British Asians: Difference between revisions

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| related = {{hlist|[[Asian people]]|[[Asian Americans]]|[[Asian Canadians]]|[[Asian Caribbeans]]|[[Asian Africans]]|[[Asian Brazilians]]}}

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'''British Asians''' (also referred to as '''Asian Britons''')<ref>{{cite book |doi= 10.1007/978-1-349-26302-8_4 |chapter=British Asian Entrepreneurs: Culture and Opportunity Structures |first1=Tariq |last1=Modood |first2=Hilary |last2=Metcalf |first3=Satnam |last3=Virdee |title=Choice and Public Policy |year=1998 |pages=62–78 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Taylor-Gooby |publisher= Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-333-73131-4 }}</ref> are British people of [[Asian people|Asian]] descent. They constitute a significant and growing minority of the people living in the United Kingdom, with a population of 5.76 million people or 8.6% of the population identifying as Asian or Asian British in the [[2021 United Kingdom census]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group - Census Maps, ONS |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/maps/choropleth/identity/ethnic-group/ethnic-group-tb-6a/asian-asian-british-or-asian-welsh |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=www.ons.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref name="2022census_Scot"/><ref name=NICensus2021/> This represented an increase from a 6.9% share of the UK population in 2011, and a 4.4% share in 2001.

 

 

There is a long history of migration to the [[United Kingdom]] (and its predecessor states) from across [[Asia]]. British colonies and protectorates throughout Asia brought [[lascar]]s (sailors and militiamen) to port cities in Britain. Immigration of small numbers of [[South Asians]] to England began with the arrival of the [[East India Company]] to the [[Indian subcontinent]], and the decline of the [[Mughal Empire]], at the end of the 16th century. Between the 17th and mid-19th century, increasingly diverse lascar crews heading for Britain imported [[East Asia]]ns, such as Japanese and Chinese seamen, [[Southeast Asia]]ns, such as [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malays]], South Asians such as the Indians (including the people from Pakistan), Bengalis and Ceylonese and post-[[Suez Canal]]; [[West Asia]]ns, such as Armenians and [[Yemenis in the United Kingdom|Yemenis]], who settled throughout the United Kingdom.

 

==Terminology==

 

In [[British English]] usage, the term ''Asian'' usually refers to people who trace their ancestry to [[South Asia]], in particular the former [[British Raj]] and [[British Ceylon|Ceylon]] (the modern countries of [[India]], [[Pakistan]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Sri Lanka]] and the [[Maldives]]). The [[British Sociological Association]]'s guidelines on equality and diversity suggest that "South Asian" is more precise than "Asian" and that the latter should not be used where there is a risk of it conflating South Asians with people from elsewhere in Asia.<ref name=BSA/>

[[File:Proportion-of-british-asians-by-local-authorities-2021-census-nbsp-.png|upright=1.15|thumb|Distribution by local authority, 2021 census]]

[[File:Asian population pyramid 2021.svg|thumb|249x249px|Asian/Asian British population pyramid in 2021]]

According to the [[2021 United Kingdom census]], those identifying as Asian British in England and Wales enumerated 5,515,420, or 9.3% of the population<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/bulletins/ethnicgroupenglandandwales/census2021#:~:text=%22White%22%20remained%20the%20largest%20high,(48.2%20million)%20in%202011. |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group - Census Maps, ONS |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/maps/choropleth/identity/ethnic-group/ethnic-group-tb-6a/asian-asian-british-or-asian-welsh |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=www.ons.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref> In Northern Ireland, 30,667, or 1.6% of the population, identified as Asian or British Asian.<ref name=NICensus2021/> The census in Scotland was delayed for a year and took place in 2022, the equivalent figure was 212,022, representing 3.9% of the population.<ref name="2022census_Scot"/> The ten local authorities with the largest proportion of people who identified as Asian were: [[London Borough of Redbridge|Redbridge]] (47.33%), [[Borough of Slough|Slough]] (46.75%), [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]] (45.23%), [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets|Tower Hamlets]] (44.43%), [[Leicester]] (43.40%), [[London Borough of Newham|Newham]] (42.21%), [[Luton]] (36.99%), [[London Borough of Hounslow|Hounslow]] (36.73%), [[Blackburn with Darwen]] (35.66%) and [[London Borough of Hillingdon|Hillingdon]] (33.32%). In Scotland, the highest proportion was in [[Glasgow]] at 11.08%; in Wales, the highest concentration was in [[Cardiff]] at 9.66%; and in Northern Ireland, the highest concentration was in [[Belfast]] at 3.74%.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS021/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/24422250-263c-4b84-8dd4-6159ee18b8e6#get-data |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref>

 

 

The [[Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962]] and [[Immigration Act 1971]] largely restricted any further [[primary immigration]], although family members of already-settled migrants were still allowed. In addition, much of the subsequent growth in the South Asian community has come from the births of second and third-generation South Asian Britons.

