This is an extract taken from a story printed in the ‘Birmingham Gazette’ by Horace Halliburton, 10th August 1949. Catalogue ref: LAB 26/198
Housing for the new migrants, near to their places of work was often provided by National Service Hostels Corporation (NSHC).
There had been reports about some disturbances between the Poles and the Jamaicans living at Causeway Green hostel. On 8th August, a riot with serious fighting occurred. The Causeway Green Riot and events leading up to that night, mainly consisted of Polish men fighting a smaller group of Jamaicans. Those in charge of the hostel decided to evict the Jamaicans, not the Poles or others involved. The Jamaicans refused to leave and therefore the NSHC made a rule to limit the number of ‘West Indian’ residents ‘up to 10% of the total’ with ‘a ceiling of 30%’.
Transcript
For the past eight months-since I arrived in Birmingham in search of a job- I have lived in the Causeway Green Hostel where the recent racial disturbances have occurred.
The problem of Causeway Green is by no means unique in this country. It is an example of Great Britain’s colour bar. Similar instances are constantly arising in other parts of the country.
My 60 fellow West Indians in the hostel know only too well that the ill-feeling and fighting of the past week cannot be blamed on individual difference of opinion and local domestic arguments.
The cause of the Polish-Jamaican dispute goes deeper than that. It is the result of cumulative ill feeling and resentment which has grown steadily for more than six months.
Fundamentally it boils down to two main factors-accommodation and employment.
Simplified transcript
I have lived in Birmingham for 8 months at Causeway Green looking for work where the fighting between Poles and Jamaicans took place.
Disturbances like this are not unusual. It is an example of Great Britain’s colour bar. [Which means landlords and employers can treat people unfairly based on their race, colour, or country of birth.]
Events like this are common in other parts of the country.
The 60 West Indians in the hostel know well that the bad feeling and fighting last week cannot be blamed on individual difference of opinion and argument in the area.
The cause of the Polish-Jamaican dispute goes deeper than that. It is the result of growing bad feeling and rage which has grown steadily for more than six months.
Simply it comes down to two main things-accommodation and employment.
- What does it tell us about the author’s feelings about living and working in Britain?
- What might it have been like to live in a hostel after arriving in Britain?
- What does the writer mean by a ‘colour bar’?
- What does the writer say are the real causes of the disturbances at Causeway Green Hostel?
- Does it make a difference that the person who lived at the hostel also wrote this story?
Discuss (if possible) the plan to limit the number of Jamaicans in NHSC hostels after events at the Causeway Green.
- What does this tell us about the treatment of Jamaicans in Britain?