, and clothes and food.
At the very least, it was considered, they were going to change our comfortable, English, way of life. And they might be spies, preparing the ground for a French invasion.
Until everyone just sort of got used to them. (My very first girl friend had a Huguenot surname and she was as cock-eye as a sparrer. Just like wot I wos).
Anything with potatoes
At the beginning of the 20th century came the Irish – fleeing their homeland for much the same reason. Only this time their persecutors were British landlords. They too settled in the east end and were regarded with horror by the locals. For quite a long time as it happened. They were Catholic after all.
Then, in the thirties, came the Jews, refugees from eastern Europe. They were known to eat roast baby at the Passover. And even more sinister, didn’t reckon on Jesus.
The spice of life
After World War 2, the ‘West Indians’, arrived, followed closely by the various peoples from the Indian continent, the Ugandan Asians, the Vietnamese boat people the various Arabs, and lots from Africa.
All of whom proved to be little different from us English, despite strange costumes and mannerisms. All of them wanting, basically, to be left alone to bring up their families in peace, to hold down a job, to see their kids had a good start, and if possible have a little something left in their pockets for a holiday, a bit of socialising, some new shoes occasionally.
Their food turned out to have an edge over boiled cabbage and stewing steak too.
So they all, to a man and woman, became, are becoming or will become as English as you and me. English enough to protest at the newest wave of immigrants in their turn.
Diversity brings variety
And let us not forget that quite apart from all these scary splurges of incomers there is and always has been a largely unnoticed yet steady stream of other immigrants. How many towns are there, think you, without at least one Chinese restaurant, housing at least one family?
Plus, in passing, the Scots, the Welsh, the Aussies.
I’m afraid, my racist friends, you’re peeing into the wind.
Image: masochismtango under CC BY-SA 2.0