 

==Notable contributions==

 

===Music===

 

In 2009, R&B and hip-hop artist, [[Mumzy Stranger]], became the first British Bangladeshi to release a music single; titled "One More Dance".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtviggy.com/desi/music-video-mumzy-stranger-one-more-dance |title=Music Video: "One More Dance" by Mumzy Stranger|publisher=MTV Iggy |date=28 May 2009|access-date=18 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531002148/http://www.mtviggy.com/desi/music-video-mumzy-stranger-one-more-dance|archive-date=31 May 2009}}</ref> In October 2009, Jay Sean's single "[[Down (Jay Sean song)|Down]]" reached the #1 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Johnson| first=Billy Jr. |url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/programs/the-new-now/2108/jay-sean-american-boy|title=Jay Sean: American Boy|work=[[Yahoo! Music]]|date=8 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091012054639/http://new.music.yahoo.com/programs/the-new-now/2108/jay-sean-american-boy|archive-date=12 October 2009}}</ref> and sold four million copies in the United States,<ref name="riaa">{{cite web|title=Searchable Database |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |access-date=21 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626050454/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |archive-date=26 June 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=After 2,000 gigs, Hounslow singer tops the US charts|last=Akbar|first=Arifa |newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=30 October 2009|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/after-2000-gigs-hounslow-singer-tops-the-us-charts-1811724.html|access-date=30 October 2009}}</ref> making him the first South Asian-origin solo artist and "the first UK [[Urban contemporary|Urban]] act to top ''Billboard''{{'}}s Hot 100,"<ref>{{cite news|title=Jay Sean's the Urban US legend|newspaper=[[Daily Mirror]]|date=10 October 2009|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/10/10/jay-sean-s-the-urban-us-legend-115875-21736136/|access-date=30 September 2009}}</ref> "the most successful male UK urban artist in US chart history,"<ref>{{cite news|last=Youngs |first=Ian |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8269400.stm |title=British R&B star conquers America |work=BBC News |date=23 September 2009 |access-date=8 October 2009}}</ref> and the most successful British male artist in the US charts since [[Elton John]] in 1997. A new generation of British Asian musicians have followed such as [[Raxstar]], Bilal and Nish. In the early 2010s, Asian boy band members, [[Siva Kaneswaran]] of [[the Wanted]] and [[Zayn Malik]] of [[One Direction]], have gained considerable mainstream popularity worldwide; the Wanted reached No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 with "[[Glad You Came]]" while One Direction topped the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] with ''[[Up All Night (One Direction album)|Up All Night]]''. British Bangladeshi YouTuber-turned-rapper Koomz is best known for his breakthrough single "Mariah" which has hit over 10 million streams and views across many platforms and also Number 1 in the Official Asian Music Chart of 2018.<ref name="bbclondon">{{Cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bSM8lAC4rk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/3bSM8lAC4rk |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|title=Amar Koomz: from Brixton to the big time |work=BBC London|via=YouTube|date=15 August 2018|access-date=20 September 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jan/11/asian-underground-music-eastern-electro-drumnbass|website=[[The Guardian]]|title=The birth of Asian underground: 'This music was for us and by us, and that was very powerful'|first=Ammar|last=Kalia|date=11 January 2019|access-date=3 June 2020}}</ref>

Like India, Bhangra music has become popular among many in Britain<ref>{{cite news|last=Dixon |first=Martha|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3117432.stm |title=Bhangra fusion gathers support |publisher=BBC|date=18 September 2003|access-date=3 June 2020}}</ref> not only from the works of [[List of British Asian people#Music|British South Asian musicians]] such as [[Panjabi MC]], [[Swami (band)|Swami]] and [[Rishi Rich]] but also incorporated into the works of a number of non-South Asian musicians not only British but including North American artists such as Canadian [[Shania Twain]], who created a whole alternate version of her multi-platinum album ''[[Up! (album)|Up!]]'' with full Indian instrumentation, produced by South Asian producers [[Simon & Diamond]]. Diamond, better known as [[DJ Swami]] has also collaborated with rapper [[Pras]], of the [[Fugees]], and his band [[Swami (band)|Swami]] have become one of the most renowned acts in South Asian music history, having had songs in major Hollywood movies and best-selling video games.

 

 

[[File:British Asian musicians combining Eastern and Western musical traditions.jpg|thumb|British Asian musicians combining Eastern and Western musical traditions]]

 

==Social and political issues==

===Discrimination and racism===

[[File:Shaheed Minar, Altab Ali Park.jpg|thumb|A ''Shaheed Minar'' in [[Altab Ali Park]], [[Whitechapel]] renamed in honour of the Bangladeshi racial victim Altab Ali]]